Comments from the PR Crazed

Bringing it Together

2006-12-09T12:26:00.000-08:00

Public Relations is the cement that holds together a public organization. It is a device used to restore and rebuild an organization’s or individual’s reputation after negative media attention. It is also able to control relations within an organization, ensuring that there is consistency with its communication. Finally, it can be used to solve problems, assisting organizations in implementing changes within its structure and with what it offers the public. Over the past four months, public relations has proved to be a vital tool to successfully managing several high profile scandals. There have also been several examples of organizations and individuals who have suffered by ignoring the advice of public relations specialists. Though each crisis is unique, and must be handled individually, there are a few key strategies that are useful in surviving a public relations crisis.
First, it is extremely important to be honest with the public. After discovering that a product dispersed by a company is dangerous, that an individual has been conducting illegal activities, or if someone has been caught misleading a group of people, it is important to confess to the accusations. By further lying to the media, the crisis will only continue to worsen, causing a greater lack of trust from the public.
When Edelman was accused of creating a flog, or a fake blog, and passing it off as real, the company was quick to apologize. The flog followed a couple as they traveled across the country, stopping at various Wal-Marts, and explaining how wonderful their experiences were with Wal-Mart employees and products. It was later found that the couple wasn’t even married, they were professional journalists, and were hired by Edelman to promote Wal-Mart, one of its biggest clients. After the story broke, Edelman used various outlets to apologize, professing that it regretted the incident. CEO, Richard Edelman and Steve Rubel both used their blogs to apologize and listed ways in which it would atone for the incident.
In contrast, when Rep. Mark Foley was accused of engaging in inappropriate Internet communication with an under-aged Congressional page, the media was not as kind as it was to Edelman. ABC News broke the story, and reported that top Republicans not only knew about the incident, but did nothing about it, allowing Foley to continue his interaction with the page. Foley was immediately forced to resign; while House Majority Speaker, Dennis Hastert, continued to deny accusations that he had any knowledge of the incidents. Unfortunately for Hastert and the Republican Party, more evidence was reported that up to 10 top Republicans were informed about the incident, and one had even contacted the page’s parents.
It is also just as important for the public relations representative to be honest as the organization it represents. Last month, when popular super couple, Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Philippe separated, LA publicist, Michael Sitrick was hired to handle all media relations. Unfortunately for Sitrick, he only held the job for 24 hours. He fabricated a story and a quote for Philippe and sold it to In Touch Magazine. Philippe immediately fired him, and gave his own interview to People Magazine.
Clearly, honestly is extremely important during a high profile scandal. Though Edelman deceived the public, it quickly turned the situation around to focus on new ethical training classes that Edelman employees would be required to take. On the other hand, Republicans continued to lie, and eventually suffered for it. This situation may have directly effected the election in November, when Republicans lost control of the House and the Senate for the first time in 12 years. Sitrick also exhibited terrible public communication. Though he did not further cause problems for his client, he lost his own credibility by portraying himself as a liar.
As well as honesty, it is important to apologize and take corrective action when a crisis emerges. Only by implementing restorative plans will the public forgive the organization or individual. Over the past four months, there have been several product recalls. First, after over 200 people suffered from E-coli poisoning, the spinach industry was forced to recall all products from the shelves of grocery stores and restaurants. Fortunately for the industry, it recovered. This was due to its quick action. Industry representatives immediately reported the incident to the public, recalled all products, and began searching for the catalyst to the infections. Today, most people are willing to eat spinach again because of this quick and thoughtful action.
Taco Bell also faced a similar problem when 20 people reported becoming sick after eating at the companies New Jersey restaurants. Taco Bell immediately complied with FDA suggestions and voluntarily closed the restaurants in the area. The company even closed one of the restaurants indefinitely after it was concluded that 12 people were sickened after eating there. Taco Bell was successful in gaining trust back from the public. Today, the restaurants are open and continue to be successful across the country.
Hollywood has also learned that it is better to ask for forgiveness than be silent. Last month, Michael Richards, former Seinfeld actor, apologized to Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton after screaming racial slurs on stage at the Laugh Factory. Danny Devito personally called Barbara Walters to apologize for appearing on the View intoxicated. While on the show, he chose to sit on Rosie O’Donnell’s lap and call President Bush a “numb nut.” Reverend Ted Haggard, pastor of the New Life Church and president of the National Association of Evangelics resigned and publicly apologized for buying crystal meth from and having sexual relations with a male prostitute.
Each of these men engaged in inappropriate actions and were berated by the media. Bloggers spread each of these stories like wildfire, forcing them to quickly take action. Fortunately for Richards and Devito, they benefited from their public communication. Richards reached out to the black community, publicly apologizing for his inappropriate behavior. Devito apologized and had drinking partner and loveable actor, George Clooney to speak in favor of him on the Today Show. Unfortunately for Haggard, due to the nature of his situation, he was forced to resign from his religious posts. Though he has suffered terrible media attention, Haggard has taken full blame for the incident, and has complied with every request from those he worked with. He has seemed so repentant that many followers still wish him to return to the Church.
Finally, it is important to understand that complying with the needs and wants of the public can prevent a crisis. In September, Mark Zuckerberg, creator of the social network Facebook, learned first hand that he shouldn’t assume anything about his consumers. After changing the format of Facebook, disabling many of the privacy features, he was flooded with hate mail, protests, and petitions. He eventually was changed many of the features and posted a note of apology on the home page of the web site. Since the disaster, he has asked for feedback from consumers before making any changes.
Listening to the student body of Gallaudet University, the only deaf university in the country, could have prevented thousands of students blocking entrances to the school and forcing administrators to close for three days. After students were arrested, the incident gained national media attention, and the school was thrown in a terrible public relations disaster. The students believed that administrators did not listen to their needs, after appointing a President that was rejected three times by student and faculty votes. The University has continued to ignore student voices and has since lost credibility and attendance.
Each of these situations demonstrate the importance of public communication. It is clear that during a crisis, it is important to emphasize strategic and clear communication with the media. It is also evident that the media is shifting towards a more interactive media. As discussed in class, more people are increasingly using the Internet to obtain information and news than traditional media. The popularity o the Internet has forced the public relations industry to adapt its strategies to these consumers, who are now able to filter their media choices.
Companies have been doing this in various ways. First, they are becoming prominent figures in the medium. Both Edelman and Joseph Jaffe has bought space in Second Life, benefiting from huge advertising and marketing opportunities. Public relations specialists are also creating blogs where they discuss industry trends and link to other professionals. By doing this, public relations specialists can also monitor the web to discover if there are any negative stories being written about their clients or themselves.
The trend to go digital is one that is establishing how the industry will change in the next few years. By adapting to changes in media, the public relations industry will continue to create successful crisis communication tactics, allowing organizations and individuals to successfully survive high profile scandals.

Taco Bell survives E-coli

2006-12-07T05:30:00.000-08:00

It has been reported that another e-coli breakout has effected people in central New Jersey. No, it wasn't spinach or chicken this time; Taco Bell is to blame. The New York Times reported that 39 people in New Jersey were sickened last month after eating at Taco Bell.

Taco Bell, which serves burritos, tacos, and quesadillas voluntarily closed one outlet in South Plainville, New Jersey after 20 people reported being sick. Unfortunately, the FDA did not announce the problem to residents of New Jersey for a few days, allowing others to become infected. This has angered many people who believe the FDA was trying to prevent the reactions that people had to the spinach outbreak earlier in the year.

Head of the Food Policy Institute at the Consumer Federation of America,Carol Tucker Foreman, said, "I don’t know why they didn’t make that immediately known, and I don’t know why they didn’t do rush inspections of every other Taco Bell in the area.” She continued, "They purchase huge amounts of everything from a few suppliers. If you’ve got contaminated anything in one of their restaurants, you’ve got it in many. That’s the nature of fast food.”

