Public relations isn’t just about smiling vacantly and passing around sausages on sticks, you know. Sometimes, the PR officers must earn their keep.
Take the recent departure of Ann Limb as head of the University for Industry. The Learning and Skills Council’s publicity experts burned the midnight oil to find a form of words that would break the news with the necessary sensitivity.
All the more important, bearing in mind Ms Limb’s reported differences of opinion with Sir Anthony Greener, UfI’s chairman.
The big question was what headline to put at the top of the press release.
Then, one press officer had a moment of inspiration. What about “UfI severs Limb”, they piped up.
Catchy though it may be, the idea was promptly ditched.
