Don’t Be An American Idiot–Talk to the Press
When you’re on the ropes and something good finally breaks your way, you should tell the world about it–especially when the news media are practically begging you to do so.
Case in point, the producers of “the financially shaky musical American Idiot got a huge boost this week as Billie Joe Armstrong, the front man for Green Day who wrote the show’s songs and co-wrote its book, stepped into a key role onstage for eight performances.”
Great–just the shot in the arm they needed–and a real draw for new ticket sales, right? Well, no. Read on (source: Portfolio.com – emphasis mine):
“But one day after Armstrong made his Broadway debut to thunderous applause at the St. James Theater and raves online, something odd happened—neither the producers nor the publicist wanted to talk about the show, it’s finances, the impact Armstrong would have on the its long-term health, or Broadway’s appetite for rock and roll.
The lack of comment is not only puzzling, it’s stupid. It’s akin to Donald Trump refusing to talk after a particularly heated episode of The Apprentice or Steve Jobs demanding to be left alone after sending out a press release announcing a new iPhone. Small-business owners and entrepreneurs take note: Going dark to the media when your product is hot is no way to make friends or keep the “positive” going.
Great advice.
And I say that not as a hater of the musical. Far from it. I saw American Idiot in previews this spring and walked away thinking it was one of the best shows of the last Broadway season.
Yet the producers stonewalled reporters at a time when the anemic musical could use a shot in the arm. Don’t they understand that when the smell of death starts to linger around a Broadway show it usually makes people turn away in droves? The Armstrong boost makes now the time to talk to the media–especially media so obviously disposed to writing a positive story. Instead, the reporter wrote this:
It all made me eager to write about the brilliant move behind getting one third of Green Day to fill in for the actor who normally plays St. Jimmy, who had to take time off to deal with a family matter. But then when I got shot down by the publicist—and, by extension, the producers—I was left only with a set of unanswered questions.
I’m sure they have their reasons, and they may be very good ones–but the fact is they blew a great media opportunity. Keep that in mind when something good happens to your company or organization. Don’t let the opportunity to make a splash with the media slip by.
To put it plainly: don’t be an idiot. Sing when you’re winning.