The two worst cases involved an 11 year old boy and a five year old girl. Both were hospitalized, and could potentially have permanent kidney damage.

In response, Taco Bell immediately closed outlets where victims had reportedly eaten. As mentioned earlier, one chain was permanently closed. President of the Taco Bell Corporation said, "As soon as we learned of an E.coli issue, we immediately began working with state and county health officials to assist in their investigation.” He continued, "As a precautionary measure, we voluntarily closed one restaurant in Middlesex County, New Jersey, and four in Suffolk County, New York.”

Taco Bell was smart to work with health officials. When they requested testing and the closing of restaurants, Taco Bell responded quickly and offered any assistance that they could. The company also released a statement to the public and the media explaining the situation, telling them that they were doing everything they could to make their restaurants safe again.

This week, the restaurants have reopened, and continue to serve customers, who believe that the company has worked with health officials to guarantee safe food. This demonstrates the success of Taco Bell's crisis management team. They were honest, open, and went public. As a result, people around the country and in New Jersey continue to eat at the restaurants.

How to Survive a High-Profile Scandal

2006-12-04T16:55:00.000-08:00

In lieu of recent celebrity scandals- Danny Devito, Mel Gibson, and Britney- ABC News has featured and "do" and "do not" guide to surviving a high-profile scandal. In the feature, "How To Survive a High-Profile Scandal: Some Rebound and Some Risk Ruin," Michael Sands, publicist for Michael Jackson and Kevin Federline, lists four simple steps to surviving a scandal.

1. Come clean as early as possible.
2. A simple apology isn't enough.
3. A tactical apology works wonders.
4. Personality goes a long way.
5. Talent goes a long way.

As with any scandal- corporate or private- any PR practitioner would advise you to stick to the truth. Being caught in a lie only digs the grave deeper, making the public and the media more skeptical to any future actions. I blogged about Mark Foley's mistake earlier this year. When he was caught sending inappropriate e-mails to an underage Congressional page, he lied, and now he's out.

Sometimes, you have to prove that you are sorry, by reaching out to the right audience. Mel Gibson and Michael Richards both did this after their recent scandals. After screaming racial slurs on stage, Richards appeared on Jesse Jackson's NPR broadcast and reached out to Al Sharpton. He was targeting his apology, and allowing his attackers to ask the right questions. This is more effective than simply sending out a generic press release.

Finally, sometimes, if the celebrity has the right look or charisma, the public will be more accepting of his or her apology. Hugh Grant was forgiven for cheating on Liz Hurley with a prostitute and Martha Stewart received fan mail while in prison for insider trading. This really isn't surprising. Their talent and personality are the reason for their celebrity status in the first place. They already know how to make people like them.

Though some scandals are more serious than others- Bill Clinton will forever be linked to Monica Lewinski and people will always link Michael Jackson with sexual abuse- these are simple steps to ensuring successful survival of a high-profile scandal.

Another celebrity apologizes for bad behavior

2006-12-03T06:30:00.000-08:00

It is Danny Devito's turn to apologize for bad behavior this week. ABC News reports that Devito's publicist has called Barbara Walters to apologize "for anything that could be construed as unfortunate" during his appearance on the "View."

Devito, who was clearly still intoxicated on the "View," admitted that he had been partying all night with George Clooney. The actor continued to bash President Bush, calling him "numbnuts," and sat on Rosie O'Donnell's lap.

During a Matt Lauer interview, George Clooney was asked about his behavior with Devito. Clooney said that they had been doing shots in a restaurant, and got a little too drunk. He didn't condone Devito's actions, but said that his actions seemed harmless.

I think that Devito did the right thing in personally callling Walters to apologize. He is obviously embarassed, but fortunately for him, his actions just reflected badly on his behavior that day, not him as an actor, or his new movie. Having George Clooney, a respected actor, defend his actions and joke about the night is also a good way to smooth things over. The incident obviously shouldn't have happened, but I think it has been handled as well as it could be.

Is Kramer a racist?

2006-11-27T07:12:00.000-08:00

Remember that wacky, happy go lucky neighbor from Seinfeld? Well, apparently, that guy that we all love is a racist. Michael Richards, better known as Kramer from the hit show Seinfeld, appeared on Jesse Jackson's syndicated radio show to apologize for racists remarks he made on stage at the Laugh Factory last week.

Richards explained that while he was performing, he lashed out at two African American hecklers, spitting out hateful racial slurs. He even went as far as saying, "that's what happened when you interrupt the white man." Since the incident, Richards has been on several talk shows, explaining that he really wasn't racist, and had never before used such language.

Immediately after the incident, Richards appeared on the David Letterman show saying, "For me to be at a comedy club and flip out and say this crap, I‘m deeply, deeply sorry." He also hired Howard Rubenstein, a publicists with strong ties to the black community to get himself out of this mess.

It seems like Richards is doing the right thing to get out of this PR mess. He's hired the publicist, apologized, and reached out to the black community by contacting both Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson. But is anyone else feeling a little deja vu? Well, you should. When Mel Gibson recently aplogized for being anti-semantic, he also appeared on Letterman. Then, he reached out to the community by aplogizing to the Anti-Defamation League.

It is a sticky situation to be in. Anything a high profile celebrity does or says is scrutinized under the public's eye, especially if it's negative. Unfortunately, there's no way to completely fix the situation. There are always going to be people that will remember the hateful or offensive words, and no amount of apologizing can fix it. I think Richards is doing the right thing by reaching out to the community and apologizing to the right people. Like Mel Gibson, he now has to wait out the media scrutiny to see if his apology was really worth anything.

PR Flackes in Cyberworld

2006-11-15T07:43:00.000-08:00

The Residents of 400 Dreamland Sims voted to ban PR and marketing firms. The reason for this ban? Apparenlty, leading public relations firm, Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide posted on the digitalmedia wire an article entitled, "A Gallery of Virtual "Firsts' from Second Life." (since the controversy involving the article, it has been renamed, but you can still get the jist if you read it) In the article, the company labels a few companies that have just entered Second Life as "firsts" in the virtual world, such as concerts, clothing stores, and businesses. Joseph Jaffe's new company, crayon, has also stated that it is the "first business launched in Second Life."

These claims have been pretty upsetting to residents of Second Life who have been attending concerts, selling clothes, and interacting with buisnesses for years, and say that this is a way for big businesses to pat themselves on the back for joining the virtual bandwagon.

In response, residents of Dreamland voted.

[18:28] Second Life: Some PR agencies and RL companies have abused SL and made claims in RL media of being first to do things many SL residents have done long before them ("1st radio station in SL", "1st fashion brand", "1st tabloid").

SHOULD WE BAN THEM FROM DREAMLAND?
Group Dreamland Citizens Proposal PASSED!

Anshe Chung, owner and developer of real estate on the Dreamland continent has issued a press release on the subject, which laid out rules for future business residents of Dreamland. It says that, "Organisations and their avatars will be warned after a violation has been determined by a jury of residents. A ban will be issued if no adequate retraction and public apology is made by the offending party. In case of repeat offenses or especially severe violations a ban may be issued without prior warning."

It seems that while businesses are trying to integrate into the virtual world, they may be forgetting that they need to adapt to the new media. This sounds like a case of trying to teach an old cat new tricks. I guess we will see what happens.

PR agencies join Second Life

2006-11-15T07:18:00.000-08:00

It seems that PR and marketing agencies are jumping on the Second Life bandwagon.

Joseph Jaffe, author of the popular blog, Jaffe Juice, has created the first New Marketing company, and plans to use the virtual world as its primary base of operations. The company, crayon, will use blogs, podcasts, Rss and wikis, virtual worlds, gaming, mobile, and non-paid media digitial solutions, instead of traditional advertising and public relations functions.

