Here’s a link to a blog being written by a PR genius. His name is Todd Defren. I know he’s smart because I offered him his first job with an agency way back when. But where Todd runs into trouble, credibility wise, is when he’s conflicted between what he knows is true and what he thinks he has to say to tow the corporate line, agency-wise. Or, agency un-wise?

In his most recent post about the pros and cons of APR accreditation (about which he and I agree… it’s a bunch of broccoli spears), he writes: I look across the landscape of my own agency, which employs 75-odd (truly odd) PR people nationwide, all of ‘em stars that I admire.  None have "APR" affixed to their business cards, yet there’s not a single one whom I wouldn’t trust to give solid PR counsel to a client.

Really, Todd? Not one? That explains why you’re just about the only one blogging for Shift? Fact is: I know, Todd knows, and the western world knows traditional, legacy, circa 1980 agencies have a handful of superstars. Everyone else in the place is on their knees taking orders, even if the directives are stupid. If all 75 people at Shift were ’stars,’ Todd knows they’d be off doing their own thing.

His business relies on low-cost, pyramid-style, highly leveraged, not so bright or ambitious people doing labor intensive work for low wages at high billable rates. He knows it, and I know it because Todd Defren was in my office on a more or less daily basis complaining about the stooges on his team he was forced to manage.

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This week, Radio Shack Corp. notified about 400 workers by e-mail that they were being dismissed immediately as part of planned job cuts. Imagine coming into work in the morning, opening your inbox and finding this: 

To: 400 Radio Shack Employees

The work force reduction notification is currently in progress. Unfortunately, your position is one that has been eliminated.

Jeez, aside from that Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play? Granted the proposed layoffs were announced earlier this month but still, what are these executives thinking? Isn’t this a little dehumanizing?

Personally, I don’t think this news will affect the Radio Shack brand at all. I’m sure customers who frequent the stores still know that the layoffs will not deter the high-pressure, ignorant service they are accustomed to receiving.

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