PR advice for the Balloon Boy family

With even defense lawyer David Lane acknowledging that charges are likely to be issued soon in the Balloon Boy saga, Richard Heene and the rest of his clan have stopped saying "yes" to every media interview request -- and that's probably for the best given the mistakes the family made...

By Michael Roberts

October 20, 2009

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With even defense lawyer David Lane acknowledging that charges are likely to be issued soon in the Balloon Boy saga, Richard Heene and the rest of his clan have stopped saying "yes" to every media interview request -- and that's probably for the best given the mistakes the family made before zipping their lips. A blog from SE2, Eric Sondermann's Denver-based PR firm, points out some basic mistakes in the Heenes' first attempts at communicating their message by way of six tips they clearly didn't follow:

1. Credibility matters. If this whole embarrassing debacle was truly not a publicity stunt, don't spend your first 24 hours being interviewed on every possible national news program.

2. Emergency calls first. Then media calls. (9-1-1 before 9News.)

3. Pick the right spokesperson. In 99 percent of cases, this should not be a six year old. They have an unfortunate tendency to tell the truth.

4. Appearances matter. When your parenting skills are under scrutiny, put your puking son to bed... not on the Today show.

5. Practice, practice, practice. The "I'm Sorry I Yelled at Him" moment must appear heartfelt. Reality TV only works when it looks real.

6. Know any vulnerability that might make you appear batshit crazy (i.e. Wife Swap appearances, You Tube videos, 20-foot flying saucer balloon "crafts".)

Yes, appearing batshit crazy is bad, Mr. Heene. Nice haircut, though.

Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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