Edelman, a global PR agency, has also teamed with electric sheep to form a contest within Second Life. The contest is as follows...

"Second Life Business Plan Contest- to enable opportunities for those who have great ideas, but lack the resources to get them off the ground. As a repeat entrepreneur, I know the benefit a strong investing community brings to startup activity, and we’re trying to bring some of that economic oil to the cogs of the Second Life economic engine. The winner will get 6 months access to an island and L$350,000, plus strategic help from Edelman and The Electric Sheep Company."

Since you can argue that the world has gone digital, it makes sense that marketing agencies would try to benefit from Second Life. Joseph Jaffe has the right idea. Standard advertising and PR isn't going to cut it in the future. People just don't use media the way they used to. They self-censor their material and go to sources that will fit their needs specifically. Companies need to adapt their plans as their audience moves towards this digital life. (or else, there is no way they will be reached.)

Spin Doctoring At Its Best

2006-11-11T08:10:00.000-08:00

I usually stay away from celebrity gossip, but this week, I came across something that screamed bad PR. Yesterday, popular actor, Ryan Phillipe hired and fired a popular LA publicist after one day. Phillipe, hired Michael Sitrick to help with media questions about his recent split with Reese Witherspoon. The couple who had been married for seven years and had two children together, announced their separation and eventually divorce last week.

By hiring Sitrick, Phillipe was most likely trying to avoid the media suicide that usually comes with a celebrity divorce. (He was probably having nightmares about the recent Brad and Jen fiasco.) Unfortunately, Phillipe chose a publicist who apparently doesn't know anything about good PR. Sitrick's company fabricated a story, saying it was an exclusive interview with Phillipe and sold it to InTouch magazine. In the story, Phillipe was quoted as saying, "I'm not jealous of her (Witherspoon), that's so far from the truth. She's someone who's very talented and works hard. I've done well, too-that was never an issue." He was also quoted as saying, "This is the hardest time of my life -- I miss my family."

Phillipe fired Sitrick within hours of the story coming out. Page Six of the NY P o st reported on teh story, saying that not only was the quote fake, but the "exclusive interview" that InTouch received had already been promised to People magazine.

Sitrick clearly ignored both the rules of PR and his client. He lied, he cheated, and made promises he couldn't keep to People magazine and his client. He's also been called a flacke and a spin doctor. Representatives from InTouch are upset, Phillipe is livid, and People magazine is upset that they were promised an "exclusive" and never received it.

Instead of making the transition into single life easier for Phillipe, Sitrick has aggrandanized the situation, speaking poorly to the whole industry. Hopefully, Phillipe will hire a new agent, who is more concerned with his client than the money he can get for "exclusive interviews."

-Liz

Democrats Take It

2006-11-09T12:58:00.000-08:00

John Allen conceded the election to Democrat James Webb this morning, giving the Senate Democratic control. It's official, after the scandals, bad politics, and dirty campaigning from both parties, this election season is over, giving Democrats control of the House and Senate for the first time in 12 years.

I have blogged about this year's election- mainly the dirty advertising stunts that many Republicans have been pulling- and predicted that these PR tactics wouldn't be enough to sway votes away from Democrats. It seems that politics prevails, and the American public has succesfully demonstrated to the government that it wants a change, fast.

With that Democratic shift, significant changes have already occured; Nancy Pelosi has become the first woman to hold the title of Speaker of the House and Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense, unexpectedely resigned. Pelosi has said that the resignation would cause "a fresh start toward a new policy in Iraq, signaling a willingness on the part of the president to work with the Congress to devise a better way forward."

Pelosi, vehement anti-war patron, has already said that the Bush administration would need to begin answering some tough questions about Iraq, and possibly devise some exit strategies, as well as create a new standard for House ethics. This new insistance stems directly from the actions of Republican Mark Foley, who was recently caught soliciting minors on the Internet.

This is a PR disaster for the Bush Administration. The President has already admitted that he will have to work with Democrats to find a middle ground involving the War in Iraq. Accepting Rumsfeld's resignation is a clear indication of this change coming steadily and swiftly.

For the next few months, the Bush administration will be required to answer a lot of questions about the War in Iraq. Obviously, it has already lost credibility among the American people, something it will have to work hard to bring back (especially before the election in 2008).

-Liz

Freedom? More like political propoganda.

2006-11-05T08:44:00.000-08:00

Just in time for the election, a video on YouTube is catching the attention of bloggers. The video, more like a Bush-bashing, anti-Republican music video depicts the horrors of war while being set to George Michael's hit song, "Freedom."

WARNING: The video makes its point by showing some gruesome pictures of wounded civilians, dead soldiers, and mass graves. It also bashes Bush for his alleged "military" assignments, coke use, and leadership skills. Don't worry though, it doesn't just bash Bush. It hits all the top Republicans, and even puts the spotlight on former Rep. Mark Foley's recent internet scandal.

Countless political and individual blogs have been posting about this new sensation. Most are Democrats or anything anti-Republican, so if you are looking for a non-partisan take on it, don't read them.

I'll admit, after I watched the video, I was angry. It is a great publicity stunt, especially since the election is days away. Unfortunately, its not really something that Republicans want to deal with on top of everything else they are fighting against. It's no secret that there has been some unethical behavior among top Republicans, but when the most tragic events of the past seven years are condensed down and put to an upbeat soundtrack, its pretty shocking.

It will be interesting to see if they bounce back, or lose massive amounts of support in the voting booths. Bush has been doing his job, touring around the US, supporting Republicans and key issues, but I'm not sure if its going to be enough.

-Liz

Rev. Ted Haggard proves anything is possible these days after purchasing meth from a male prostitute.

2006-11-05T07:11:00.000-08:00

Rev. Ted Haggard resigned on Saturday from his post as pastor of the 14,000-member New Life Church after he admitted to buying meth from a male prostitute. Haggard was also the presdient of the National Association of Evangelicals, which represents more than 45,000 churches with 30 million members.

Haggard was extremely active in the political world, supporting the ban of same sex marriage in Colorado. He even acted as an ambassador representing the interests of evangelicals to Washington by participating in the White House's Monday conference calls with conservative Christian leaders.

The New York Times reported an interview with the accuser, Mike Jones, on Saturday. In the story, Jones admitted that part of the reason he came forward was because of the hypocritical actions of Haggard. “He’s preaching against homosexuals and yet he’s having gay sex behind people’s backs,” Mr. Jones said. He also said that he and Haggard had a relationship for about three months, but it was purely sexual. Jones did not even know who Haggard was until he saw him on TV one day while working out at the gym.

This week, in response to questions from a reporter while Haggard and his wife were leaving his driveway, Haggard admitted to buying the meth, but then throwing it away. He said that he had only called Jones for a massage, and had never had a sexual relationship with him. He also stated that he supported his suspension, because he had violated the trust of everyone that he represented.

An interview between Richard Dawkins and Rev. Ted Haggard gives people a sense of what kind of person the reverend is.

This scandal has caused a rift in the Evangelical community. As a community that preaches God's love of all people, some have stood by Haggard. Many of his parishoners at the New Life Church continue to support Haggard, and hope for his return.

In terms of public relations, this is one of the stickiest situations the Evangelical community could be put in. Its leader, an extremely outspoken and politically tied individual has completely gone against everything he has ever preached. Has he learned nothing from the recent scandal with Rep. Mark Foley? Apparently not.

Evangelical leaders seem to be doing the right thing in this situation. They have investigated the claims and have quickly asked for Haggard's resignation, citing a serious lack of moral obligation from him as a leader. It is this objective action that sets them apart from the church members, who seem to still support the man.

