The Overview

The spring of 2007 has proved both unique and exciting in terms of PR crisis in the media. throughout the past few months we have see everything from the Anna Nicole Smith scandal to Imus and most recently the shootings at Virginia Tech.
The semester kicked off with the controversy over the Boston/Aqua Teen Hunger Force guerrilla marketing campaign. small, illuminated signs with Aqua Teen characters placed randomly throughout major cities across the country spawned an immediate reaction in Boston, where they were initially thought to be part of a terrorist plot. However, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino barely got time to disagree with the tactic and refer to it as an "outrageous stunt" and the product of "corporate greed" before the next big PR crisis gripped the nation. With the Death of Anna Nicole Smith followed month upon month of scandal, controversy the paternity fight for her daughter. it took months to uncover the actual cause of death, although ultimately what most people expected was true. there were so many twists and turns throughout the case the management of it became more like that of an on going saga than actual real-life events. it seems Anna gained more fame in death than she ever had in life and simply the scandalous nature of her death took her from a position not so highly regarded to that of almost iconic standing.
Next, Wise Foods was officially named the potato chip and cheez doodle sponsor of the Boston Red Sox, a smart move incorporating their logo with one of the most famous in the world, but more importantly to crisis PR than that, Brittney Spears shaved her head. From pop princess to sex icon to wife, mother and now strung out addict, the Spears name has made headlines covering an immensely broad range of topics. In and out of a rehab, tattoos and fighting the paparazzi and a now bald head left Brit with some serious explaining to do. Two months later we know shes out of rehab...again...and doing better, while the country greatly anticipates her expected comeback. although the bald head drew a lot of negative attention to the Spears brand, it also put her back in the limelight and in prime condition for an explosive comeback.
Oprah's new school in Africa was a monumental step for the Oprah brand, further establishing her worldwide. The school not only provides an amazing opportunity to girls who may never have had a chance but also caused controversy over why the S. African location, aids victims and just girls. Although the school caused much debate, however, its positive impact could not be overlooked.
The US health department has faced some scrutiny this spring as well when rats were uncovered in a number of big-city fast food restaurants. KFC/Taco Bell is a prime example considering the health department conducted a passed inspection in the location which was discovered to be rat-infested the next day. The instant PR problem this created was named by Geoffrey Cowley, associate commissioner for communications at the New York City health department, a "perceived problem" as opposed to an actual crisis situation, however any health department that becomes associated with missing rat infestation due to a lazy inspection has somewhat of a crisis on their hands.
From rat infestation to contaminated pet food, spring 2007 has not been a good period for the FDA. In March it was reported that at least 76 dogs died as a result of eating different brands of contaminated Diamond brand Pet Food. To make matters worse, for a while no one really knew what was wrong with the food or why it was making animals sick. Once it was discovered there were actually high levels of aflatoxin, a natural chemical derived from a fungus which causes severe liver damage in animals, mass amounts of the food were recalled immediately. Not soon enough to save the Diamond Pet Food Co. however, as they still faced mass amounts of public scrutiny.
Next, the Versace family publicly admitted the 20 year old heiress Allegra Versace was undergoing treatment for her long battle with anorexia. Of a somewhat ironic nature, this one incident could have a profound impact on the high-fashion industry. Currently size 0 is the only size, but with the public addmition of anorexia on the part of the Versace heir, all that seems likely to change.
Moving into April, there was the outrageous claim in which Keith Richards combined his fathers ashes with cocaine and snorted them. Public references to drug use are nothing new from this long-time public figure, however this just seemed over the top. although it was of course played off as a joke, the idea in itself is disturbing and left Disney with a queasy feeling as they release Pirates of the Caribbean 3, in which he stars.
The Imus controversy came next, sending the country into outrage at his perhaps racist and sexist comments. As Americans were torn between the significance of his slip, he saw himself lose his longtime job at CBS. Although he reappeared not long after the crisis occurred, Imus faced a few weeks of mass apologies for his actions. The scale of this event made it apparent Americans are not willing to stand for any type of discrimination, no matter whose mouth it comes from.
The Sanjaya craze dominated the media waves for a while as week after week he remained on the show. It obviously wasn't his talent keeping him on the show, so as he held steady American Idol credibility became unstable. As people doubted Sanjaya's talent they also began to doubt the show if it became based on voter popularity as opposed to genuine talent. luckily, Sanjaya was eliminated a few weeks later before any real damage could accrue, and Idol regained its stance as a reliable program. Finally, the last and by far most important PR crisis impacting our country recently were the tragic Virginia Tech shootings. Horrible atrocity aside, the main focus of the crisis was in the lack of communication regarding the event. Dorm shootings occurred early and students were not informed, while mass confusion and chaos defined the scene. The lack of communication on during the events on the V-Tech campus spawned a re-evaluation of crisis communication plans for many colleges and universities across the country and left practically everyone reevaluating the potential of their own crisis communication systems.
In terms of crisis communications news, this past few months has been far from boring. scandals, food contamination, political controversy and tragedy have plagued this subject as we move from event to event. As events unfold, it becomes increasingly clear to me how important crisis communication truly is in managing potentially devastating situations. Through my analyzation of these public crisis events throughout the semester, i have seen what works and what doesn't, and come to understand that wherever there is a crisis, there is always someone there, ready to manipulate it.

