Where Was the PR? Miss Teen South Carolina's Attempt at Redemption

Where Was the PR? Miss Teen South Carolina’s Attempt at Redemption

A few days ago in the Miss Teen USA pageant, a very confused Miss Teen South Carolina, Caitlin Upton, stumbled through what she thought to be an adequate answer to a fairly simple question: “Why can nearly 1/5 of Americans not locate the United States on a map?” After rambling about nothing of relevance for almost a minute, it seemed the wannabe beauty queen would have done better to just stand there and smile. When her turn was finally over, America was left almost as confused by her answer as she seemed to be by the question.

On August 28, the bumbling beauty got a chance to redeem herself on the Today Show. However, the second time around may not have been her saving grace, either. The question undoubtedly took Caitlin off-guard--she described it as “overwhelming.” Her follow-up response to the same question consisted of her mainly talking about her friends and their knowledge of geography. This made me conclude that in the reality outside of beauty pageants and scripted reality television shows, most of us are not typically allowed a do-over.

This, to me, is where strategic public relations should have entered the contest. No doubt Ms. Upton was coached before her second, on-camera interview, but I can’t help but think her coach left her high and dry on the field. In this specific instance, Upton’s rep should have been doing the type of public relations dealing with the minimization of damage to her image. In order to save her from the “dumb blonde” stereotype, her rep should have prepared her a little more for her second battle. By attempting to redeem herself, Caitlin may have ended up damaging her reputation further. Most individuals are not given the privilege of a re-do, but Caitlin Upton was. It’s too bad for her that she did not maximize this to her advantage. If you’re ever lucky enough to get a second chance in public relations, make it count.

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