Disclaimer: This blog post may contain Game of Thrones spoilers. You’ve been warned!

After a whole year of contemplating whether I should watch the famous fantasy drama television series Game of Thrones, I finally decided to watch it for the sake of going with the flow (ha ha!). So, I’ve been binge watching the entire 6 seasons in the past one week. Crazy, I know, but the series is sooooo addictive.

At first, I thought it was going to be like, well, Lord of the Rings, but I was totally wrong! I was already hooked when they killed the main character at the end of Season 1 (although it still hurts, ugh!). The best thing about this series is that it is not just about dragons or castles but also about characters. Every single character has a powerful impact, and my favorite is Jon Snow, a bastard who then becomes the Night’s Watch Lord Commander.

Some PR lessons we can learn from Jon Snow:

1. “You know nothing, Jon Snow.”

Jon Snow started the season as Stark’s bastard, not knowing much about what was going on and the phrase “You know nothing, Jon Snow” kept being repeating. But, as GoT developed, we saw Jon Snow become a respected leader and strong fighter.

There are times when we, as PR practitioners, must accept that we know nothing and must always be willing to learn and accept changes in the industry in order to grow professionally.

2. Be crisis-ready

If you are a fan of GoT, you will agree that one of the most epic battles in the series is the “Battle of Castle Black”, where Jon Snow and the Night’s Watch defended the wall from the wildlings. Had Jon Snow not been well prepared for the surprise, the King Beyond the Wall would have easily taken control of the Wall.

Crisis often spirals out of control without warning. What we can do is to always be ready by identifying potential crisis, preparing a crisis team, reviewing the status of current issues, among other things.

3. Think out of the box

Jon Snow was the only one out of 998 Night’s Watch Lord Commanders who decided to pair up with the wildlings, their arch-enemy for thousands of years, to fight the Night Walkers as winter was coming. Not only did he go against the current of popular opinion, he also risked his life to ensure the cooperation transpired.

In PR, there’s no limit to how far a brand can travel. The industry is dynamic and thus needs professionals who can think outside of the box to achieve their objectives and ultimately stand out in a crowd.

And yes, I can’t wait for Season 7 to start next year. Good luck with the next “Game of PR”! :D

Cheers,

Ferdyana

Associate, Praxis