PR Pros Say No To NYSE Bell Ringing

[Michael Phelps rings the closing bell on 9/9/08 - image cred]

A time honored tradition and more recently a valuable PR tool, ringing the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange is no longer a coveted photo opp. With the markets in turmoil, publicists who once fought tooth and claw to have their clients appear on the world’s biggest economic stage are now turning down the opportunity.

Writes The NYTimes’ Ben White:

The job, after all, is supposed to be an honor, or at the very least a photo opportunity. But at a time when the markets are unsettled, some public relations types wonder: Who wants to ring in – or out – the next black day on Wall Street?

“Right now, it can be a little bit like being asked to blow the foghorn on the Titanic,” said Jim Haggerty, chief executive of the PR Consulting Group, which advises companies on communications strategies.

[Hat tip: Gawker]

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