I observed some anti-competitive behaviour at PR Week’s slalom
challenge last week.
Eight teams of agencies were competing to see who could make it down the
dry slope at the Ski and Snowboard show at Olympia.
Hurling themselves into oblivion were people from Bell Pottinger Good
Relations, Charles Barker BSMG, Lansons Communications, Nelson Bostock,
Oakes Bacot PR, Sector PR and Vousden Levick Publicity.
In the end Bell Pottinger triumphed in a neck-and-neck against Sector
PR. Bell Pottinger’s victory was controversial, as one of their team
members just happened to be Konrad Bartelski, Britain’s most successful
ever downhill skier. Bartelski, contrary to agency claims, does not work
on Bell Pottinger’s accounts, but is a good friend of agency director
Simon Pearson.
After a highly competitive first run, Bell Pottinger’s ringer gallantly
accepted to tackle the second on one ski.
Runners-up Sector also had a surprising team member. In his capacity as
executive director of the PRCA, Chris McDowall is supposed to be neutral
when it comes to supporting agencies.
But as the father of Sector account executive Nina McDowall, he did his
best to ensure her agency got ahead in the race. And Mrs McDowall made
enough noise at the foot of the piste with her rattle to ensure that
Sector won the award for noisiest support.
