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Look For the Helpers: Anticipate Both the Good and the Bad News When Handling a Crisis

Monday, May 13th, 2013

By Scott Sobel, MA, Media Psychology; President, Media & Communications Strategies. This post originally appeared here on Bulldog Reporter.

 

As a society, as a nation, we are now decompressing from the horrific events and outcomes surrounding the Boston Marathon bombing and the chemical explosion in West, Texas. As public relations practitioners who have to prepare for all kinds and degrees of crisis events, we need to take accounting of how those events were handled or mishandled by first responders, police, medical teams, political spokespersons, the news media and us.

 

The good news is that by and large the PR people and spokespersons who I witnessed did a laudable job of being as even-handed as possible, attempting not to speculate and looked for calming information that attempted to keep the public from panic. The more experienced and responsible journalists did the same in the face of the constant live reporting which showcases the best in journalism and also put a spotlight on the very worst reportage.

 

The ironic bad news is that we are collectively getting better at handling these kinds of terrorism or mass disasters because unfortunately it appears we have had to weather more of these incidents or, at least, have had more of these incidents reported 24/7 by the ubiquitous media, both mainstream and social. We are now becoming practiced at dealing with disaster.

 

Observation. Almost immediately after both tragedies erupted we would hear facts and warnings from official spokespersons and then we would hear, e.g., – from a Boston Celtics spokesperson, “Our Celtics family and our fans join all Bostonians in demonstrating our city’s great strength by coming together to stand as one to get through this difficult time,” or, from a West, Texas first responder, “Everybody knows everybody. We know people who didn’t make it, so we are all here for each other.”

 

It is commonsense to look for that silver lining in the face of chaos and danger but PR professionals need to make sure the silver lining comments and strategies are planned for proactively and not ad hoc and reactively. If you do fashion a silver lining plan, it should not be created as an afterthought but as an integral part of the news and healing process. We all need to know that there is order and potential good outcomes to help us balance our emotions and reactions. The silver lining plan is good and essential PR.

 

Again, balancing the bad with the good is needed, not a PR luxury, especially doing a service for families and young people who need to know there is order out of chaos. It is our responsibility as communications professionals to build on the good societal and personal frameworks so we can weather the inevitable bad, or what some describe as evil events. There is additionally an expectation of balanced communications from our clients and stakeholders. For more of a structured psychological perspective, consider the following comments soon after the Boston Bombing from Touro University Worldwide’s Media Psychologist Darlene Mininni, PhD.:

The Boston Bombing: The Media & What Kids Need To Know

 

The round-the-clock media coverage of the events in Boston is understandable. Our anxious minds find something soothing about information—even if the news is scary—because we want desperately to understand what’s happening. We want to know that everything will be okay. We want to know the bad guys have been caught.

 

At the same time, the media’s relentless analysis can give the impression— particularly to children—that the world is a terrible and frightening place, and we are all just one-step away from harm when we walk out our front door.

 

For that reason, it’s important for us to highlight the positive aspects of this story as well. Not in a Pollyanna-way that suggests everything is fine, but in a real way. It’s necessary to talk about the people who have opened their homes to others, sent food to first responders and provided an outpouring of support and kindness to those in need.

 

A popular post on Facebook this week is a quote from the beloved children’s television host Mr. Rogers:

When I was a boy, and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’

My daughter was 3-1/2 when two planes deliberately crashed into the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers in New York City. It was a devastating experience that traumatized our country. As a former New Yorker, I was deeply affected by the horrible images I saw of my hometown.

 

I thought long and hard about how to explain this event my preschool-age daughter in a way that her young mind could grasp. I worried that the way I described the events would influence her view of the world. I finally told her, “A few people did a bad thing and hit the buildings with their planes. And now thousands of people are helping to make it better.”

 

I hoped that explanation would ease her into the realities of life. Yes, sometimes bad things happen. Really bad. But there’s also good in the world. A lot of good.

