Getting The P.R. Knowledge From A Real Guerrilla Of A Prick

"It's all about accentuating the positive, showing people the benefit to them of what you're offering. You don't sell beds; you sell sweet dreams and good sex … The Guerrilla publicist always sees his mission in a wider context. There's a popular bumper sticker that reads 'Think globally, act locally.' That's the attitude behind Guerrilla P.R."

When I was recently tabbed for a new job back in the public relations world, I had to brush up on my P.R. chops, dust off some old textbooks and start re-educating myself on this occasionally cutthroat, rapidly moving field. Obviously, more than a little bit has changed since I was sleeping through Communications classes and doodling my way through Journalism lectures, so I contacted a few buddies in the field. I was looking for some suggestions as to how to get up to speed on what works and what doesn't in public relations — and "Guerrilla P.R. 2.0" by Michael Levine was near the top of the list.

I'd been heavily involved in the marketing space over the past decade-plus, but there are not-so-subtle differences and nuances in these two fields (as Levine puts it, "P.R. is the art, marketing is the science."). I'd hammered out the occasional press release for a basement-based jewelry store and the odd case study for an automotive insurance company in a former life as an SEO copywriter for an interactive marketing and chicken finger agency, but getting back into the swing of things from a P.R. perspective was a must for my new gig.

Levine laid the foundation right away, putting public relations into context in words that resonate for any level of writer:

"Public relations is an art that creates an image (hopefully, an accurate one, but certainly a polished one) of you and your business, and presents it in a controlled, planned fashion that will convey exactly what you want to say without having to be obvious about it."

Using a no-nonsense approach, Levine discussed everything from media kits to crisis management and everything in between. He covered deliverables such as press releases, e-mail blasts, podcasts and speeches, plus topics as diverse as photographs, podcasts, interviews, events, clips and tradeshows. I’m not going to say I agreed with everything he had to say, but it was all food for thought and informative.

Now, I will say that my buddy sat in on one of Levine's lectures once, and he described Levine as a "complete prick." However, he went on to say, "but he knows his shit," and both facts were apparent in Levine's work here. I think heading straight into a textbook-style look at P.R. would have been a little overwhelming (not to mention boring) for me starting out, so Levine's free-wheeling, conversational tone worked better with what I was looking for at the time.

Of everything I learned, I came away most taken with Levine's oft-repeated mantra:

" … There are two speeds in today's media world — fast and dead."