The PR Crisis Causing Bloodshed on Game of Thrones

In a few more weeks, Game of Thrones will resume and we will know the answers to some burning questions from last season – primarily, did handsome but unlucky Jon Snow survive or die?

As a PR practitioner, I had more reasons to cringe in horror as his own brotherhood sunk their knives – literally – into him. It was so senseless!

A little PR savvy could have saved him. Here are the lessons inherent in the drama that the writers accidentally taught us.

First, the context. Jon Snow is the leader of this motley band of exiles, the Watchers, charged with defending “the Wall,” a frozen barrier of ice that keeps the rest of the world safe from the undead, known as the “White Walkers” – like the typical zombie, their bites turn their victims into more undead predators. They prey primarily on this primitive wandering group called “The Wildlings.” The Wildlings hate the Watchers, and vice versa. There are generations of bloodletting between these groups, and many Watchers have lost their families to Wildling raids. Oh, and did I mention that the Watchers are required to be celibate, which makes them even more cranky?

So, Jon Snow, their recently elected leader, has this brilliant idea. He calls the Watchers together and presents the idea to them. Here’s what he SHOULD have said:

“Now men, you know the greatest danger to us and to the people we are supposed to protect, are the White Walkers, right?”

And the men will say, “Right.”

“And we all agree that if we can’t stop them and protect the wall, they will break through and eventually kill all the people outside the wall – including everyone we love and are sworn to protect.”

And the men will say, “Right.”

“And we all know that we’re getting fewer and fewer recruits, and the raids have killed off many of our group, so we are in a weaker state than we’ve been for many, many years. That makes it hard to mount an offensive.”

And the men will say, “Well, right.”

“So we have to have another plan. Here it is. I recognize that may sound a little crazy to some of you, but if it works, and it stops them from destroying the world and it stops them from turning us into crazy-eyed, furry, frozen flesh-eating monsters, it would be worth it, right?”

And the men will say, “Well, right.”

Jon Snow draws in a breath. “So here it is. We have to cut off their food supply. If they have no more victims, they can’t multiply. If they can’t increase in numbers, they aren’t the threat they can become. We can get reinforcements, and keep them prisoners here in the wasteland, where they can’t really do any damage. And that’s really why we’re here, isn’t it? That’s why we took these vows, isn’t it?”

And the men will say, “Yes, that’s right. But how do we cut off their food supply?”

Jon looks around. He knows he has them. “We get rid of the Wildlings. We capture them, we bully them, we convince them to come together. We move them beyond the wall, where they can become civilized like the rest of us. Without Wildlings to eat, the White Walkers will be beaten by starvation.” Jon pauses, then continues, “Now I know that many of you have lost friends and family to Wilding raids. We’ve lost our comrades to the White Walkers as well. So I’m going to ask you to put aside your own personal feelings and to put honoring your vows first. We have to stop the White Walkers. Are you with me?”

Well, some of the men will grumble but they will be cajoled on board by Jon’s allies, whom he has had the foresight to meet with earlier and gain their support for the plan. If some Watchers are really recalcitrant, then Jon poses the question:

“Does anybody have a better idea?”

Well, no one does. So Jon Snow and his Wilding rescue plan will carry the day.

But, that’s not what happened.

No. Here’s what happened. Jon Snow got up in front of his men and announced,” I’ve decided we need to save the Wildlings and take them outside the Wall.”

And the men went bonkers with anger. The reason, “We have to do this because it’s the only way to stop the White Walkers,” got lost in the general uproar. No critical mass had been pre-recruited to express a majority support.

So what happened? Jon Snow got the Julius Caesar treatment – ambushed and stabbed by his own men, furious at what they saw as his betrayal, including his own Brutus. And there we left him, artistically bleeding in the snow, until the next season.

Lessons learned:

Win your audience over to the larger purpose before proposing a plan that you know will have opposition.
Bring them along to the only conclusion (yours) with a series of questions to which you know they will agree.
Give them a chance to voice another option, especially when you know there is no other choice.
Recruit your supporters in advance who can, first lobby others to agree to your idea, and second, speak for it in assembly.

But if this happened in the show, it wouldn’t be nearly so interesting. However, in real life, defeat and bloodshed are generally outcomes we want to avoid.

Take heed and avoid the fate of poor Jon Snow who actually did have a brilliant idea.

Game of Thrones, bring it on!

Watch the Season 6 Trailer!

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