What to tell your children about these events will differ depending on their age:

  • Young children should be shielded from violent or graphic imagery on television and the Internet. They need to know that they are safe, secure and protected by the adults around them.
  • Older children might have questions about the event and why it happened. Answer their questions and explain the details without getting overly sensational or frightening.

 

And keep in mind that we adults can be easily overwhelmed by the constant barrage of news, too. For me, as I follow the media’s coverage, I am reminded that terrible things happen in life. I grieve for the families and the community affected.

 

And then I think about the courage, bravery and kindness of the people who helped. I think about the good in this story because it’s always there.

 

As Dr. Mininni underlines, we all have a need to know what is happening surrounding these tragedies, and I submit, we have the same need to know about all kinds of news that generally has a negative component with conflict between the bad and good aspects of the storyline.

 

The need to know is, of course, the primary driver in our communications business, period. We have to be prepared to accurately tell all parts of any story and not overlook the good news because some might think it is “soft.” The silver lining component of crisis PR is a legitimate part of the story when told as part of the overall narrative context and when properly prioritized. I am not advocating having an opening statement that emphasize good news when a bad news story is breaking but there is no reason at all not to end that kind of statement with a silver lining comment. Look and plan for the hope element…look for the helpers.

 

Scott Sobel is president of Media & Communications Strategies, Inc., a Washington, DC-based public relations firm that manages reputation and communications challenges of all kinds worldwide. www.macstrategies.com. He is also a former corporate public relations practitioner and major market and TV network investigative journalist with a Media Psychology MA from Touro University Worldwide www.TUW.edu.

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ABC.com Asks Media & Communication Strategies About the Art of the Apology

Friday, April 5th, 2013

Mark Sanford, former governor and Congressman from South Carolina, is running for a return to the House of Representatives. ABC.com contacted Scott Sobel, president of Media & Communication Strategies, for comment.

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Best Public Relations and Branding for the New Pope — Part Two

Monday, March 25th, 2013

By Scott Sobel, MA, Media Psychology; President, Media & Communications Strategies

This is Part Two of Scott’s PR and branding analysis of Pope Francis’ ascension for Bulldog Reporter. See Part One here.

Everyone knows the Catholic Church is laboring through a sensitive time of crisis of faith and credibility right now following priest sex scandals and questions by its flock about the church’s political and social dogma. Let’s put aside who or what chose Pope Francis and take away additional branding and PR lessons from what he has done and is doing, at least from what we see publically:

Walk the walk and don’t just talk the talk. Pope Francis decided to choose his new name that set a tone for his brand and the church’s rebranding of serving the poor and at the same time he dropped the ornate garments of his predecessor and rode on a bus with fellow priests to his public appointments.

The Pontiff didn’t just choose a symbolic name but immediately created credibility in his brand by taking action that said, hey I mean what I say, believe me, believe I will take the church (my organization) in this direction. It’s like the new CEO of a food manufacturer with a product contamination problem saying, “My company problems are being fixed, our foods are now safe,” and then publically taking a bite out of his company’s hot dogs.

The buck stops here. Pope Francis has not only been seen and heard from a high balcony at the Vatican, removed from his public, he has been making statements to reporters, seen with his flock and photographed petting a blind guest’s guide dog. The previous Pope almost always spoke from script while Pope Francis has been speaking off-the-cuff, no script, speaking from the heart.

He is connecting and relating to the common man, that congregation, that target audience, he has spoken to from the minute he was named pope, taking advantage of his newness when there is so much scrutiny of every single moment of his public life.

Who do you trust? As human beings we process and decide in the very first few seconds of meeting each other whether we like and trust whom we have met. Those first impressions are incredibly powerful for us, especially if we are meeting a new leader who can make, in some cases, life-changing decisions. Pope Francis apparently understands this dynamic.

We all pay attention to change. Change and the recognition of something new that can help or hurt us is a primal human reaction. The new pope looks like he understands this focus we have and is playing to that focus. Some leaders actually manufacture change and designate a “new” direction in order to take advantage of our interest in something new. Remember President Roosevelt’s “New Deal” and JFK’s “New Frontier.”

