Dina Lohan: A Case Study in Poor PR Management

Yes, you read the headline correctly, and no, you have not stumbled upon the Us Weekly homepage. The lessons learned from Dina Lohan, the train-wreck mother of train-wreck Lindsay Lohan, make for an intriguing PR case study – specifically, Dina’s cringe-worthy interview on Dr. Phil last month. But from the ashes of an extremely public on-camera failure are valuable insights that PR professionals can use to teach their clients about how to properly conduct themselves during interviews.

Dina was hoping to change the public’s perception of her as the worst mother in America – taking advantage of her daughter’s Hollywood success while enabling and encouraging her self-destructive (and criminal) spiral. Instead, her erratic and strange behavior and incoherent responses only reinforced the negative reputation which Dina claims is the result of distorted media coverage.

Dina’s Dr. Phil spectacle made news around the globe, including Australia, where a morning TV program broadcasted the most jaw-dropping clips.

The interview demonstrates how PR professionals can ensure that their clients are clear, concise and on-point during media appearances:

• Always act like a model of restraint and civility. Clients must maintain their cool, no matter how much they feel provoked, and never disparage interviewers. Dina referred to Dr. Phil’s “little tie” and “little shoes,” told him to “do the math” and referred to him and his fellow media personalities as “you people.” These snippy remarks not only heightened tension between Dina and Dr. Phil, but also made Dina appear nasty and condescending. Later on, she raised both of her middle fingers, thus portraying herself in an even nastier light and forfeiting any sympathy from the audience. The messages she was trying to send were lost the moment she made that rude gesture, and were immediately replaced by the impression of Dina as a vulgar woman contributing to her daughter’s descent.
• Never resort to juvenile behavior. In Dina’s case, she tried to “fist pump” Dr. Phil and, after starting to cry, asked, “Can I go home now?” Such immature conduct makes an interview subject appear phony and emotionally unstable, and therefore, untrustworthy. Clients should always portray themselves as authentic, confident, knowledgeable, and articulate. Crying and “fist pumping” do not reinforce those desired perceptions.
• Concentrate solely on the interviewer. Dina turned away from Dr. Phil to look into the camera and ask, “Are we to camera now? We’re rolling?” This made Dina seem both unprepared and kooky. It signaled to Dr. Phil and the audience that something was awry, ruining Dina’s credibility and preventing anyone from taking her seriously.
• Always prepare responses to likely questions and review the messages and images clients wish to resonate with the audience. Choose words carefully and use them properly. Take this gem from Dina: “Cell phones weren’t as inept as they are now.” Dr. Phil immediately seized on that statement to tell the world that Dina was engaged in avoidance tactics. “You’re reaching for words that you don’t even know the meaning of … That word [‘inept’] doesn’t fit in that sentence.”

Clients only get one shot to make a good impression during a media appearance. There are no second takes. PR professionals must rigorously prepare clients for every media appearance, no matter how big or small, because a single mishap during an interview is enough to permanently alter the public’s perception of a person or an organization. PR professionals are in the business of building positive perceptions, but they must remember that the same rules in this area apply to both people and companies.

Hopefully, the PR executives who work with Lindsay Lohan will take this to heart when preparing the starlet for her upcoming interview with Barbara Walters.