Many opinion leaders are unsure about how this will effect political involvement among evangelicals in the upcoming election. Some say this kind of blow will make people shy away from the political arena, while others will want to continue their support of non-Christian issues. Unfortunately, it is too soon to tell how the Church and the election will be effected. In the mean-time, the Church needs to focus on cleaning up its image, by detaching itself from this scandal.

Study finds that blogs come in last during corporate crisis.

2006-10-26T15:58:00.000-07:00

Almost everyone these days has a blog. Students, professionals, and even sports enthusiasts post their daily comments for the entire Internet community to read. Blogging has even become a new media channel, allowing readers to get their news from anyone or anywhere they wish.

I think it is extremely important for public relations professionals to track blogs for any new "buzz" about the companies they are representing. When I say "buzz," I don't necessarily mean good things. It is more likely that people are posting complaints and criticisms than words of praise and glory. People only notice a difference in service when something goes wrong right?

Don't get me wrong, there are times when people write good things about companies. In this instance, blogs act as free advertising for companies. Since public relations companies don't focus on advertising, this is a great way to spread information about a company to people who may not necessarily use other media channels.

I thought I was right in my assumptions about blogs, but according to a study done by global public relations firm Weber Shandwick and KRC Research, the majority of global business executives agree that responding to bloggers post-crisis is not an effective way to begin the recovery process. In fact, less than four in 10 believe that engaging with bloggers who may have the facts wrong is a good idea in rebuilding lost reputation.

“Perhaps business decision-makers around the globe believe that companies should concentrate on fixing the problem and understanding what went wrong before turning their attention to correcting online conversations,” said Weber Shandwick's Chief Reputation Strategist Dr. Leslie Gaines-Ross. “This is not surprising since our research also reveals that only a minority of companies pay attention to online coverage of their company’s reputation.”

The study, called "Safeguarding Reputation," some of the most important strategies for saving reputation after a crisis involve preemptive planning. These strategies include announcing specific actions the company will take to fix the problem (76 percent), creating an early warning system (76 percent), and establising procedures and policies the company will follow to demonstrate its commitment to being a responsible citizen (73 percent).

Most global business leaders agree that keeping the CEO of a company invisible to the media is not advisable. They advise that CEOs must appear apologetic, yet offer specific information on how the company plans to survive the crisis.

"CEO apologies are quickly losing their power to allay public concern now that they are almost expected when a crisis strikes or companies are accused of wrongdoing," said Dr. Gaines-Ross, architect of the new research. "Taking responsibility by apologizing is important, but more is expected from CEOs in crisis such as greater public outreach on what the company intends to do about the problem on an immediate and regular basis."

-Liz

Is he faking his Parkinson's?

2006-10-25T06:11:00.000-07:00

With less than two weeks away from mid-term elections, candidates have been bumping up their advertising. Michael J. Fox has jumped on the bandwagon by supporting five Democrats who support stem cell research. Fox is featured in a 30-second ad campaing in which he addresses the camera, and makes no effort to hide his Parkinson's Disease symptoms.

Many people opposed to stem cell research have spoken out about Fox's large roll in the Democratic campaign. Specifically this week, Rush Limbaugh, popular radio personality made headlines with some pretty controversial statements. Limbaugh said that using Fox in their campaign ads is simply a tactic to gain sympathy from the American public. He stated on his show, "Then you bring forth a person who's suffering the disease, and you illustrate the disease and the ravages and the suffering on TV to create sympathy and infallibility, because you're not supposed to be able to attack somebody or criticize somebody in any way or in any regard if they suffer from the disease."

He continued by incinuating that Fox purposely exploited his own disease for the sake of this campaign and the campaign in 1999. "I think in 1999, September of 1999, he did not take his medication for the purposes of having the ravages and the horrors of Parkinson's disease illustrated, which was what he has done in the commercials that are running for Claire McCaskill and Jim Talent."

Fox responded on Tuesday in Chicago, saying that he had been taking his pills, and didn't need to hide his disease. "I'm kind of lucky right now. It's ironic, given some of the things that have been said in the last couple of days, that my pills are working really well right now," he said.

This has certainly cause a controversy in the blogging world. A technorati search shows that there are almost 1,000 blogs that were talking about it, and a link to the commercial is one of the most popular videos that bloggers are talking about.

It is not surprising that Limbaugh has caused people to talk. His career seems to be defined by controversy. People almost expect this kind of behavior from him, which may be why he isn't afraid to say anything, at any time.

I think that he has crossed the line this time. Attacking a Parkinson's victim may be a little over the top, even for Limbaugh. If Democrats want to spread the world about stem cell research, why not use a celebrity who has already worked towards finding a cure for his own disease. Fox has been active in the past with Democratic campaigns, so this really shouldn't be a surprise to Limbaugh or any other conservatives. I think this just might be a way for Limbaugh to stir up some more press, get more people angry, and live up to his reputation as that guy who really doesn't care what other people think of him.

-Liz

Students protest because new President isn't deaf enough

2006-10-21T11:49:00.000-07:00

A lot of people have been talking about the recent protests at Gallaudet University.

If you have never heard of Gallaudet University, you are not alone. I actually just discovered this university (the only deaf university in the United States) last week, while searching for graduate schools. Strangely enough, in the same week that I discovered the school, I learned that student protesters had blocked all entrances to the school, forcing it to be closed for three days. After the arrest of 133 students on Friday, one entrance was reopened.

What prompted this? Students and faculty are angry with the appointment of Jane Hernandez as the new President of Gallaudet. There are many reasons for this. Basically, students believe that she doesn't

This PBS blog named Mediashift gives a lot of background on the situation.

Basically, protests began when board members insisted on appointing Jane Hernandez as the new President of Gallaudet. Students immediately brought their concerns to the board members. They believe that Hernandez does not promote diversity or work to alleviate the difficulties that come with being a deaf minority. She has also refused to enforce guidlines that encourage Gallaudet staff members to learn American Sign Language.

Hernandez believes that the student body is angry because she is not "deaf enough." Hernandez, though legally deaf, only learned American Sign Language, the prefered method of communication at Gallaudet, when she was 23. Many students reject this claim.

Hernandez has also twice recieved a no-confidence vote by facutly members; once when she was appointed provost and again this month when she was appointed president.

So what is Gallaudet going to do about it? It seems that board members are going to ignore student protests and allow Hernanadez to assume the role of President even though the faculty recently voted 82 to 18 percent to have Hernandez removed. Those votes are unbinding.

It seems ridiculous that a university, an entity that is supposed to provide the best environment for its students, would ignore such protest. Students have even started a blog to share their opinions on the situation. It seems that the administration needs to start listening to its students. Their actions have already received national attention from politicians and media. A protest on the National Mall in D.C. last week included thousands of silent protesters. It doesn't seem that students are going to forget about the situation. It isn't going away anytime soon. The question is, whether administration will start taking steps to calm students and being to compromise with them.

For more information and opinions, listen to the words of the deaf community. They say it best.

Edelman fails at being transparent

2006-10-18T07:12:00.000-07:00

If you want news to spread like wildfire, start a blog. Every major company uses a blog, if not for the free advertising, but for a way to connect with the public. Journalists, advertising exectutives, and yes, PR people all have blogs. If you don't believe that blogs are the thing of the future, look at the recent mess that Edelman has gotten itself into with the recent Wal-Mart scandal.

First, here's some background information. WalMart's public relations firm, Edelman, formed Working Families for Wal-Mart(WFWM) in December. This organization was meant to counter criticism from union-funded groups such as Wal-mart Watch and Wake Up Wal-Mart. To promote it, a couple was sponsored by WFWM to drive across America in an RV with Wal-Mart's logo emblazoned on it, stopping at various stores along the way. They would park for free in Wal-Mart parking lots and then blog about their experience with at the individual stores. WFWM felt it was a great way to show how they were working with employees to form a postive bond with the corporation. Unfortunately, nowhere on WFWM's web site did it say that Wal-Mart paid for the RV, Jim and Laura's food, gas, and the free-lance tabs for Laura's entries. BusinessWeek Online details the plan.