when reporting on crisis communications and current situations in the media, it is inherently necessary to discuss the Virginia Tech tragedy which engulfed the early part of this week. According to a PR week article (http://www.prweek.com/us/sectors/crisiscommunications/article/651936/Virginia-Tech-creates-comms-team-wake-tragedy/)
Within hours of the news, media from all over the world were arriving on the campus and in less than 24 hours, the university's communications staff was forced to come up with a contingency plan that enabled them to manage the country's largest gathering of national and international media in recent memory. Now, from my viewpoint as a student, being able to relate to the situation, a contingency plan to support the media torrent should definitely fall second to the plan that should have initially been devised to warn students immediately following the first shooting. I understand that there are 30,000 people at V. Tech and informing all of them in such a short period of time is basically impossible. i also understand, however, that the majority of those students were not on campus at 7 in the morning when the first shooting occurred. had the school taken the initiate to cancel school for the day considering dorm room shootings many of those off campus students would have stayed off. originally nothing was said to the students because they thought they were involved with an isolated incident and it apparently didn't seem necessary. however, at that time they had no motive, no capture and no suspect, so what lead them to assume so strongly it was isolated? whats done is done but i think had an announcement immediately been made and the campus closed, many lives could have been saved and many more unruined.

Bye-mus Imus

In today's day and age, after the "nappy headed hoes" comment, and according to an MSNBC inside story(http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18126093/)it is really no wonder Imus's CBS days are in the past. I'm not sure if he was aiming at funny, didn't understand the slang or simply has been listening to too much rap music and forgot the terms were offensive, either way, he made a large mistake. in the world today the media public is always on the hunt for the next big controversial statement or story to follow. being a long-timer in the radio business Imus should definitely have known this prior to his verbal slip. as far as making up for it, i don't think he has many options. of course the most important thing to do would be apologize, again and again and again. he has to apologize specifically to the Rutgers team, to the school, to the black community and the nation as well. in the 21st century few have tolerance for racial slurs, especially on national radio. this in mind i doubt simple apologies, no matter how abundant, will be enough. CBS clearly didn't think so. the only other option i really see for Imus at this point is to try to spin something positive out of it. he has been compared to Howard Stern before and maybe its just time to make the transition to satellite as well. the word is that all publicity is good publicity, regardless of its positive or negative status. If nothing else positive has resulted for the show host, at least Imus is now basically a household name. he needs to find some way to harness that publicity and focus it on another, more positive aspect of his life or career. if he can prove that negative comments aside, he is still a genuine and respectable citizen and has good to offer the world, maybe, in time, redemption is still an option.

The J&J Way

When marketing a new, potentially high risk drug such as Johnson &
Johnson's new Ortho Evra birth control patch, premptive measures may be
necessary to eliminate risk of a Vioxx-type incident from occurring.
According to an article published by MediaPost Publications in Marketing
Daily, although Ortho Evra may be more convenient than oral birth
control, it has been proven to double the risk of blood clots. In
addition, women who use the patch are exposed to 60% more hormones than
those who take birth control pills. Keeping these potential negatives in
mind, Johnson & JOhnson has developed a strategy of their own to prevent
a crisis scenario before it even occurs. Since the online community plays
such an enormous and growing role in the spread of information, J&J hopes to avoid
negative online attention for its birth control patch by buying the rights
to negative domain names. by purchasing domain names such as
Deathbypatch.com and Orthoevrakills.com, the idea is that these domains
will no longer available for negative use against the company. Larry
Mickelberg, senior vice president/Marketing of Medical Broadcasting Co.
commented "It's really a best practice move." Although none of the domain
names purchased were currently in use, J&J saw how the Vioxx situation
prompted Web sites with names like Vioxxlitigation.com, Vioxxlawyers.com
and others. "Vioxx has definitely changed the rules for drug companies,"
Mickelberg said. In today's era of the internet and instant access to
information, there is so much opportunity for litigators who have become
quick to pounce on pharmaceutical companies. keeping this in mind the
actions J&J are taking to reduce the risk of negative online sites may be
a smart step in defending themselves against a potential crisis scenario.

