Peter Bart: Modern Billionaire CEOs Could Learn From Edward Bernays' Public Relations Approach
By
Peter Bart
The bagel they save for the regulars. Don't skim, savour.
Summary
This article compares the public relations philosophy of Edward Bernays, the "Father of Public Relations," with the erratic public behavior of modern billionaire CEOs like Jeff Bezos, David Ellison, and David Zazlav. Bernays advocated for "engineered consent" and calm, strategic communication to help CEOs navigate crises, but his methods have been largely abandoned by today's tech and media billionaires who oscillate between glamorous public appearances and corporate turmoil.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledEdward Bernays, a calm, courtly man renowned as the 'Father of Public Relations,' would likely have been confounded by the erratic public behavior of today's billionaire CEOs.
Bernays preached his doctrine of 'engineered consent' to rescue stumbling CEOs.
Since he died in 1995, however, his 'engineering' skills have had no impact on Jeff Bezos, whose stoic smile survives glitzy fashion parties one week and corporate budget cuts and Blue Origin explosions the next.
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