The Lois Whitman how-not-to-do-PR saga continues. She was called out by us and others in December for verbally abusing bloggers and spamming Wall Street Journal and New York Times reporters.
Things quieted down when she issued an apology, saying “Official Apology to Rich Brome And All Offended Bloggers -Just posted this on Twitter. Received over 100 emails, most of them angry. They are right. I was wrong. Thank you for the support emails but this is the right thing to do. Amazed by the power of viral marketing and learned a lot. I should take the heat. I love the blogger community and I did them wrong. I apologize.”
But now the PRSA, always willing to eat their own, is holding a seminar called Social Media for Skeptics: The Care and Feeding of Bloggers in Colorado. The description: “Pitching a blogger is like pitching a reporter — a reporter who can and will publicize and criticize and rationalize your every word. So, can you pitch a blogger to cover a story for your company or client? Yes! But do it wrong, and you might just end up like Lois Whitman (we’ll tell you who Lois Whitman is and what she did at the session!).”
Whitman isn’t pleased and has commented a couple of times in the blog post. Screen shot is below.
I completely understand Whitman’s desire to leave this whole mess in the past and not to have PR seminars dedicated to avoiding her situation. But her new comments also make it clear that she was never really that sorry for her actions. Rather, she was just sorry she got slammed for it – an important distinction.
This is how she now characterizes what happened last December: “The bottom line of my story is that I emailed press releases to a list of high profile bloggers signed up for a trade show. They didnt know their names were being issued to publicists. So I took the heat for an entire industry. Many of them are now closefriends.” Read our post for the real story. We don’t quite see her as the defender of the PR industry. Rather the opposite.
I feel sorry for Doyle Albee, who now has to face Whitman’s potent wrath.
This woman’s a nutcase
to me she just oozes new york. doesn’t fly so well in Silicon Valley.
she certainly oozes something, but as a former New Yorker, I hope that isn’t it
I still think everything’s not her fault, and she appears arrogant simply because her ego is not willing to take things lying down..happens with 99% of the people in this world..
ohh..I take my words back..Just read the December article on TC about her..
She oozes spam men! Spam queen I suppose. Why is digging her own grave again and again and again? Already, she is the poster-child of wrong-publicist and everything wrong with PR. Why is she repeating her wrongs?
Yes it is New York, and being a New Yorker, I can say that it is important to know the proper adequate of communications when dealing with people from outside of NY.
It is similar to the Dutch, they are very brash and brutal and to the point when they speak, but to them, that’s how they communicate and see no offense.
She was totally out of line by making it seem that dealing with bloggers was not on her priority as with dealing with “real reporters” shows that she is done in the field of PR as the newspapers will all need to play catch up in the blog world to survive.
^ Correction: adequate=etiquette
A buddy of mine once commented that ‘there’s something incredibly slimy about people from silicon valley, it’s almost as if they’re all just as bad as that blowhard arrington’.
I took the time to correct him in the error of generalizing an entire group of people based on one person. But now you’re doing the same.
Don’t be that way Mike. Don’t add to the problem.
So you agreed with them that M.A. is a blowhard lol.
If I had a ton of people trying to be my friend just to get coverage on my blog then spit at me when they don’t then yeah I might start carrying a Glock FORGETABOUTIT!
Hey, I’m a New Yorker Mike! (upstate)
I love people like Doyle who fight confrontational people with only good words. It’s impossible to argue with someone when they just keep being human Teflon. It’s very similar to how Obama conducts his business.
Completely agree with you Mike on the west/east coast thing. I do appreciate how passionate she is about her job, her clients and what she does though.
How does she still keep in business of PR?
Probably by spamming her clients…
LOL!
hm, doesn’t seem like Lois has learned much at all. talk about arrogant. at least Doyle is showing some class. actually, a lot of class.
Thanks, Tari. I appreciate the comment.
Yes, Doyle. You’re showing class even in your arguments and the right way to hit that lady-with-a-monstrous-arrogance!
Spot on! Doyle was VERY professional in the entire conversation.