Everyone Wants a Prime Rib

When you think of a coyote wandering in and taking control of a restaurant for an afternoon, good publicity isn't exactly the first type of publicity that comes to mind. however, a Chicago Quiznos found a way to make it just that. This past Tuesday a one and a half year old coyote, later named Adrian, found himself walking through a propped open front door of a Quiznos location and proceeded to jump over the counter, falling short and landing in the beverage cooler. According to a mediapost article in marketing daily (http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=58249), as customers scattered at the site of the wild animal invading their lunch hour, Adrian hung around for about 40 minutes. This wild animal in a public place scenario could have hurt the Quiznos chain for sure, however I for one am extremely impressed with how the situation was handled. immediately following the incident the company issued a press release quoting Quiznos' Executive Vice President/Corporate Marketing Officer Steve Provost as saying: "We've certainly been looking to expand our customer base and appeal to different demographics, and it appears that we have hit a chord with the animal kingdom. This has never happened before; we can only think that [the coyote] must have been attracted to our new Prime Rib on Garlic Bread and its above-average portions of meat. One thing is for sure, this coyote clearly has excellent taste." This move seems sheer brilliance as the potential wild animal crisis was actually turned into a light and somewhat funny advertisement for their new sandwich. Sandwich promotion aside, to make matters even better, the company donated $1000 to Chicago Animal Care and Control, where Adrian currently resides making animal activists happy as well. Thursday morning Adrian was transported to the Flint Creek Wildlife Refuge near Barrington, Ill. where he will be able to unite and roam freely with other stray urban coyotes. As a finishing touch on the crisis turned positive opportunity, Quiznos announced it was giving Adrian a farewell present--a Prime Rib on Garlic Bread sub "to go" while making sure to accentuate the fact that it was the sandwich that the coyote had "traveled far and wide for."

American Idol?

Thus far in their reality/entertainment history, American Idol has held their ground as a reality show capable of finding real talent and producing genuine super-stars. The latest season, however, has been facing a controversy truly capable of challenging the shows credibility. the name Sanjaya Malakar, quickly becoming household, has shocked the country week after week by somehow managing to make the top 10...despite his obvious lack of talent in comparison with other contestants. this is a problem for 2 reasons; 1. Precedents of American Idol talent are not factoring into Sanjaya's continuance on the show. the show is not being taken seriously and thousands of young girls continue voting to keep him on the show each week. Regardless of his actual talent, this creates potential for an American idol completely un-idol worthy. 2. contestants who really do possess talent are getting kicked off the show in order for Sanjaya to stay on. this takes away from the shows credibility greatly as now talent is no longer the focus, as it has been in the past. in reality, this season could make or break the future of the popular reality show. if the right man wins as usual, i see little change in the popularity and direction the show goes in, however as Sanjaya fights his way through elimination after elimination a new judging format may be necessary. it would clearly be a blow to the show if a less than extremely talented, teen heart-throb won based on popularity points alone. Maybe this is just a sign that the show has already reached its peak and viewers as a whole aren't taking it as seriously anymore. regardless, if AI hopes to remain on top they need to refine their judging strategies, maybe regulating viewer voting once contestants reach the top 10 to ensure those who make it are truly deserving and have a fair chance to win. otherwise, American Idol may have seen their best days and the time maybe have come for the country to move on to the next entertainment/reality show obsession.

