It makes me sad that Chicago has lost a few great boutique PR firms in the past 12 months.  But it’s hard to sympathize when there is spin surrounding the closing of a shop.

On Sept. 11, 2008, Crain’s Chicago Business reported that Lannon Communications was “closing its office and laying off staff while it restructures from the economy’s thumping of the retail industry.”  This made me very sad…and a little nervous when I read it last fall.

Yesterday the Chicago Sun-Times reported Lannon “shuttered her firm to become vice president of strategic partnerships for Merchandise Mart Properties.”

Let’s say she did have the job in the works with Merchandise Mart (who was a Lannon client) and that yesterday’s news is true.  That makes the news in September from Crain’s seem like someone, somewhere, wasn’t being very strategic in releasing that information.  But perception is reality and this is perceived by me as spin.

What do you think?

Gini Dietrich

Gini Dietrich is the founder, CEO, and author of Spin Sucks, host of the Spin Sucks podcast, and author of Spin Sucks (the book). She is the creator of the PESO Model© and has crafted a certification for it in collaboration with USC Annenberg. She has run and grown an agency for the past 19 years. She is co-author of Marketing in the Round, co-host of Inside PR, and co-host of The Agency Leadership podcast.

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