Thaksin: A Football Crazy PR Pro March 14, 2008
Posted by paulprdixon in : PR in the UK, PRandom , trackback* This post was originally written for ‘Off The Record’ - AC Capital Strategic Public Relations’ blog
Thaksin Shinawatra - the deposed Thai Prime Minister - is not someone I particularly like. Ask any fellow Manchester United aficionado if they agree and your answer will be a definitive yes; following the telecoms tycoon’s ousting in a 2006 military coup he decided to throw his Baht at Manchester United’s local rival, Manchester City. And then he recruited former England manager Sven Goran-Eriksson, who has done a fantastic job, as team manager.
The Thai and the Swede share a turn-around in fortunes. Where one has recently returned to Thailand (kissing the Bangkok tarmac on his arrival) with the blessing of the newly elected Prime Minister from the pro-Thaksin People’s Power Party, the other (also deposed from office) has undergone a transformation himself, at least on the football field.
But this is where the similarities end. ‘Slippery Sven’ made himself tabloid-fodder (and still is) during his tumultuous England reign for scoring off-the-field more than on it. Thaksin, on the other hand, has been described as a ‘PR genius’. I don’t like what Thaksin has achieved at Manchester City. But with my PR hat on, I agree that this guy is in the Champions League spot when it comes to public relations
His record, home and away, is outstanding. Effectively harnessing the media to build his power base amongst the villages and factories, Thaksin’s successful populist campaign propelled him to victory in the 2002 Thai elections. Known to have a hat-trick of quotable quotes up his sleeve, in 2007 the ousted Thai PM famously told CNN: “I don’t believe that this can happen again in the 21st century”. In the British media almost all his photos show a goal-post-wide smiling Thaksin proudly wearing the famous sky-blue Manchester City scarf.
And now back in Thailand, he is using Manchester City as an effective tool to prop up his own image in a country which shows live Premier League games in its cinemas. On his return home a few weeks ago, not only did Thaksin kiss the tarmac in front of the assembled press, flanking him were two Manchester City players here ‘to coach Thai children’. This is PR PHD stuff.
But Thaksin does have his PR critics and has been accused of failing PR 101: to communicate effectively with all your key audiences whilst being consistent to your brand i.e. don’t lie and make promises you can’t keep. But the guy isn’t a John Rendon, Thaksin is a politician and politicians don’t always care about passing their PR mid-terms.
Now back in Thailand and ostensibly claiming that he is done with politics, Thaksin faces corruption charges; but it’s a formality that he will be cleared. Critics fear that his return is a calculated step towards regaining power. From a PR perspective, this certainly seems the case; he knows more than most that perception management is a key facet in his political rehabilitation.
As for the somewhat rehabilitated ‘Slippery Sven’, he will be hoping some more of Thaksin’s billions of Baht will be coming Manchester City’s way. I however will be hoping that Thaksin takes his eye off the football for a while, and be spared the laughable ‘Blues can dominate the world’ headlines that have become ubiquitous in local Manchester media over the last year. Come on You Reds.
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