We lost a client this week…and I was happy.  We were hired by the International headquarters of a major company and market leader, but the local Headquarters here openly did not want us hired.  To say that the International and local offices were not on the same page would be a very kind understatement.

We would get a call from headquarters to embark on a certain strategy, and then the US office would tell us a different story – no, we absolutely do not want this done. And then we would throw up our hands and say, repeatedly and regularly: “Who is the client – International headquarters or New York?” Both would say: “I Am.”

Needless to say, they wouldn’t say this to each other. Our staff was regularly frustrated, and I couldn’t give them a clear answer.  Headquarters was fair and good to us, so we essentially did as they told us and they forced the US office to follow along.  It was never friendly interaction and, amazingly, the US Director of Marketing for months on end refused to meet with us and essentially grunted through the conference calls we had.

Meanwhile, both offices told us that the campaigns we had thought up and implemented had raised their business significantly; that ROI from PR & marketing was up significantly; and that all metrics we set at the start of the campaign were exceeded.  Every time someone tried to trip us up, we exceeded expectations.

That said, it has been a few days since we spoke to headquarters, and I admittedly did not really focus when a staff member forwarded me a Google alert: the pre 8 AM notice said the International CMO was rumored to have accepted a new position.  Sure enough, before the end of the day we received the termination notice from the grunting Director of Marketing.

See also  PR Best Practices to Protect Your Brand's Integrity

Here’s to better clients…but I wasn’t unhappy at losing this client.

 

Read more from Ronn Torossian:

Ronn Torossian on Facebook
Ronn Torossian on Medium
Ronn Torossian on LinkedIn
5WPR, Public Relations Insights & PR Firm
Ronn Torossian on Business Insider

SHARE
Previous articleNEW GAME RULES TRIGGER A REBIRTH
Next articlePUBLIC RELATIONS: A WEEK OF PR AGENCY ACTIVITIES
Ronn Torossian is the Founder & Chairman of 5W Public Relations, one of the largest independently owned PR firms in the United States. Since founding 5WPR in 2003, he has led the company's growth and vision, with the agency earning accolades including being named a Top 50 Global PR Agency by PRovoke Media, a top three NYC PR agency by O'Dwyers, one of Inc. Magazine's Best Workplaces and being awarded multiple American Business Awards, including a Stevie Award for PR Agency of the Year. With over 25 years of experience crafting and executing powerful narratives, Torossian is one of America's most prolific and well-respected public relations executives. Throughout his career he has advised leading and high-growth businesses, organizations, leaders and boards across corporate, technology and consumer industries. Torossian is known as one of the country's foremost experts on crisis communications. He has lectured on crisis PR at Harvard Business School, appears regularly in the media and has authored two editions of his book, "For Immediate Release: Shape Minds, Build Brands, and Deliver Results With Game-Changing Public Relations," which is an industry best-seller. Torossian's strategic, resourceful approach has been recognized with numerous awards including being named the Stevie American Business Awards Entrepreneur of the Year, the American Business Awards PR Executive of the Year, twice over, an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year semi-finalist, a Top Crisis Communications Professional by Business Insider, Metropolitan Magazine's Most Influential New Yorker, and a recipient of Crain's New York Most Notable in Marketing & PR. Outside of 5W, Torossian serves as a business advisor to and investor in multiple early stage businesses across the media, B2B and B2C landscape. Torossian is the proud father of two daughters. He is an active member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO) and a board member of multiple not for profit organizations.