7 PR lessons from ‘Psycho’

Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho” doesn’t scream PR tips, but there’s more insights than first meets the eye.

Slash through the film and its production, and you’ll discover several shocking lessons that apply to communicators.

Consider these insights to boost your PR prowess:

1. Chop those gulps.

Before releasing one of his films to the public, Hitchcock screened it for his wife, Alma, a onetime film editor. She admired “Psycho,” but told Hitchcock that he couldn’t ship it to theaters as is.

Why? Because star Janet Leigh, who plays Marion Crane, gulps when she’s supposed to be dead. When Hitch examined the individual frames, he saw Leigh breathing, so he sliced out the gulps.

PR lesson: Don’t release crucial copy (or video) without having someone else review it. Doing so can ensure that mistakes don’t mar your efforts.

2. Listen to your staff.

Hitchcock originally believed the shower scene would be scarier if it were projected without underscoring. His go-to composer, Bernard Herrmann, thought otherwise. He convinced the director that shrilling violin strings would be the perfect accompaniment to the sound of knife slashings and Marion’s screams.

Herrmann was right.

PR lesson: If you hire the best, accept their advice.

2. Read the newspaper.

Crane flees Phoenix with $40,000 stuffed into her purse. She uses $700 to replace her car with another. At the Bates Motel, she wraps the remaining bills in a newspaper, which she perches on a nightstand.

When cleaning Crane’s room after her murder, Norman Bates, played by Anthony Perkins, tosses the folded newspaper into the trunk of her car before pushing the vehicle into a swamp.

PR lesson: PR pros must read newspapers to keep up on matters that might affect clients. You never know what’s inside until you look.

3. Think differently.

Originally Hitchcock planned to film Crane’s employer and his client discussing the stolen money and how to get it back. Hitchcock later realized it would be more effective—and would heighten the drama—if Crane imagined the conversation as she was driving.

PR lesson: Don’t do things the way you always do them. Aiming for something different can be more effective. Instead of announcing a new product or service with a news release, post a Facebook video that incorporates comments from customers.

[RELATED: Learn secrets and best practices to discover your brand's stories and write compelling copy.]

4. Plan ahead.

For most of his films, Hitchcock used storyboards to plan crucial shots and camera angles. Storyboarding presented a pictorial script to follow. It also reduced the time and expense of keeping crew and cast on the set.

With a storyboard, Hitchcock could provide specific guidance that would generate exactly what he wanted his audience to see on the big screen.

PR lesson: Thanks to YouTube, Facebook and other social media platforms, video content is a more predominant PR tool than news releases. If you want your videos to be effective, follow in Hitchcock’s footsteps. Plan your shots and follow an outline, whether it be a storyboard or a written description of what each key scene should show.

5. Update your associates.

Just before he is greeted by screeching strings at the top of the stairs at Bates’ house, private investigator Milton Arbogast (played by Martin Balsam) phones Marion’s sister to brief her about what he has learned so far at the Bates Motel. His next step is to interview Norman’s mother—which will end up doing him no good.

PR lesson: Keep your colleagues apprised of your progress on a project. You might become ill (or, in Arbogast’s case, have an encounter with a knife). Regardless, your associates can pick up where you left off.

6. Do no harm.

At the end of the film, Bates (a psycho if there ever was one), calmly sits alone in a courthouse room, ignoring a fly on his hand. A nearby psychiatrist explains that Bates has essentially become his mother, which calls to memory something Bates says earlier in the film: “A boy’s best friend is his mother.”

Inside Bates’ mind, his mother’s voice says she wouldn’t even swat a fly. If Bates’ mother had been so concerned with his behavior earlier in the film, Bates might not have been headed for the insane asylum.

PR lesson: As a PR pro, you should ensure that your efforts do not harm the interests of your client or the safety of your target audience. Your mother might be your best friend, but she isn’t necessarily a public relations guru.

Bill Spaniel is a PR manager.

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