Public Relations Measurement Case Study: David Letterman

In 2009, David Letterman revealed to the public what could have been the end of his career. In his show "Late Night with David Letterman", the veteran host made a confession that he was victimized by a blackmail attempt. During the taping, Letterman admitted what he would have otherwise wanted to hide that he had sex with women who used to work for him.

Letterman received applause and laughter from his public; Letterman survived the worst crisis in his career by his excellent PR stunt. Instead of giving in to Halderman’s request, Letterman arranged with police, set up a meeting with Halderman and paid him with a dummy check of the requested 2 million dollars. But as soon as Halderman had deposited the check, he was arrested.

Letterman didn’t panic or tried to silence Halderman with cash. Instead Letterman measured his risk and his public relations very accurately. He knew the risk he was taking by confessing the dirt that could have sunken his career. But he also knew who he was dealing with when he had to make a public confession.

Letterman understood a good strategy could save his day. He reassessed what he amounted to by then through his career. His job had been mocking and joking around others. That had been his job. Now it would be a payback time. He knew he could get away with it only if he convinced people that he was more than willing to embarrass himself but come out as an honest fool rather than a lying crook.

Another thing Letterman calculated wisely was he controlled what he could. After having had the culprit under arrest, Letterman, like a victor, announced it in his TV program, not any other channel or interview or any other press. He took advantage of his own show as if the whole thing were just a part of the show.

His moral guilt would contrast the culprit’s criminal guilt that was already condemned by law enforcement. Letterman might be morally guilty but legally innocent and victimized; his decisive action and courage to stand up to unlawful demand; he didn’t cower because he felt ashamed. In that operation Letterman imposed himself like a skillful detective.

Letterman knew he had some advantage in that situation if, only if he was willing to take a moment of public shame. The key was how to milk public sympathy out of that tight corner. For the sake of all the guests mocked and ridiculed by him in the past in his show, he could take the beating in a fantastic PR stunt.

Letterman in his confession talked about his feeling rather than his affairs; it’s simply a diverted tactics. By showing people that he could have succumbed to a coward and yielded to the blackmail, Letterman succeeded in painting himself as a hero. And let people know how frightened he was and how vulnerable he was saying that "I was worried for myself, I was worried for my family," he said. "I felt menaced by this, and I had to tell them all of the creepy things that I had done. He went on to say, "The creepy stuff was that I have had sex with women who work for me on this show," he said. My response to that is yes, I have. Would it be embarrassing if it were made public? Yes, it would, especially for the women."

Letterman’s confession also implied that he was now doing better and thinking better and he was the kind of a fool he used to mock like his guests. Letterman’s comments were calculated and carefully designed to evoke a sense of sympathy and aiming at maximum empathy from TV viewers. By exposing himself in a platter of public disgrace, Letterman purposely and successfully put the whole event under the comic light. Letterman’s confession was a case where a public relations measurement worked at its best.