When news that Jim and Laura were not a real married couple, and were actually a paid publicity stunt for Wal-Mart, the blogosphere went crazy. A technorati search for Edelman and Wal-Mart included 442 blogs! An interesting note is that it was only a couple days ago that Richard or Steve responded to this scandal.

Bloggers from e verywhere have been talking about this mess-up, and I don't think Edelman will be able to just wish it away. (especially after their slow reaction, allowing thousands of bloggers to write about the situation without hearing anything from Edelman. I think some blog posts would have been much less harse if they were able to hear the other side of the story.)

Its unfortunate that Edelman has fallen into this publicity trap, especially since it has only reinforced the untrustworthy company that Wal-Mart was trying to avoid.

-Liz

Some PR buzz, close to home.

2006-10-13T03:55:00.000-07:00

As a college student, every decision that I make can effect my future. One of the most important decisions that I was asked to make, was what college or university I would attend.

Four years ago, I was a scared, unknowing high school senior, trying to decide not only what I wanted to do with the rest of my life, but where I wanted to start the journey. After much deliberation, a few sleepless nights, and some good advice from my peers and parents, I chose Ithaca College. Though there were many factors that effected my decision, the most prevelant and overriding force was how I felt about the school after I visited. I felt connected to Ithaca College.

Though I wouldn't remember my tour guide if I stepped on her, she must have done a great job becuase as I left Ithaca for the first time, I knew that I would return. This connection is extremely important to Ithaca College, and is something that the school continues to strengthen as each student finishes his or her degree. If you think that this connection is forgotten, or put aside when a student graduates, you would be wrong. If a studnet is able to forget about Ithaca College the second they leave the campus, then the school has not done its job; used effective PR tactics to increase loyalty and pride in the institution.

There are various ways that Ithaca College creates this connection with students and alumni. This week, one of the largest and most ambitious plans was launched, the Capital Campaign. This campaign, which aspires to raise $115 million, will help fund new sholarships, construct new academic and athletic buildings, and improve student housing.

This rather large campai gn is dependent on individual donors, and guess who most of donors will be. That's right, from alumni. The alumni, those people that Ithaca College worked so hard to create a lasting connection. The same people that will remember their days at Ithaca College, and want to give back (because tuition wasn't enough payment for four years of work, relationships, and parties). Anyway, I don't want to preach about alumni relations, but I will discuss some key tactics that Ithaca College used this week to convince alumni that they made the right choice in giving back to Ithaca College.

First, the events that surrounded the public launch of the campaign were meticulously planned, offering alumni all the amenities necessary to feel connected to Ithaca College. Alumni were invited to the campus, where they were invited to listen to key speaker, Bob Iger, CEO of Disney Corporation, enjoy food and wine at various receptions at specific schools, and a fancy smancy gala, where there was fine dining, smoozing, and dancing. Student volunteers were also available to give special attention to some high spenders, allowing them to network and alumni to reconnect with the campus via someone who is currently enrolled.

The most lavish event, the gala, was designed specifically for alumni to feel important and involved. As select alumni walked into the gala (via a red carpet), a group of student ambassadors flashed pictures of them while techno music played. If thats not an ego boost, I don't know what is. Then, a spread of lavish seafod and, arguably the most important part, an open bar. Mixed drinks at the bar were even searved in scietific beakers, measuring campaign success with every sip. Cute.

The way in which the campaign is going to help Ithaca College is also a PR function. There is a good reason to rejuvinate the athletic fields. It will pull in better athletes, make current athletes play better, and attract a fan base. Ithaca College isn't exactly an athletic crazed institution, and this is a way to encourage that. Awareness of the school is the first step to prospective students choosing Ithaca College.

Scholarships and a new business school are also extremely helpful in building loyalty. Attractive buildings and large sums of money are attractive to incoming freshmen, and it gives alumni something to talk about with friends at happy hour.

Anyway, I think Ithaca College has successfully created some good PR, or buzz, if you will. Obviously they have created a connection with alumni. The campaign has already raised $92.6 million and continues to grow. Unfortunately, as a senior, I won't gain anything from these innovative changes, but maybe I will be motivated to give to the campaign for future Parkies who will walk the halls of this school. I hear they call you a month after you graduate for your first alumni donation. We'll see how connected I feel then, when I start paying my part of the four-year deal, student loans.

Products harm consumers and companies

2006-10-11T07:10:00.000-07:00

Product recalls may be one of the msot embarassing and troubling things to happen to a company. When a product becomes dangerous or risky to the public, it is a sign that not enough research or effort or care was put into the production of the product.

Recently, the media has been littered with recalled products. Last week's spinach recall, which has been linked to the deaths of over 100 people across the country is definitely one of the most prominent recalls in recent history. Now, it seems that some brands of milk and lettuce may be linked to Ecoli as well.

The food industry is not alone. After a Dell computer suddenly burst into flames last month at a Japanese conference, the company was forced to recall over 4 million laptop batteries.

This week, Sony has also recalled its batteries, but not just ones used in laptops. A Consumer Product Safety Commission spokesperson predicted that Sony's upcoming US battery recall will expand to include portable DVD players and videogame consoles too.

The popular blogger search engine, Technorati, has 72 listings of blogs discussing product recalls. Obviously, with this kind of attention, a product recall is a PR nightmare.

It is important to follow certain PR tactics when faced with a product recall.

1. The company must be candid. It is important for consumers to feel the comany is being open and honest, and is dedicated to fixing the problem.

2. The company must be consumer-centered. When the company realizes that one of its products is dangerous, a prompt and immediate recall demonstrates a great concern for consumers.

3. The company should be consistent. If any PR tactics are inconsistent, the media will notice and focus them. This means that everyone in the company, from the CEO to entry level employees should be on the same page, and should be saying the same thing to every media outlet.

4. The company should be contrite and compassionate. It is important for a company to say that it is sorry and be sensitive to victims.

5. The company should be quick and concise. Promptness in a recall will prevent further harm and distributing salient information on the subject will help consumers understand risks and action they must take to be safe.

6. Finally, the company must be credible. People want safe products and are looking for people to tell them the truth. They are looking for answers, and a credible PR agent can give them exactly what they need.

-Liz

Blast from the Past??

2006-10-04T14:28:00.000-07:00

It seems that the events of this week are not new to the House floor. An NPR blog states how the Page program was almost eliminated two decades ago when two congressmen had sex with 17-year old pages. Obviously the program was not put to an end, but Congress did take serious steps in resolving the issue.

First, an Ethics Committee was established. This Committee vigitantly investigated the situation, punishing the congressmen for their actions and establishing new rules for the party. These new rules, which were meant to protect young people in the future, included changing the minimum age requirement of a page to 16. The House of Representatives also established the Page Board consisting of two Members from the Majority party and one Member from the Minority party. A Page residence hall was also established, providing safe housing, where the young pages could be protected and accounted for.

Members of the House could learn a lesson from the way this scandal was handled. Members did not cover up the incident, much like House speaker Hastert has. Instead, the situation was immediately resolved, keeping the media involved every step of the way. If it had not been handled in this way, I believe the program would have been abolished.

Instead, the Republicans have been covering up, lieing, and deceiving the American public. Fortunately, those involved have been getting enough negative PR to learn their lessons. Republicans this week have been watching their political careers go down the drain due to this bad press, which isn't surprising.

