New book shows Public Relations firms' true role in marketing, advertising and PR disasters.

‘Talespin’, the world’s first ‘A to Z’ compendium revealing a host of real ‘beauty’, public relations disasters, will be officially released in Australia and New Zealand on March 1, 2005.

Entitled ‘Talespin PR Disasters; Inside Stories and Lessons Learnt’, this new media communications book documents many of the world’s famous and unreported PR gaffes, and shows the lessons that business, communications, marketing and PR professionals can learn from PR disasters.

With real life case studies from the UK, USA plus Australia and the worlds of branding, business, media, music, politics and sport, the book entertainingly and informatively depicts some of the world’s most calamitous PR cock-ups, including:

- Ford Explorers: even though evidence suggested that vehicle design and defective tyres were causing vehicle rollover, Ford & Firestone tried to stonewall any concerns, so creating huge public distrust.
- Starbucks pressed 9/11 rescue workers to pay US$130.00 for water to help those injured in the terrorist attack; a store boycott was threatened.
- Coca-Cola and Pepsi in India were accused of using pesticides in their drinks; moving to sue the government, they created a national PR storm.
- Volkswagen declined to halt a direct mailing campaign with an envelope labeled, "Suspicious Package’ even though a recent terrorist bombing had put consumers in the UK on high alert.

Gerry McCusker MSc, the book’s author, has over 20 years experience in PR and advertising. His client credentials include BMW, Dunlop, MINI, Tennent Caledonian Breweries, Ultra-Fresh, Unisys and Vauxhall GM.

McCusker has published academic research into audio brand identity, presented at conferences in Australia, the Middle East and Singapore and is a former lecturer at Glasgow Caledonian University. ‘Talespin’ is available from Angus & Robertson, Dymocks and other good bookstores.

Ends

Talespin reviews:
“Sit back and let McCusker’s tales of woe and little grey commentary boxes teach you how to manage any bad day at PR central” – The Times (London) online.

“Gerry McCusker’s book offers salutory lessons in how not to do it” – The Herald, Scotland.

"The lessons learnt…should be required reading for all PR consultants.’ —Alan Capper, former Chairman of Rowland Worldwide.


For further information, to request a review copy or interview the author, please contact Martha Fumagalli on 00 11 61 020 7843 0433 or check out www.prdisasters.com or www.kogan-page.co.uk