And, by the way, Pope Francis is indeed the first pontiff from the New World.

Unified message and playing to your strength. A time of crisis is also an opportunity for leveraging new perception and growing business because of a sharp focus on what a new leader does … how he/she handles a crisis. Churches and all entities always do better when there is reasonable transparency and correction after a crisis is reveals as opposed to cover-ups.

Pope Francis is playing to the universal positive perception of what a church can and should do for its congregation, it primary audience, during good times or during a time of crisis. The new pontiff is playing to the church’s strength, which is to be charitable, supportive and forgiving. He is cutting through the clutter of all the negative perceptions and realities and zeroing in on who he is and has been and how he wants his church to be known.

Pope Francis is very effectively setting an example of leadership, credibility and action. He is choosing a branding position of strength, an unquestionable position that will mitigate problems and set a tone for future success. His challenge, and the challenge for managing all successful organizations, is the difficulty of consistency. Leaders must stick to their initial mission statements and keep doing what they promised to do or risk being seen as hypocritical which plunges their organizations into even worse positions. Let’s all hope the Pope keeps his promises and sets examples for all kinds of leaders who struggle with resurrecting their respective brands in their respective businesses, whether they are fishing for the souls of men or trying to improve sales and providing redemption for stockholders.

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Public Relations: A Value Proposition

Friday, February 8th, 2013

By Joy Scott, MBA, President Scott Public Relations. Read the original article here.

What is the value of PR? This question comes up often in today’s resource-conscious environment, especially for industries ranging from insurance PR and technology PR to healthcare PR. Below are some key ways PR will bring value to your healthcare, insurance or technology company:

• PR communications have more weight than marketing and sales communications. These communications are told within the context of our industry and with the benefit of third-party editorial credibility. *Typically, a PR communication is valued at least 3X the impact and value of a sales and marketing communication.

• PR generates leads. By pushing quality content out to the public, a company’s search engine optimization will increase, making it easier for prospective clients or partners to find you when searching the internet. This in turn drives people to your website and/or educational materials or to read an article about your company.

• PR supports sales. It creates awareness and credibility of that company which paves the way for a positive reception to sales messages. And, it gives the sales force numerous articles and “did you know” items that they can use as touch-points with customers. Without a PR program in place, the sales force would have the extra burden of education, reputation building, and communication that is very hard for sales to accomplish alone.

• PR is one of the few ways you can communicate directly with senior executives in customer companies. This becomes increasingly more important as your company continues to grow in size and scope.

• PR communicates the distinct competencies of your service lines, which in turn supports your value proposition.

• PR tells the corporate growth story, which is important to customers, investors, and acquisition partners.

• PR builds positive “share of discussion,” which research has proven to correlate to share of market.

• PR helps to define your message, and makes it real with examples, case studies and stories that customers can relate to and believe in, providing that important step between hearing a marketing or sales message and understanding that your company’s services and products really do solve problems for “people like me.”

• PR creates unique, brand-building programs that set your company apart.

• PR gives consistency to the messaging in a variety of venues and channels.

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Ray of Hope for Redemption: How Did Pro Football Legend Ray Lewis Bounce Back from a Murder Rap?

Friday, February 1st, 2013

Media & Communications Strategies President Scott Sobel was again featured in Bulldog Reporter’s Daily ‘Dog.

Ray Lewis — a public relations phenomenon and enigma. A motivator and defensive genius both on and off the field. Now he is being accused of using deer antler spray as a performance-enhancing drug to repair a torn triceps. What? He deflects that charge as adeptly as he avoids the resurrected accusations about an old double murder charge. Ray accuses the accusers and pretty much says that any reporter asking questions about the homicide is a tool of the Devil.

The National Football League is on Ray Lewis’ team — big time! Sponsors can’t get enough of his face painted with anti-glare black and his war dance before he runs out on the field. He is an ad commercial machine, an iconic sports figure either snarling at opposing quarterbacks or being cast as a caring celebrity taking questions from a kid surrounded by inept sports reporters at a faux news conference (sound familiar? Maybe those damned inept reporters really ARE pawns of Satan).