Today, chief of staff for Republican Congressman Tom Reynolds, Kirk Fordham resigned. Ironically, Fordham played a key role in orchestrating Foley's quick resignation, and even tried to cut a deal with ABC, offering them an exclusive on the resignation if they agreed not to directly quote the inappropriate e-mails. The ABC Blotter reported on October 4 that Fordham had tried to keep Foley's "problem" out of the media before by persuading Republicans to keep Foley's questionable e-mails to themselves last spring.

The Blotter also reports that Fodham's resignation was demanded by House speaker, Dennis Hastert. Hastert, one of a handful of Republicans who were aware of the misconduct, is also facing a possible resignation in the near future. Yesterday, the editorial board of the Washington Times called for him to step down. Today, President Bush backed Hastert, saying he is "a father, teacher, coach, who cares about the children of this country." Bush also said that he was "disgusted" by Mr. Foley's behavior and said he supports Mr. Hastert's call for a full investigation. "I'm confident he will provide whatever leadership he can to law enforcement in this investigation," he said.

Instead of resigning, Hastert has called for the end of the Page program. I don't know Dennis, it seems like you are trying to put blame on something else. Instead of fixing the problem, you are just taking away the temptation. Maybe you should make some changes in the House (aka, not allow members of Congress to engage or suggest sexual relations with young students).

There isn't a problem with the program, there's a problem with the staff. Now, Republicans must bounce back from this in time for the November 7 election. I think this might be another nail on the coffin. There is only so much the American public will allow before Republicans lose control of the House. It will be interesting to see what PR tactics the Republicans will use this month to try to save themselves. Whatever it is, it has to be a FLAWLESS plan, something I'm not sure the Republicans will be able to do.

Republicans try to dig themselves out of another hole

2006-10-01T14:46:00.000-07:00

The future of the Republican party looks bleaker each day. Over the past couple years, Bush's approval rates seem to resemble a rollarcoaster and the American people have been unforgiving in many of his decisions regarding the War in Iraq. As I mentioned in my last post, Republicans have also been called out for their choice of negative campaign ads on the cover of the New York Times. (I suppose that by announcing past discretions, Republicans are hoping that voters will consider them a better alternative than those evil Democrats. )

This does not paint a pretty picture for this year's election, especially since Republicans are fighting to retain control of the House. What's my advice for the party? Stop messing up.

This week, Republicans handed out some more metaphorical candy to Democrats with the resignation of Rep. Mark Foley. This resulted from a report from ABC News, linking Foley to some inappropriate e-mails which were sent to an underaged male. News spread like wildfire, causing Republicans and Democrats to undergo a serious ethical investigation of both parties.

ABCNews, AmericaBlog, and others released the explicit e-mails, which were sent from Rep. Mark Foley's personal e-mail address to a 16-year old page. After ABCNews questioned Foley about the e-mails, he resigned from office saying, "I am deeply sorry and I apologize for letting down my family and the people of Florida I have had the privilege to represent." Not only was Foley part of the Republican leadership, but he also advocated the protection of children against Internet predators as the chair of the Congressional Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus.

Many might argue that the actions of one do not necessarily reflect the actions of a whole group, and the entire Republican party should not be connected to this scandal. Unfortunately, upon further investigation, it was uncovered that at least five Republicans knew about the inappropriate e-mails, and did nothing. Yesterday, the Washington Post reported that many of Foley's Republican colleagues knew about his questionable behavior for months. Apparently, Foley's actions were so well known that the page was warned to stay away from Foley when he was hired.

House Majority Leader, John A Boehner confirmed that the 16-year old male showed the e-mails to the representative that sponsored him last spring. The issue was dropped after the parents of the boy asked for no further action to be taken.

It was reported that House speaker, Dennis Hastert's aides learned in the fall of2005 that there had been "over-friendly" e-mail exchanges between a representative and a House page. Though Hastert said that he didn't remember this coming to his attention, he would not dispute that it could have happened.

He doesn't recall? Republicans have been caught with their hands in the cookie jar, and dont' really know how to get themselves out of this mess. No one wants to admit that they were involved in the scandal, though clearly the issue was covered up.

Democrats have taken this scandal and used it to their advantage. The Democratic National Committee yesterday issued a statement asking "...While the shocking exchanges produced an immediate uproar that cost Congressman Foley his job, at least one member of the House Republican leadership had known about the situation for months and did nothing about it: . . . Reynolds."

In an interview with the Washington Post, Republican strategist, Rich Galen, said he is worried that voters will lump Foley's name with former representatives Robert W. Ney, Tom DeLay, and Randy Cunningham, all of whom were forced to resign or were indicted amid various scandals this year.

Thats right! Three other Republicans have bowed out of the running due to unethical and inappropriate behavior. Clearly, this is another stab in the heart of the party, who among other things, needs some good PR. Unfortunately, with only a month until the election, there doesn't seem to be enough time to dig themselves out of this hole.

Foley's seat was considered safe this fall by Republicans. Since he resigned on Friday, the district's Democratic nominee, Tim Mahoney's campaign reached national level, with John F. Kerry headlining a fundraiser.

-Liz

Republicans give sleazy a new name during this year's campaign

2006-09-28T14:51:00.000-07:00

Mudslinging, muckracking, sleazy, and smear campaign. These tactics seem to come standard with political campaigns these days. "Negative Campaigning" is even defined on Wikipedia, which lists techniques and advantages to using it. We've become so immune to it that a positive campaign ad may seem out of place and probably won't be remembered. It seems that only the shocking accusations catch our attention in the political clutter, making mudslinging acceptable and expected.

Campaigning for election may be one of the most important PR functions for a political figure to capitalize on. Through public appearances, interviews, commercials, and print advertisements, political hopefuls are able to get their names and messages out to the voting public. If the candidate has the money, which most of them do, advertising plays a huge role in campaign success. The New York Times reports that of the 30 new campaign advertisements released this week, only three were positive.

Representative Thomas M. Reynolds of New York, the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, said his staff had been investigating possible targets since the summer of 2005. Washingtonpost.com reports that digging up dirt has become a huge part of the job for many young staffers. The New York Times reported that, this year, Reynolds dispatched a half dozen operatives to look for damaging information on Democratic candidates. The committee plans to spend 90 percent of its $50 million-plus advertising budget on negative ads.

From all this digging, Republicans have come up with some juicy info. Washingtonpost.com reports that John Yarmuth, a Kentucky democrat who is running for a House seat, was barraged with media attention after a Republican advertisement identified some editorials that he wrote for his college newspaper abouot the legalization of marijuana. Steve Kagan, a physician who is running for Congress in Wisconsin, has been attacked because he sued 80 of his patients. It turns out that the patients hadn't paid their bills, and Kagen unfortunately took action. I suppose he should have anticipated some backlash for wanted to get money owed to him.

One young staffer hit the jackpot when he uncovered a copy of an article Republican candidate Rick O'Donnell wrote for an obscure publication in the 1990's where he argued that Social Security should be abolished. This advertisement was sent out as a direct mailing to people in his state.

Candidates don't seem to feel that this kind of mudslinging is inappropriate in this day and age. They even have tactics that make these shock and awe campaigns more shocking and awing.
Republican Tom Cole said, "When you run in an adverse political environment, you try to localize and personalize the race as much as you can."

Thomas Reynolds burst out laughing when Times reporters asked him why he didn't use more positive ads. “If they moved things to the extent that negative ads move things, there would be more of them,” he said. He continued, "We haven't even begun to unload this freight train."

Republicans have been focusing on personal backgrounds, while Democrats have concentrated on Repulicans' political records. Republicans have chosen to do this to take attention away from teh situation in Iraq. Most Republicans know that citizens are not happy with the way this war has been handled, and expect a huge decrease in support for this next election.

