It's OK to be Ringo

So, back in 1960, these four young guys from Liverpool got together and created arguably one of the greatest bands in music history. The Beatles either outright own or are close to holding nearly every single record in the music industry.

Paul, George, John...

There was Paul McCartney, the charismatic left-handed bassist who had the smooth voice. John Lennon was the rebel who played a mean guitar and wrote some of the band's edgier lyrics. There was George Harrison, the youngest and quietest of the group who wrote some of the band's more memorable songs...

Ringo Starr

Oh, and then there was Ringo Starr. The last member to join the band, he replaced the original drummer Pete Best in 1962, completing the quartet.

Poor Ringo. He ended up playing the butt of the jokes in the band's movie A Hard Day's Night. People dismissed his drumming as more technical drummers came onto the scene with larger drum kits. He was the last Beatle to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as an individual performer for his post-Beatles work.

And yet...

Given a modest drum kit by today's standards, he made some of the most amazing rhythmic hooks that define the sound of the Beatles. Impressive stuff that even the most famous drummers of today still turn to for inspiration.

What does this have to do with being a PIO? How many times do we find ourselves in that support role while other folks get out to the front to take the credit? We find ourselves sometimes in the driving rain, drifting snow, blistering heat or biting cold working with the reporters on the scene. We spend the hours, days, weeks, months and years leading up to that incident working the phones, building trust with the reporters. Becoming knowledgeable on how severe weather, traffic accidents, epidemiology or any one of a hundred other potential disasters or incidents can affect a community, and we learn how others have responded to those incidents, ensuring we adopt the best practices.

A media briefing is where music is made

Sure, someone else gets to stand in front. But, just as with any famous band selling millions of records, if one thing is out of place or not there, the chemistry just won't be right.

And, that's not something that bandmates can put up with.

Tom Iovino, Public Relations Strategist
Hillsborough County, Florida
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomiovino