PM takes on the PM
People tuning in to Piers Morgan's Life Stories, the ITV chat show, can expect to see a household name - a Dannii Minogue, a Cilla Black or a Richard Madeley - sharing some humorous anecdotes, perhaps shedding a few tears, and then plugging whatever TV show/album/book they need to plug.
Last Sunday's instalment had all of this when Gordon Brown made a much-publicised appearance.
The show attracted over 4m viewers and mixed opinion from media commentators in yesterday's papers.
Some thought it was the perfect way to show Brown as a "real" person, while others thought it was a cheap tactic to use personal troubles - Brown was understandably upset when discussing the death of his daughter - to gain sympathy by someone who has, in the past, criticised David Cameron for talking publicly about his late son's disability.
This exemplifies how any PR campaign needs to be flexible.
A year ago, knowing a general election was months away, Brown could criticise Cameron and get away with it and he could also get away with not making much effort with public appearances. He isn't a great communicator and he knows it.
But with a general election now only weeks away, that strategy won't work. Brown can't sit back and do nothing - and appearing on this show has done, in my opinion, more good than bad.
It is almost to his benefit that he doesn't have Cameron's slick demeanour on television - which instantly comes across as smarmy and false.
Whether he was right to go on the show or not, Brown has at least acknowledged that he has to do something more to get the votes in on polling day.
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