The skinny on Versace

For years, stick thin models have paraded the runway defining fashion and beauty and setting the standard for how high class looks. However, now that the Versace family has publicly admitted 20 year old heiress Allegra Versace is undergoing treatment for her long battle with anorexia, could that be about to change? According to an article on CNN.com () The fashion industry has recently been forced to defend itself against brutal claims that its unrealistic versions of femininity lead women to develop eating disorders. its difficult to deny the claims however, when only last year the Uruguayan model Luisel Ramos died of heart failure during a fashion show, Ana Carolina Reston of Brazil died of complications brought on by anorexia and now Versace's own heriess is publicly suffereing from the disease. Will this finally be what it takes to turn the tides in the fashion indsutry and stop glamorizing such an unhealthy look? Spain has already gone as far as banning overly skinny models from the runway and Italy has signed a pact not to use girls under sixteen or stick-thin adult models, however these measures are far from being implemented universally. Now, however, with a name with such as Versace under the microscope it is clear the message has gone far enough. when your own daughter becomes deadly ill due to the message your company portrays it brings reality home, in a way perhaps giving them a taste of their own medicine. i personally think it is horribly sad what the girl has gone through and should definitely leave an impression on her parents, family and the indsutry as a whole. It’s unlikely that the designer community could afford to remain mute to a situation when the offspring of one of the illustrious names is so publicly suffering. that in mind, i think Versace's next best move would be taking action to prove that not only do they care about Allegra and realize the harm the industry caused her, but also the pain and suffering so many others have endured trying to be thin. if handled properly, this situation really could cause revolutionary changes in the world of fashion.

Diamond doesn't sparkle now

Over the past few weeks, the FDA reports at least 76 dogs have died as a result of eating different brands of contaminated Diamond Pet Food. As of now, the company has recalled 19 varieties of dog and cat food in which tests showed high levels of aflatoxin, a naturally occurring toxic chemical that comes from a fungus found on corn and other grains that causes severe liver damage in animals. although by this point the company has been able to narrow the contaminated batch to varities produced Oct. 11 in a South Carolina plant, they still took measures of recalling products manufactured at a Gaston, S.C., plant from around September to November 2005. The range of date codes being reviewed are "Best By 01-March-07" through Best By " 11-June-07". To make matters worse for the Diamond Pet Food Co., not only is this a nationwide crisis but the recall products have been exported to at least 29 countries, including countries within the European Union as well. From a public relations standpoint, of course this is a crisis for the Diamond company; the pet food they are producing is invisibly contaminated and killing pets. Currently Diamond officials say they are doing what they can to help affected pet owners. According to an MSNBC report, Mark Bringmann, the company’s chief operating officer commented “It’s going to take some time to take care of all these customers, and we’re going to do it,” but it will take more than time to re-establish their image as a reliable pet food brand. Because of the scale of the incident, the image of all brands falling under Diamond's control are now tarnished. Diamond has promised to reimburse pet owners for vet bills and other costs associated with the aflatoxin poisoning, and officials now believe pets in Europe and other areas outside the country where the food is distribute may be affected as well. Money, however, only goes so far in accounting for the life of a loved pet lost to the contaminated food. Bringmann is right to say that it will take time to recover from this incident, however more than that is necessary if Diamond hopes to regain their reputation in the pet food industry. Standards need to be raised, taking strides to ensure food is properly inspected so an attrocity such as this will not occur again. Although reimbursement for medical bills and other such expenses may be beneficial in aliviating some stress, i think it is important the company issues a public apology ensuring they truly understand how their products have affected the lives of some envoked unnecessary pain and suffering. Also, future efforts to change and ensure such an incident never occurs again should be made clear. Although time and reimbursement may be crucial, i think a statement of genuine public apology and regret along with a pledge to change and raise future standards are also mandatory in restoring Diamonds image and allowing them to move foreward from here.

