7 deadly PR truths from ‘Tiger King’

There are certain public relations tenets that hold true regardless of what’s going on in the world.

Perhaps the COVID-19 pandemic is to be blamed for even the most intellectual of us having been glued to the popular Netflix biopic “Tiger King” and enthusiastically sharing the many memes that have followed.

Laughter and crisis-related comforts aside, for every train wreck there are PR lessons to be learned. Here are a few favorites, courtesy of the cast and characters of “Tiger King”:

1. DIY PR may not be in your best interest.

Sure, it saves money to hire your favorite store manager from Walmart—the one most familiar with your gun and explosives purchases—but even if that person is the most ambitious and level-headed guy around, as was Joshua Dial, he likely will lack the decades of experience needed to aptly handle a crisis PR situation and to strategically roll out your most critical campaign messages.

This is especially true if you are a hard-to-handle client, or if you have some 40-acre-zoo-sized challenges ahead of you. Think twice before doing what’s cheap, fast, easy or convenient and instead focus on doing it once and doing it right.

2. Doing the right thing is still the most important thing.