This woman needs to learn a thing or two from him!
She clearly doesn’t get it.
Almost every thing she does to defend herself just digs her deeper into the hole she’s digging.
How can a PR person be so bad at managing her own PR ?!
Perhaps Lois took per PR lessons from Leona Hemsley.
Perhaps Lois took her PR lessons from Leona Helmsley, who also owned a lot of real estate, but who also couldn’t keep her foot a respectable distance from her mouth.
I can’t imagine these two posts being the top result for her name on Google is great for her business, either… heh.
Getting into an argument with a retard is a no-win scenario.
LOL! That’s kind of like saying a bird can’t fly.
She owns a lot of square feet of expensive real estate, therefore she must be good at her job
Ted Turner has +2M acres so you might be on to something.
who is she?
i am so lost with why you both dislike each other. does it have anything to do with tech?
I think it has to do with shaking hands.
Can’t believe MG didn’t throw something in about twitter – oh, wait for it. yep, there it is..
Best part of the Google search:
http://www.goog...?q=Lois+Whitman
“Picked by 4 other people.”
Wow. This is the first time I’m hearing of this “official apology”. She never emailed any such thing to me.
I’m amazed by how oblivious and arrogant she seems to be. I was never terribly upset that she spammed me. Annoyed, yes, but she wasn’t completely off-base that “it happens” in the PR industry. (It shouldn’t, but it does.)
What pissed me off was her outrageously rude, insulting, threatening response to my email. It was a completely unprofessional and unacceptable way to correspond with someone in *any* business situation.
exactly. it wasn’t her emails to you, it was the way she handled herself when you very politely asked her not to.
Doyle = Aplomb
Lois = Less than aplomb
I’m not sure that 8000 square feet is going to last if it rides on her PR abilities. Seems like Doyle will have some more material for his seminar.
Thanks, Dorian!
Hey Doyle Albee,
For what it’s worth, you seem like a rational and polite fellow. Kudos, sir.
-Kevan-
So, bear with me on this – but I honestly think it’s also a situation where keeping current, understanding the trends, is harder for those of us over a certain age – the digital immigrants, compared to those under a certain age – the digital natives. I can easily imagine that when she first said, “Aren’t you going to talk w/me” – she meant, aren’t you going to pick up the phone and call me. She didn’t realize that we “talk” in all sorts of ways these days, and many of them are NOT verbal. The world WAS talking with her. She just wasn’t paying attention, because the phone hadn’t rung.
The most interesting part of this story to me are Doyle Albee’s courteous and professional responses to Lois Whitman. The beauty of ALMOST instant communication, is the ability to think before you write. Perhaps he wrote some different responses before changing them to the ones above. But in the end, he not only shined for Ms. Whitman, but shone for the world to see.
Surely nobody games these via the original traditional back channels like… oh, the telephone… unthinkable.
Agreed – yes – took the high road. As anyone with any PR sensibilities knows – that’s almost guaranteed to put you in the better, if not winning, position. . .
Sorry – responded to the wrong comment before. Actually, as someone who rounds up to 100, I feel kind of sorry for her. I’m sure this is horribly embarrassing, humiliating, and actually a situation she’s never had to deal with PERSONALLY before. She’s probably helped dozens through comparable trouble spots but it feels different when you the one in the hot seat. And her livelihood may be at stake here, guys. Don’t overlook that. Pay is personal.
Pure conjecture on my part. Have never heard of the woman before this blog.
That’s exactly Doyle’s point, though: it’s not just about her. Nobody’s saying she’s Dick Cheney, it just so happens that she was the one who provided the example. In fact, looking at it another way she could be an expert in the effects of these mistakes, turning lemons into aplomb. I’m not really sure what she’s trying to stand up for here, because her reputation doesn’t have to be at stake if she doesn’t want it to be.
First time I’ve heard of Lois Whitman. PR fail
Doyle sounds like he’ll be alright. He fielded her messages like a pro.