Health Department should clean up act, and restaurants

According to an article recently published in PR week, not only have the rats of NYC infected the names of Taco Bell, KFC and various other restaurants in the area, but the NYC Department of Health is now perhaps the most tainted of all. The health department has obviously been involved from the beginning, as ensuring cleanliness standards in eating facilities falls under their responsibilities, however now not only do they not appear to have control over the situation but a recent incident seems to suggest they don't really care either. Reportedly, on February 22nd of this year an inspector from the department performed a routine inspection of a popular New York City Taco Bell/KFC chain in which no problems were reported. Immediately following the inspection it was uncovered that there were actually rats residing in and contaminating the building and the very next day another inspection verified the infestation. this transitioned a large portion of the rat blame from the chain itself to the health department when it was discovered the inspector had actually only performed a partial inspection the day before the incident. This created an instant PR problem for the department because now it not only appeared they were not sufficiently performing their responsibilities but they were also unaware of the quality to which employees were performing theirs. although under scrutiny, however, Geoffrey Cowley, associate commissioner for communications at the New York City health department considered the case a "perceived problem" as opposed to an actual crisis situation. He explained "It wasn't a crisis in the sense that we had a real problem; we had a perceived problem." However if you ask me, any health department that becomes associated with missing rat infestation due to a lazy inspection has somewhat of a crisis on their hands. Since the incident the department has been trying to push the "perception" viewpoint, urging people to understand. The issue was handled internally and they have been responding to press inquires, updating people, putting together charts and data, basically doing everything in their power to show how the department functions and why it is should not be an issue of permanent distrust. Cowley said the plan was to stay in front of the story and be as transparent as possible. As of now, that inspector has been removed from field duty and there has been investigation into his work. According to Cowly, "We saw a lot of images on TV and stories written from perspectives that made us look bad, no question about that. But you don't get to look good all the time, you have to accept that you're going to get bad press once in a while. So in that sense we took a hit, but I don't think we've been discredited in any way." My opinion however is that this is a somewhat feeble attempt at straying from the blame of the incident. the fact of the matter is a department health inspector minimally performed his/her duties allowing rats to continue residing in a public restaurant. of course bad press is to be expected and it seems hard to find a perspective that would see this fallacy as OK. maybe Cowly himself doesn't see the department as being discredited, but as a consumer i personally will think twice before eating at such a place, regardless of an inspectors go ahead. I think it would have made more sense for the department to take greater responsibility for the incident and perhaps adjust standards to ensure something like this does not occur again. Instead of staying in the background i think it would be much more beneficial for everyone if the health department took some responsibility and cleaned up their act, as well as their restaurants.

by this point in time in Keith Richards career, public comments pertaining to various drug use are nothing new. what is new, however, is the concept of incorporating his own dead father into the mix. according to an article published on MSNBC.com (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17933669/) last Tuesday, Richards even outdid himself. the location was London, the witness British music magazine NME and the statement: “The strangest thing I’ve tried to snort? My father. I snorted my father.” It is hard to tell if there is any genuinity in this statement, as it is in a twisted way imaginable, however was immediately denoted a joke once the word began to spread. Now, whether or not Richards was really joking in this statement seems almost irrelevant. even if the statement had no truth, the fact that he would publicly joke about such a thing is almost as bad as actually doing it. Its hard to say where Richard himself really stands in this whole thing, if the negative publicity is even an issue to him, but even if the comment holds no weight with him it surely has significance to Disney who has recently hired Richards to play Teague Sparrow, the father to Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow in the newest edition to the billion-dollar franchise Pirates of the Caribbean, which is releasing its third installment, At World’s End, on May 25. since cocaine mixed with a dead man's ashes doesn't necessary support the image Disney tries to portray, i think it would be best for them to keep Richards as far from the spotlight as possible. the former Rolling Stones guitarist has already received so much media attention regarding his comments that keeping him quiet and not allowing the comments to associate themselves with the movie release would probably be the safest route to take. anything drawing attention to Keith Richards off the big screen could rekindle the comments, tying them to Disney and that does not seem like anything Disney wants to accomplish.