To stay away from the negative image associated with these tactics, most of the ads will be delivered by party committees. Though this suggests that candidates actually do have some ethics, and realize that smear campaigning may not always be fair, most are not willing to give up the benefits that they get from them. “Negative ads are more likely to talk about policy than positive ads,” said Joel Rivlin, deputy director of the Wisconsin Advertising Project, which monitors political advertising. “How else do you find out about the flaws of a candidate besides a negative ad?”

So its kind of like this. Candidates will use smear ads because if they don't, their opponents will. Its sort of like when you get in trouble for cutting school, and your mom asks you why you did it. You say, "cause everyone else was!" Unfortunately, political campaigns have a little more signifigance than getting in trouble with mom. Especially in a time of war, when national security and domestic homeland security seems to get more unstable every day, it would be refreshing for candidates to start bringing relevant information to the table. Maybe they could focus on how they plan to get us out of war, and not that Senator X stole a candy bar when he was six at a local drug store.

I suppose not everyone is playing follow the leader. In a recent blog search, I found the Bivings Report, which gives tips on how to "Build a Better Political Campaign Web Site." I'll admit, it was refreshing to read positive comments from people saying they appreciated the tips that were laid out. Maybe there are some people out there who are sick of political dirt.

I think that it is important for candidates to get their messages out, and obviously let the public know if their opponents have been breaking the law or have been behaving unethically. But I also think that a line needs to be drawn. I don't necessarily need to know that someone in college once thought that marijuana should be legalized. It doesn't really effect how he or she will lower taxes or make steps to improve homeland security. The dirt needs to stop! Focus on REAL issues, ones that I care about...PLEASE!

-Liz

Was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. a Republican? People are outraged by group's unsubstantiated claims

2006-09-25T07:35:00.000-07:00

Political campaigns seem to be more about outlandish publicity stunts than identifying opinions on key political and social issues. This is especially true in Washington, where cut-throat politics is the norm.

Recently, a campaign in support of Michael S. Steele, a Republican from Maryland who is running for the U.S. Senate, has redefined sleezy politics. In support of a Republican Senate, the National Black Republican Association released a 60-second advertisement which alleges that Martin Luther King Jr. was a Republican. It also states that the Democratic Party was responsible for starting the KKK and supported slavery, secession, and segregation.

The ad, begins with two women saying, "Dr. King was a real man. You know he was a Republican." They then continue to say that "Democrats passed those black codes and Jim Crow laws. Democrats started the Ku Klux Klan." "The Klan?" the other woman replies. "White hoods and sheets?" A transcript of the ad can be found on the Drudge Report blog.

MSNBC reported that Michael S. Steele had no connection to the ad, and asked for it to be taken off air immediately. He publically denounced the ad on his website saying, "This is exactly the kind of attack politics Marylanders are sick of and why its time to change this Washington brand of cut-throat politics."

The National Black Republican Association released a statement two weeks before the ad was aired, further connecting Martin Luther King to the Republican party. The web site states, "In order to break the Democrats' stranglehold on the black vote and free black Americans from the Democrat Party's economic plantation, we must shed the light of truth on the Democrats. We must demonstrate that the Democrat Party policies of socialism and dependency on government handouts offer the pathway to poverty, while Republican Party principles of hard work, personal responsibility, getting a good education and ownership of homes and small businesses offer the pathway to prosperity."

The actions of this group are completely insulting and inappropriate. It is important to note that the National Black Republican Association has claimed all of this information without any concrete evidence to support it. This kind of sleeze advertising is a public relations disaster for everyone who is involved, whether by choice or through assocation. This is the kind of publicity that makes people synical about politics and public relations. Public relations is supposed to support and advocate for causes, not create stores for the sake of media attention. Unfortunately, it is usually the bad press and the horrible actions of a few that the public remembers, giving everyone in the industry a bad rap.

Unfortunately, it seems like Michael Steele, will take the fall for this mess. Because this organization supported him for the Senate, it is inevitable that the people in Maryland will associate him with the ad. Steele has done the right thing in publically denouncing the ad, but unfortunately, the damage may be done. He is running against a 10-term Congressmen in the upcoming election, and his reputation as an active citizen and politician is important for him to win this race. That has been tarnished, maybe costing him the election.

Catholic Church continues to burn in media fire...

2006-09-20T07:14:00.000-07:00

It seems that the Roman Catholic Church has hit another roadblock in its attempt to recreate its image. Pope Benedict's recent PR blunder has caused Muslims around the world to riot, creating a concern for Catholics living in Islamic countries.

After Pope Benedict quoted a 14th century Christian emperor as referring to elements of the Muslim faith as 'evil and inhuman," images of the Pope were burned in Pakistan. An Italian nun in Somalia was murdered, an Iraqi cell of al Queda called for a holy war against all Catholics, and 200 clerics and seminary students in Iran gathered in Tehran to protest the anti-Muslim remark.

This remark may have long-term consequences for the Catholic and Muslim relationship. This could possibly destroy the decades of work Pope John Paul did to create peaceful and open communication between the religions.

Pope Benedict has since apologized for his comment, explaining that the text he quoted in no way expressed his personal thought. Though the Muslim Council of Germany and Britain accepted the apology and hopes to put the crisis behind them, it did not calm many Muslim groups.

The Vatican has announced that the words of the pope were not meant to anger or disrespect Muslims. Unfortunately, the damage has been done.

It seems odd that the Pope would be surprised that his comments would be taken literally and personally. I think that the Vatican should have seen it coming, especially with rising tensions in the Middle East. Most of the Pope's speeches are checked by Vatican officials. If it had gone through many filters before being delivered, it is not surprising that many people would believe that the negative words are the opinions of both the Pope and the Vatican.

This has come at a time when the Catholic Church is still paying damages to the thousands who reported abuse from priests across the country. The image of the Catholic Church has forever been tarnished as report after report revealed that church officials had been covering up cases of sexual abuse.

It seems that maybe the Vatican needs to employ a media specialist who better understands how the media works. The media has already tore the Catholic Church apart, completely changing forever how people around the world view the religion. The Church needs some good PR for at least some positive stories in the media, no matter how bleak the future looks for the Church's image.

-Liz

Spinach eaters beware

2006-09-18T07:19:00.000-07:00

As I was throwing out my bagged spinach this weekend, I was left wondering if my diet would be forever changed, or just temporarily modified.

I am a HUGE spinach fan. I put it on my eggs, in mac 'n cheese, on pizza, on tuna sandwiches, and pretty much everything else. Needless to say, it was pretty hard to say good-bye to my favorite leafy vegetable.I know that others felt the same. I caught my roommate asking her mom if it was worth the risk to use her newly purchased bag of spinach. No worries. She was encouraged to ditch the bag and eat something else. .

Not everyone was so lax about the nation-wide recall. The risk of E. coli poisoning is enough to scare anyone away from their favorite foods and most everyone got rid of it.

A recent trip to Wegmans revealed that the store had pulled all spinach related products off the shelf. The huge grocery chain was not the only retailer to dispose of the tainted spinach. After the FDA found a connection between the Natural Foods brand and some of the consumer deaths, the distributer immediately recalled all products containing spinach. River Ranch, a California based distributor also recalled products.

This spinach contamination seems to be getting worse rather than better, and has currently affected people in 19 states. As of Sunday, the FDA reported 109 E. coli related deaths. Restaurants and grocery stores across the nation are still refusing to offer spinach related dishes or products.

Fortunately, the FDA is slowly, but surely, working to pinpoint where the contamination originated. Natural Foods must be letting out a sigh of relief after their organic spinach was cleared of suspicion yesterday.

During a nationwide health crisis, people want to have access to current changes, as they happen. If companies involved in the crisis do not provide accurate and updated information, it quickly loses credibility in the public eye. It was surprising to me that some Web sites were not more helpful in provided information on how the problem was being handled.

