We’re intrigued by the Police use of media to try to spook Tom Phillips and those who might be helping him evade Police for over two years.
The announcement of a reward for information, and subsequent stories of sightings, were combined with a Police presence in South Waikato and King Country. It creates an environment in which the targets are uncertain of who to trust, triggering someone to act rashly.
It illustrates the power of communications to intensify an issue, although the actual circumstances have not changed.
From a PR perspective though, there is a rule of thumb that says you should not use such techniques unless your chances of success are over 50%. Failure to stir the required public response results in your position being far weaker than when you started.
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