binging Home Depot home again

Traditionally, the Home Depot's mission has been simple; sell hammers, light bulbs and paint brushes to help the self-helper. Over the past six years, however, former CEO Robert Nardelli's mission was not exactly in correspondence. Under Nardellis reign, employee hours were ritualistically cut and older, experienced workers who gave the chain its reputation for helpful, expert staff members were alienated. Under this previous CEO it seemed that the Home Depot was turning its focus more from do-it-yourself-shoppers to a fast-growing supply business, focused on professional builders which siphoned resources and attention from its far bigger retail division. Although booking revenue of $90 billion last year, new stores open less than a year saw business continually falling behind that of competitor Lowe’s, These issues have weighed on the stock price, which has remained stagnant for the last four years, not to mention to enormous $210 million severance package Nardelli received upon leaving Home Depot. Now, however, there is a new name in charge and he sees things quite differently. New CEO Frank Blake is making his presence known in a hurry. Within the first 40 days of his tenure Blake has already showing signs of his intentions to make drastic changes in order to bring Home Depot back to its roots. To start, Blake has sharply cut his own pay, put an activist investor on the board and nudged out four former General Electric executives recruited by Mr. Nardelli. Also, he has made strides towards integrating top management back into the flow of the company by resorting to the inverted triangle model of company relationships. In this model employees are on top with CEO at the bottom. According to an article published in the NY Times, “It’s not about me,” Mr. Blake told investors and analysts in introductory meetings. As of recent, however, Blake has gone above and beyond any previous marketing the Home Depot has ever been involved in, realizing they have had some serious damage done to their do-it-yourself consumers over the past 6 years, Blake’s newest merger with TLC show 'Take Home Handyman.' much like Sears on Trading Spaces, Home Depot will sponsor all the do-it-yourself equipment for the show about do-it-yourselfers who need some help doing it themselves. In my opinion, if Blake’s main goal in taking control of the company is to reposition it as the do-it-yourself supply head quarters again, this sponsorship is the golden opportunity. Not only is it non-traditional advertising that will really get the name Home Depot out there again, but it will certainly reestablish Home Depot as less contractor, more you. Gold star on this one, Mr. Blake, your on the right track.

Oh, Dick Cheney

First of all, when one achieves status as the vice president of a nation, they must accept the fact that their private lives may no longer be so private and personal information has the tendency of finding its way into the public light. Dick Cheney is no exception. From the start Dick Cheney has played his role in office offering the most conservative counsil to the president and making it clear where he stands on every debatabl issue. Proceeding the 2004 elections, it was his party that brought back to life what the public came to think of as the extreme importance over the issue of gay marriage. His party made it clear this was wrong to an extent that there was a need for the implcation of an entirely new amendment abolishing the possibilty of gay marriage. Now, three years later, this vice preisdant originally so adement about the wrongs of homosexuality is mind boggled that someone would not only dare to publicly question his pregnant, lesbian daughter, but ask how he feels about it as well. when questioned on the matter in a situation room interview by CNN's Wolf Blitzer recently, Cheney's response was brief and to the point: "I think you're out of line." In my opinion, he is out of line. this question was not out of line and if you are the vice president of the USA and your home life and persnal actions are directly contridicotry of the ideals you are trying to persuade a country to believe, then you had better be ready to respond to questions on the issue. I dont think its asking anything too significant to prepare a response to such a question, especially considering the interview occured on public television and the topic was bound to come up. Dick Cheney does not maintain an incredibly respected VP status right now, and i really dont think his refusal to respond to his hyprocracy on a weighted issue helps. At this point in time Dick should just realize his time is almost up and at least have the decency to not be rude when it comes to disucssing issues he illuminated. it seems ubsurd that with all the problems and issues going on in our country and the rest of the world that Dick Cheney's pregnant lesbian daughter would have any significance at all, but it is he who made it that way. when sheding light on the issue of gay marriage prior to the previous election, he should have foreseen future implications considering his own life would be affected by it. As public opinion of Dick Cheney continues to plumit, the only advice i can offer is Dick, you made your bed, now sleep in it.

Oprah in Africa

In Johannesburg, South Africa, a country still healing from years of apartheid and oppression, many have come to view Oprah Winfrey as more than an American, but an angel. in January, 2006, Oprah and a special selection of African girls cut the tape and opened doors to the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for girls. Built on 52 acres, this innovate facility for grades 7-12 is comprised of 28 buildings including a theater, library, dining hall, classrooms and dormitories, nothing the country has ever seen. In 2002 Oprah announced the idea for her dream school by saying "I want to create a school for smart girls who will lead this country into glory." just how smart became clear once the application process started and only 450 of the 3000 applicants would be accepted. although there have been an array of criticisms about the school, ranging from choosing south Africa as opposed another oppressed country, or discriminating against males, when it comes down to it, you cant make everyone happy. regardless of who it is not helping, this modern school in a developing world provides a life changing opportunity for girls who didn't have a chance. Oprah says, "When you change a girl's life, it's not just that life, you start to affect a family, a community, a nation. I'm telling you, women are going to change the face of Africa." and there is nothing to criticize about that. i personally feel that all intrinsic benefits aside, this is a grate public move on the part of Oprah Winfrey. other criticisms in the past come from members the black community who at times saw some of Oprah's actions as nearly discriminatory. the fact that she is giving this amazing opportunity to girls in Africa is not only a great act of philanthropy but a great act of PR as well. by building this dream school not only does Oprah saturate Africa with her name and mission, but becomes a truly global brand creating potential for South Africa to be a great nation with truly inspiring and deserving leaders. when the day comes for these girls to graduate and go on to play their roles in the world, whatever they accomplish in their lives will always be traced back to Oprah Winfrey. through this process, not only is Oprah making a contribution to the world, but writing her name in the history books and ensuring her legacy lives on.