Michael,
It is pretty obvious that she doesn’t get it. Here is what I usually do when confronted with people that don’t get it;
I end the conversation. She IS good. She is getting a little too much PR right here-right now…
The Franchise King
Joel Libava
Geesh. Who cares about bloggers. Even if she gets stoned in the so-called blogosphere. You people just have huge f*cking egos. Bloggers are still NOT important.
Just look at the so-called news. If any of you guys had class, you would have contacted this PR woman and talked to her. A blogger won’t do that. A blogger will make assumptions and call out people without talking to them.
The beauty of citizen journalism. Relevance, none.
Just curious… if you feel that way, why did you just leave three comments on this blog?
You need to get your head examined!
Interesting insight – and you may be spot on, if even in her personal life she ascribes to the “any PR is better than no PR theory”. I’ve never signed on for that. Yup, time will tell. . .
What a way to spit in someone’s face.
She needs to get laid…
Years in the industry, and she can’t take 10 minutes to learn how to be polite to people on the Internet?
She practices the a NY-Style of “politeness.”
But I have to say that she is very smart and, in person, she could be [really] very sweet.
Doesn’t PR stand for “public relations”?
Last time I checked, the majority of the “public” doesn’t live in New York.
That excuse doesn’t fly. Not here.
Incest silicon valley.
What excuses fly over there?
I think her age and experience is catching up to her and she’s just ‘losing it’
Cant teach an old dog new tricks.
All hail @EH! Whattaline: “Turning lemons into aplomb.”
PR is and has always been a dirty game. Let’s not kid ourselves and pretend to be holier than thou.
I don’t see what the big deal is. People treat the act of pressing ‘delete’ on an unsolicited email like they’ve been put through the biggest inconvenience imaginable. Good for her for standing up for herself.
black hat pr gone wrong…
So 2 of 3 articles in my feeder are from MA. Neither was substantially related to technology. Who are you writing for?
I must say that Doyle handles her very professionally, like a person that makes a living from communicating with people.
Complete and utter pwnge through the floor, but in a very professional, polite and high-road manner.
Something tells me that one of them will walk away is a few new clients due to hitting TC’s front page, and it’s not the 8000 square feet lady.
Doyle – I’m going to Colorado to meet you in person for a slug.
Wouldn’t it be better for the two of you to meet in person for a ‘hug’? Hug it out.
As Michael Scott says:
“‘Hug it out, bitch.’ That is what men say to each other after a fight.”
Let me know if you need directions from DIA, I’d be happy to help.
As a reporter who has spent a nice part of her career working with Doyle Albee in Colorado, I must say that he is one of the best PR people I’ve worked with. (And that’s saying something being a former tech reporter, inundated with crappy pitches daily.)
The mere fact that a reporter is writing a comment in support of a PR person should tell you a thing or two about Doyle, a man that will never send you a shameless, blast pitch.
Doyle, I didn’t expect anything less from you. Having participated on one of your panels, I know that your goal is to make PR professionals better, and the use of Lois Whitman’s so-called gaffe helps illustrate the point. I’ve probably done worse during my presentation on your panel, calling out all the bad pitches, phone calls and marketing materials I’ve received.
No one is perfect Ms. Whitman. We all make mistakes (reporters included), however the true professional would try to learn from their mistake, regardless of how public it is.
So Ms. Whitman: 1) You might learn a thing or two from Doyle and his colleagues in Colorado; 2) You’ve probably lost a ton of business, because reporters/bloggers etc… are likely to delete pitches from you, regardless of how specific or relevant they are. I know I am; and 3) Stop giving New Yorkers like myself a bad name. You’re not proving/winning anything here. It wasn’t a personal slight. You’re acting someone stepped in front of you while trying to get in a NY taxi in front of your office.
- Kimberly Johnson
Kimberly:
You’ve always been a pleasure to work with. Thanks so much for the comment.
Keep us posted on the auto industry from the AP in Detroit!
Doyle
I’m not sure there is anything that smacks more of ineffective old school PR mentality than defining one’s success by the square footage of their office and landing a WSJ story for a client. If I listen close enough I can hear the fax machine screeching from her office right now.
