Hats off to PETA

Whether or not you agree with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)’s hard-line stance on animal rights or its envelope-pushing tactics to support it, you have to admit the non-profit is a master at earning headlines.

In its latest PR coup, PETA has publicly promised to send President Obama a “Katcha Bug Humane Bug Catcher”, which allows you to catch flies and release them outside, rather than killing them. This follows the President’s much-celebrated fly-swatting during an on-camera interview with CNBC correspondent John Harwood on Tuesday.



PETA has taken exactly the right approach: it has taken advantage of a topic in the news, and employed non-confrontational tactics to earn media coverage and make its point.

It’s a great lesson in how smart PR can help you get your message out – without a huge investment in advertising.