Getting A Little PR

Few stories remind us how not to approach public relations better than the news about Howard Castleman and his Castle Toyota/Scion dealership in Baltimore.  The story also underscores the difference between substantial public relations and flimsy publicity.

Castleman promised $2,100 scholarships to four graduating seniors from Baltimore's Patterson High School.  Checks would be handed out at the school's senior farewell ceremony, and Castleman wanted the media invited and his Castle Toyota/Scion banner hung for the event.  Not unreasonable.

During the week before the ceremony, the school's JROTC instructor had a heart attack in the school's parking lot and died.  The school felt the farewell ceremony should take a more solemn tone and acknowledge the deceased instructor, and they felt the media should not be invited.

The news - that is, the part about the media not being invited - did not seem to sit well with Castleman.

He rescinded the scholarships.

"We opted not to give it to them because of, quite frankly, attitude," said Castleman to The Baltimore Sun. He said if the press had been invited it would have helped increase donations to the school, paid a public tribute to the fallen JROTC instructor and "we would've gotten some PR."

But that's not all Castleman had to say.

"These people aren't going to buy cars from me.  We get a little PR out of it," Castleman told The Sun. "I'll never, ever, ever give money again.  This is it.  I'll never have another Christmas party for these kids.  It doesn't pay."

After the fallout from rescinding the scholarships - and likely his insightful remarks - Castleman reversed himself again, pledging to honor his original promise.

But others had already jumped in, pledging thousands more than Castleman to fund the scholarships.  The school's reply was a polite no thanks to Castleman.

Instead of viewing public relations as an ongoing process for communicating an organization's values, Castleman seems to view it as a quick shot at cheap publicity.  By rescinding the scholarships, Castleman appears to have revealed what may be his true feelings:  He doesn't care about the kids, only getting "a little PR" from his largess.

In that sense Castleman is right.  This type of "PR" just doesn't pay.

Here are links to The Baltimore Sun's coverage of the story:

• “Firm reneges on scholarships”  6/3/08
• “Car dealer renews scholarship offer”  6/4/08
• “To the point”  6/5/08
• “Strings on gifts a knotty problem”  6/5/08

Comments

[dissertation help]

Blogs are good for every one where we get lots of information for any topics nice job keep it up !!!

[PRfriend]

I love this story. It's a bit like those Westerns where the good guys win in the end. But I also feel a little sorry for Castleman.
He thought that PR and integrity were poles apart. And in fact this is a widely held view. He thought that by offering scholarships his job was done.
He was forgetting that the children have elder brothers and sisters, and parents and grandparents, all of whom might buy a new car and all of whom can see through insincerity in an instance.
The organizations that have the best PR strategy - honesty, sincerity and a belief in their customers - don't need PR at all!
Thank you for telling this story.