Bald and Proud?

Well, it appears our Britney Spears has made quite a name for herself over the past week or so, and although they say any publicity is good publicity in this case i am not so sure. From pop princess to sex icon to wife, mother and now strung out addict, the Spears name has made headlines covering an immensely broad range of topics. her latest but definitely not greatest move, of course, the shaving of the head. according to E! online, apparently Britney checked herself into and out of a rehab facility in the Caribbean, followed by another less than 24 hour stay at a California rehab center the same week. after leaving rehab center number 2 Britney went to a CA salon and demanded her head be shaved, when the stylist questioned her Brit took matters into her own hands and did it herself. she then continued on getting two more tattoos, fighting the paparazzi and ending up back in rehab, maybe this time for real. From a public relations stand point, i think its safe to assume this psychotic and irrational behavior could definitely be categorized as a crisis. If Brit ever hopes to re-establish any type of career she needs to realize the damage that has already been done and make sure its over. its a sad story because Britney Spears, in her pop star days, was viewed as a role model by many young girls who idolized her and her music. hopefully the transition from pop star to panty-less at the bar will not leave a lasting impact on her now maturing, young followers. it is true that many musicians in Hollywood have issues with alcohol and substance abuse, but Brit really stands out because it doesn't seem as typical, or acceptable with pop stars. Spears is clearly not at a stable place in her life right now and she needs help. she should stay in rehab until she is fully recovered and keep her issues out of the public eye. I would advise her to do some serious evaluation while she is in rehab and realize exactly what she has and where she has to go. if she can come out of this experience better for it, and prove that to the masses, then she may have a chance at redeeming herself and her career. it wont be easy, but it will be worth it, if she can somehow manage to do it.

Wise Boston

When one thinks of the Boston Red Sox, i think at this point its relatively safe to assume that potato chips and cheez doodles do not come to mind. however, as of today that may be about to change. According to a press release on Yahoo Business, Wise Foods has officially been named the potato chip and cheez doodle sponsor of the Boston Red Sox, something they've clearly been lacking. under this new three year agreement, Wise chips, kettle chips and cheez doodles will be supplied at every game at Fenway Park, not to mention there will be no shortage of the Wise logo as they now have the rights to Pesky Corner and will sponsor a new feature segment on the main Red Sox scoreboard. The company also now has rights to use the Red Sox logos and team marks on its products and in promotional efforts throughout New England, which has a possibility of doing good things for the chip firm. from a critical stand point it seems slightly ironic that one of the most popular and prominent sports teams in the world would go into sponsorship with one of the leading junk food companies, however when you re talking about marketing and targeting it seems right on. another component of the merger is the creation of the new "Wise Player" the role being filled by the notorious David Ortiz who will partner with Wise on a variety of promotions. all in all it is my opinion this move was a relatively safe one for Wise. Being tied to a hugely popular baseball team will not only gain them popularity at games, but fans will likely develop a loyalty to the brand that will carry over to their individual shopping experiences. All in all, i basically think this was a good move for Wise, and unless David Ortiz pulls an Anna Nicole and drops dead, i don't see any real problem with the sponsorship in the near future.

The Saga Continues

As i continue to comment on the Anna Nicole case, which has an aparent death grip on the media, by now i think the best measures TrimSpa could take would be to quickly acquire the correct autopsy results, as detailed as possible, and determine if their product really did play any role in the cause of death. if this proves false and the drug had nothing to do with her mysterious death then that information needs to be made public immediately. Enough damage has already been done to the company, based on their main spokes person and representative dropping dead, the soil the brand image terminally however with good crisis management TrimSpa may have a chance to redeem themselves. if further investigation proves TrimSpa had no connection to the incident then it is still possible for all the negative publicity TrimSpa is recieving to be turned into a positive, somehow. however, if evidence shows TrimSpa did contribute to the cause of death then the best thing the company can do if they ever wish to do business again is admit it, and pull the product immediately. denying the pills involvement or dismissing it as an unknown and keeping the product on the market will do nothing but fuel skepticism and enhance the negative image of the company. by immediately revoking the product, there is still hope TrimSpa might be able to find the source of the problem and eliminate it. they could then run a series of strict tests to absolutely ensure there is no longer a risk in taking the supplement and after a long period of laying low, re-emerge into the market as a totally new and redesigned company and product. it is also very important for TrimSpa to publicly acknowledge Anna and the work she did for them, along with how much they valued her and intense condolences. If your spokes person is killed from your product which millions are taking, its basically an impossible scenario to recover from, however, maybe just maybe, if you do things exactly right it is still possible to retain some glint of life.

