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Heavenly Damage Control: Opus Dei's PR Campaign
July 24, 2006
by AJ Fanter
aj.fanter@business-programs.com
Business Programs Columnist
What would you do if your organization was portrayed as bunch of murderous fanatics? If you're Opus Dei, you'd do exactly what anyone with a career in public relations would tell you to do--develop a comprehensive PR strategy, formulate an action plan, and get to work telling your story.
PR for the Priestly Set? Not Exactly
Founded in 1928 by Josemarie Escriva, Opus Dei was designed to inspire lay people to approach life with holiness and a commitment to God. Unfortunately, owing to some of the group's practices Opus Dei has always had its share of bad PR. However, it wasn't until the best-selling novel, The DaVinci Code, became a movie that the public relations situation became critical. The reason? The book's central antagonist, a murderous albino monk named Silas, is supposedly a member of Opus Dei.
PR at Work
Never mind that Opus Dei doesn't have monks or that 70% of members are married, Opus Dei knew they had to get to work enhancing the image of their organization. Dubbed Operation Lemonade (as in "you've been given lemons make lemonade"), the PR project became Opus Dei's priority. However, rather than calling for a boycott or other quick-fix PR tactic, Opus Dei instead crafted a strategic public relations campaign that would make anyone with a career in public relations proud. Not only did the campaign seek to educate the public on the actual practices of the group, it featured a well-publicized request that filmmakers run a disclaimer. To date, the group has not only captured TV appearances and a cover story in Time Magazine, they've received hundreds of column inches in newspapers throughout the country and around the world.
Career in Public Relations
While not all public relations campaigns have the world-wide impact of Operation Lemonade, if the idea of creating newsworthy buzz and delivering information to the media in a timely fashion appeals to you, then it might be time to consider a career in public relations.
Sources
New York Times
About the Author
AJ Fanter is a freelance writer based in Reno, Nevada.
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