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.