to TrimSpa, or not to

When it comes to PR crisis control, there does not at this point seem to be a better topic of discussion than the Anna Nicole Smith/TrimSpa tragedy. As we all know, over the course of her life Anna somehow managed to achieve semi-celebrity status, although she never really did anything exceptional. she was famous for being in playboy, marrying a millionaire 4 times her age, gaining weight, being obnoxious, and thanks to her miracle drug TrimSpa, managing to lose about 70 pounds basically over night. All scandals, theories and money schemes aside, when push comes to shove who will be feeling the devastating effects of Anna's passing the most? Ultimately the weight loss supplement company, TrimSpa, whom she represented. This is in my opinion a worst case scenario for TrimSpa as original autopsy results proved foul play did not appear to be a factor, and long term drug abuse was ruled out as well. Even if her use of TrimSpa supplements had nothing at all to do with the incident, the suspense of finding out just what exactly it was that killed her is going to have an enormous negative and lasting impact on the reputation of the drug. It doesn't matter who you are or what motivates you, if the spokesperson for a supplement you're taking drops dead and no one can figure out why, my guess is that most people are going to toss whats left in the bottle and not get a refill. the next few days will be crucial to TrimSpa as more autopsy results unveil themselves, and at this point i think its primarily up to TrimSpa to get as much honest and accurate information as possible in order to somehow save themselves.

Gotta talk Boston

Considering this blog is meant to discuss PR crisis control, my purpose would be far from met if I did not touch on the recent Boston/Aqua Teen Hunger Force incident. First off, I think its definitely necessary to note the absurdness of the entire scenario. Before I had time to do any formal research on the matter myself, I heard about the events through the grapevine and initially I thought those passing me the info had sampled a few too many fermented grapes. Simply, the idea that a public is that on edge; so afraid of being attacked by terrorists that light-bright cartoon characters are automatically assumed to be terrorist bombs... for lack of sufficient adjectives, blows my mind. The argument can of course be made that many people have never seen, or even heard of the show and unknown flashing characters placed in random locations around a city could be perceived as slight to moderately suspicious. What I don't get, however, is how it takes a bomb squad, terrified people, blocked roads and backed up traffic to realize "Oh, its a light-bright. This must just be a promotion for an adult cartoon show, not a series of colorful, flashing, battery operated bombs." By now the story has clearly become nation-wide news, just type "Boston bomb scare" or "Boston terror plot" in Google and you'll find more information about it and points of view than one could ever possibly desire to know. So my word? Well, from a marketing standpoint things could not have gone better for the alleged perpetrators, although Boston Mayor Thomas Menino apparently disagrees claiming it was an "outrageous stunt" and the product of "corporate greed." So whether you choose to call it a stunt, bomb plot, hoax, or a promotional technique...it worked.

Day 1: my motivation

To introduce myself, I should start by saying Hi! My name is Aubree and I am currently enrolled at Ithaca College as an integrated marketing communications major, spanish minor. Although my current and rigorous academic schedule of classes may suggest otherwise, my future occupational career does not necessarily lie strictly within the realms IMC or spanish, as I am infatuated with literally every aspect of the communications/media world. In fact, my strides toward this degree simply mean that to me IMC is the most satisfying combination package of communications and media practices to be found in the way of communication degree majors. For my blog I have chosen to focus, discuss and expand on one aspect of IMC; PR crisis. At this current point in time, I am no PR wizard, nor do I have any real extensive knowledge of the practices. I do feel, however, that public relations crisis management is one of the most crucial factors in the business and communications world today, and for that reason it is in my opinion entirely necessary for me to learn the tricks of the trade, as well as to digest that information and redistribute my ideas and opinions back to you, my lovely viewing audience.