I think the real case study here is how Doyle dealt with a PR troll!
Q: What are the enemies of prosperity and success?
A: An un-teachable spirit (Proverbs 13:18)
I sent this to family members yesterday and am amused that it applies here as well….
Looks like Doyle’s PR company (Metzger Associates, Boulder, Colo.) and Lois’ (HWH PR) are after the same type of high-tech, start-up companies. Now that the dust has cleared, if you were looking for a PR company to help you out, would you rather work with Lois or Doyle?
Actually, one thing that everyone (including M.A.) is missing in this story is how Doyle Albee is a textbook example in how to write professional, kindly, accurate, and high-etiquette emails or responses. He answers every complaint fully with kindness, politeness, and finality, leaving literally nothing to quibble with or follow up on (notice that Whitman’s second round has to move on to new topics).
One of my specialties is email and social networking etiquette; if I were to write up a textbook example of how to respond to angry emails or comments, I couldn’t do it better. Forget the Lois Whitman stuff — it’s just gossip and, after all, she’s only doing what most of us have done at one time or another — but you should copy Albee’s comments, stick them in a directory on your desktop, and read them everytime you’ve got an angry comment or email to respond to. Simply wonderful, some of the best I’ve ever seen in over 30 years on email and social networks.
The only thing I would have done differently is phone Whitman after the first comment (she does give her phone number and makes, I believe, a very valid criticism that she hasn’t been asked for her side of the story). A good rule of email etiquette is that if the situation is critical or emotions are frayed, pick up the phone — if you can. Email (or online comments) is practically guaranteed to make every bad situation worse. And if you ever needed proof . . .
“Email (or online comments) is practically guaranteed to make every bad situation worse.”
I totally and completely agree.
I also agree that Doyle is at the top of his game in terms of diplomatic skill and corporate communication.
Very good suggestion! I’m going to save Doyle replies as templates!
Doyle handled with the situation great professionalism and care. It’s unfortunate to get tied up with Lois in such a public way.
I’ve seen Doyle speak as a panelist, an expert and off-the-cuff and can honestly say in each situation he has never tried to gain an advantage for his firm at someone else’s, or another firm’s expense.
BTW, someone would consider Doyle’s company a competitor of ours since we’re both located in Boulder, Colo., and work in social media – so as a competitor I can only give props to how Doyle handled this – nice work man – way to represent.
Left a comment before, but it didn’t post for some reason. Thanks so much for this comment. It is a class act. Please give my best to the crew at Room 214 for me, especially Pickard.
Thanks again!
Are you dragging all your clients on TechCrunch to write testimonials for you?
Actually, none of these people are my clients.
Sorry, hit the enter button early. If you read the comment you’re responding to, it’s from a competitor, not a client. And, again, there’s not a single client on here, or a single post that I’ve solicited.
One thing I’ve noticed about nearly every comment on this string is transparency. Nearly everyone is leaving contact information in one form or another. You’re not doing so. I’d be interested in your blog or your Twitter address.
Thanks for joining the conversation.
its very evident from her comments that while Louis maybe a great PR publicist, she has certainly never engaged in rhetorical online medium herself or possibly been pitched to by other PR folk for carrying stories.
She also does not realise things like Google Alerts and Social Mention exist and you can’t just talk inappropriately about anyone on the net, without them coming to know anymore.
Michael, I’m looking forward to the TechCrunch post, “Meet Doyle Albee, the poster child for everything that’s right with PR.” With a postscript on Kevin Dugan, one of the PR people outing those like Lois Whitman on the Bad Pitch Blog.
I can’t believe Amanda is missing this…
Can’t we have interesting flamboyant and – yes – sometimes abrasive personalities anymore. Have we come to a point where we all have to treat each other like honorable English gentlemen? C’mon! I love her responses. Too funny! “Hug or a Slug…” has to get a place in the Smithsonian. It’s classic. Those who want to send her to PR Siberia don’t know the colorless, tasteless world you are wishing for. As Christopher Walken might say, “MORE Lois Whitman!” http://www.clam...re_cowbell.html