Neither the Wegmans Web site nor the Natural Foods Web site were saying anything about the recall. Steve Rubel also reported on September 17, that he noticed the lack of information. It seems that these organizations, especially Natural Foods, would want to use their Web sites as an open forumn for discussion and updates.

Dole did this by posting a release which educated viewers of the site about the crisis and how the company was reacting. It listed which products were recalled and offered alternatives to consumers. Allowing people to voice their concerns is important during a health crisis.

It is important to allow people to voice their concerns during this kind of a crisis. The Internet is a perfect way to allow for this communication. By providing open forumns and chatrooms, the company can directly communicate with the public, informing them about current solutions to the problem. It is a perfect PR channel!

-Liz

Facebook blunder leads to PR success

2006-09-13T07:46:00.000-07:00

The number one rule in marketing and public relations is to know your audience. Not only should you be able to identify your target audience, but you should know what they want, and more importantly, what they don't want. Recently, Mark Zuckerberg, creator of Facebook, the number two online social networking site, made a huge blunder, and received over 700,000 petition complaints.

If you are a Facebook member, you know that Zuckerberg is constantly making changes, allowing social networking to reach new highs. Though many people may say that it is scarey that you find relationship status, interests, common friends, and even pictures of just about anyone on a college campus, there are still 9.5 million Facebook users. What was once a way for Harvard students to better connect to each other for class and homework information has become a race for who can have more "friends," and join the most "groups." Zuckerberg has modified the site to include walls, where people can post comments for the network to view. Pictures of friends can be added and tagged to identify for the entire network what they did last Saturday night. Users can even search profiles for keywords to find those who hold similar interests.

So basically, if you are a Facebook member, privacy is out the window. Fortunately for Zuckerberg, people seemed to be ok with the fact that their information was out on the Internet for everyone to see, as long as they controlled what people saw. This week, that seemed to change for Facebook users. Zuckerberg invented the NEWSFEED. That Tuesday morning was a dark day for Zuckerberg, who suddenly was swamped with protest e-mails and social groups, denouncing the "new" Facebook. The Newsfeed updated users on all activity among their "friends." If someone made a wall post, changed his relationship status, or posted a picture, the information was suddenly available on someone's home page, allowing users to click on the feed and explore more about the update. Though all this information was already available, at least users needed to investigate profiles to find it out. It made Facebook a new stalker heaven, and thousands of people were outraged.

By Friday, only four days after the update, Zuckerberg realized his mistake. He sent e-mails to all those people that complained and posted an apology on the homepage of every Facebook user. He took complete responsiblity for his mistake, and created new privacy options, allowing users to hide their personal newsfeeds. Though people can control their personal minifeeds, a newsfeed, tracking all facebook traffic, is still available on the Facebook homepage.

Though this may seem like a huge mistake on Zuckerberg's part, I don't see Facebook losing steam anytime soon. I only know a handful of people that have taken themselves off of the site after this mind blowing update. Though Mark did not think about his audience when he created the Newsfeed, I think he has seen the consequences of his actions, and has had time to re-evaluate. He allowed for personal privacy options, quieting a few, and making many users feel as if their protests were heard. I think Zuckerberg knows that he is not going to lose a huge amount of users from continuing to allow the newsfeed, or else he would have taken it off completely. By taking responsibility, he did what users wanted, to know that they were heard and their opinions matter. As a result, people are still Facebook users, with more joining every day. Way to go Zuckerberg. That was some good PR.

-Liz

Commemorating 9/11

2006-09-11T07:35:00.000-07:00

The 5th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center buildings leaves people wishing they could do something to commemorate and reconnect to that day when so many Americans lost their lives. Media Orchard offers nine ways to memorialize that day and reflect on the lessons learned that day.

In preparation for the anniversary, the media seems to be making more people angry than reflective of that terrible day. ABC has created a two-part mini series, "The Path to 9/11," which was aired yesterday and will conclude tonight. The dramatization was drawn from interviews and documents from 9/11, and much of its content has been reported as inaccurate and misleading. Representatives from the Clinton administration have written in to express concern about the series, which puts much of the blame on them, not the terrorists.

Filmmakers have also created a media frenzy, creating movies such as World Trade Center, Fahrenheit 9/11, and United Flight 93. Each movie has gotten "buzz" and protests from the public and media.

On a brighter note, marketers have begun to offer easier ways to travel after 9/11. After August 11, when London police infultrated a terrorist plan to smuggle liquid explosives on ten plans leaving from Britain for the U.S, travelling became difficult for the everyday person. For weeks after, liquids or gells were banned from luggage. Michael J. Miller has come up with a business venture which will deliver those products to your hotel for you.

I think that with all this 9/11 media frenzy, people are forgetting the lessons that should be taken away from that terrible day. Some people believe big screen movies are disrespectful to the victims and their families and others feel it is important to constantly remind people about the events of that day. Either way, people are constantly speaking out in the media about the tactics people are using to remember that day. Maybe its not how big you go, as long as you do something. Hang an American flag outside your house, reflect on the loved ones you've lost in your lifetime, and most importantly, listen to others. Listening is learning and living the individual lessons learned from 9/11 is the best way to commemorate and honor those who lost their lives.

-Liz

You say spin doctors, I say excellent crisis communicators...

2006-09-09T07:20:00.000-07:00

Recently, it has come to my attention, that most people don't really know what PR is. As a college senior, who has studied public relations (PR) for four years, I suppose I never realized that most people do not see how crucial good PR is for corporations, celebrities, and even small town politicians. For this reason, I was shocked when a friend asked me why I wanted to be a "spin doctor!" A spin doctor?! He might as well have spit in my face and burned the thousands of dollars I've spent on my education. The nerve of some people.... PR is certainly not spin doctoring, and anyone who thinks that certainly has never experienced good PR.

I think PR's negative connotation can be attributed to a lack of exposure.. Most people associate PR specialists with that token man in a suit and tie, following around Paris Hilton, telling America that she wasn't really driving drunk, or that Lindsay Lohan eats three meals a day. Most of the work that PR specialits do for corporations is simply kept on the backburner. Richard Edelman, in a September 1 post admitted that many of the companies that Edelman Public Relations works requires secrecy.

Nick Purdom of PR Week said, "The PR industry has an important role to play in helping companies identify and manage risks that could damage their reputation." Tylenol is a perfect example of how good PR can save a corporation in a time of crisis. In 1982, when seven people died after taking Extra Strength Tylenol, it was reported that cyanide had been planted in some of the bottles during production. Johnson and Johnson immediately pulled all products from the shelf and the CEO held press conferences and performed hundreds of interviews to accept full blame for the tragedy and promising to create new safety precautions. To reintroduce the product, Johnson and Johnson introduced the triple-seal tamper resistant packaging (now industry standard), offered discounts on products, and made presentations for the medical community to restore confidence in the product. Now, over 20 years later, Tylenol is still a leading pain reliever brand.

Without good PR, the company would never have recovered from the Tylenol scandal. The companies crisis managment plan was deliberate and involved the public in every step of the way twoards recovery. Johnson and Johnson put the face of the company, the CEO, in front of the cameras and the public. He apologized and promised to reintroduce a product that would be safe. Had Johnson and Johnson shut out the media completely, there would have been no way for the public to feel connected to the rehibilitation process. The public needed that special attention to reassure their brand choice and recreate a trusting relationship.

Though crisis communications is only one part of the job of a PR specialist, it is probably one of the most important. To successfully handle a crisis and create a positive outcome requires excellent communication skills, organizaiton, a knowledge of the industry, and LONG hours. Without PR, we wouldn't have Tylenol. Just think about that next time you have a headache...

Spin doctors? I think the PR industry deserves a little more respect than that.

-Liz