As a Marketing and PR professional, I like to watch what other companies are doing with their PR efforts. Over the years, I’ve gotten some good ideas and learned a lot from watching how companies conduct PR and, more importantly, how consumers react.
Recently, I’ve noticed a trend that I’m dubbing “Kansas City Shuffle PR”.
In this case, I’m referring to the legendary “Kansas City Shuffle” play that the Kansas City Chiefs (that’s a pro football team ladies!) pulled off back in thier AFL days. The premise of the play was to create a diversion on one end of the field so that they play could take place on the other end.
Basically, they tricked the other team so that they could sneak in a goal or a down. The term is also mentioned in the movie Lucky Number Slevin
Kansas City Shuffle PR is also all about creating diversions so that consumers, the media and investors focus their attention on one thing while the company is cleaning up an ugly mess in the background.
With my past in corporate PR, I can tell you that this type of tactic is used more than people think.
Watch your favorite companies - or your own company. What are they announcing to the world? Real, newsworthy, non-attention-diverting peices are about new products or upgrades, new clients, research results, new hires, industry event participation and M&A.
If the companies that you are watching are talking about something other than that - they may be trying to get you to look one way while they sneak a dirty secret, a bad quarter or a failed launch date right past you.
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