Twitter seeks PR help

Irina Slutsky of AdAge reports that Twitter is looking for a New York, and maybe London, PR consultancy to support its growth. According to AdAge Twitter is ‘already in talks with a mix of large and small PR firms’. The search is being led by Sean Garrrett, Twitter’s VP-communications, who joined Twitter last year from his role as partner at 463 Communications (a Next Fifteen owned agency).

It’s an account that I can imagine every tech PR agency out there will slavering over furiously, desperate to win one of the hottest social media brands on the block.

But I’d question if that is what Twitter actually needs, or is even looking for. I suspect that where Twitter really needs help is with senior corporate communications counsel to support it with issues management and crisis communications, senior public affairs counsel to help it deal with the raft of legal and regulator issues that it will face as it continues to grow.

Jeremy Pepper tweeted ‘Looks like Twitter is hiring a PR firm via @irinaslutsky / @AdAge http://techme.me/BxW1 I’m a betting man, so let’s start a pool on the firm.’

My bet would be a big global PR consultancy with a strong understanding of public affairs and regulatory issues, but that also gets technology and social media.