“Ray Ray” is a shining star for his Baltimore Ravens, the NFL, youth football, religious commitment and sportswear. When he retires after the 2013 Super Bowl he is staring at the lucrative world of a role model and moneymaker, just waiting for his shoe-in selection as a Pro Football Hall of Fame middle linebacker.

In 2000 Ray Lewis was staring at a very, very different narrative — double murder and aggravated assault charges, serious prison time and the bleakest of futures after a lethal Atlanta nightclub brawl. Realistically, the only autographs Ray was signing then were his signatures on court documents and on checks for legal fees.

But, Ray beat his initial charges, pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice and made a deal to testify against two co-defendants. No one was ever convicted of the murders and the cases are still officially unsolved. Ray paid the NFL $250,000 for breaking the league’s ethics rules. Millions of dollars were reportedly paid to settle the civil suits of the victims’ families.

In a Baltimore Sun interview published most recently by USA Today, Lewis is quoted as saying about the incident: “I’m telling you, no day leaves this Earth without me asking God to ease the pain of anybody who was affected by that whole ordeal.” he said. “He’s a God who tests people — not that he put me in that situation, because he didn’t make me go nowhere. I put myself in that situation.” In debate that is a straw man tactic — deflecting an accusation by pointing to another, but not comparative, target. Rays Lewis handles this technique as easily as he shunts blockers.

Lewis’ legal and moral dilemmas have and are working themselves out but how in the world did he and his advisors fashion a personal and professional reputation redemption campaign of Biblical proportions? What has he done to pull off one of PR’s biggest turnarounds?

In this case, Lewis’ apologies in 2000 were not as free-wheeling nor as immediate as the latest I’m sorry scripts followed by celebrities caught more recently in various indiscretions. Remember, Lewis was caught up in court proceedings for months until he cut a deal with prosecutors and then still had probation and testifying to consider, along with his football issues.

1) What he did was put his head down for a period of time publicly and kept putting his head consistently into opponent’s bodies where the concussive impact yielded more tackles, fumbles and interceptions than almost anyone else playing the game. Lewis was selected to 13 Pro Bowls — he has been a spectacular football player.

His athletic success was then coupled with a path of redemption in his personal life.

2) Lewis never crossed the law again, deer antler spray TBD.

3) He won the admiration and support of coaches, players and others in his field of professional and personal endeavor — for his supporters he is THE example of religious zeal, a motivator of peers and young athletes.

4) Other athletes and objective individuals comment consistently about how Ray is not only very giving with his time to others but also is surrounded by his own family, his own children, to the extent that he seems to have a bullet-proof reputation. Remember, just a few days ago another NFL player’s wife attacked Lewis’ position as a role model citing Lewis’ previous involvement in the murders and his fathering of multiple children outside of wedlock. That attack ended with an almost immediate apology by the attacker (how did that cheetah quick about-face happen? Who pressured whom there? Another lessons-learned story, if behind-the-scenes details are ever uncovered).

5) Ray has been increasingly applauded by other professional associations and especially the NFL.

6) Lewis has taken responsibility for his previous mistakes of associating with the wrong people and not reacting correctly after being caught (he was convicted of the obstruction of justice misdemeanor, after all).

7) The straw-man tactic has been working — question Ray and you are questioning The Lord at the behest of Beelzebub.

8) Lewis is no longer consistently questioned by follow-the-pack news media because he has such an accumulated track record of success and his total persona can’t be easily defined – reporters like clear-cut heroes and villains.

Why are the NFL and many journalists and sponsors not only giving Ray a pass but are actually going in the opposite direction by putting him on a pedestal? Could these entities really want to show that sincere contrition and associated actions should be rewarded? Maybe, but I’ll be more cynical.

Here are a few more ideas and educated guesses about why Ray has done so well through his relations with his publics. Authorities did not continue to prosecute Ray and once their deal was cut, prosecutors stopped public chatter — he got out of that spotlight, and fast. The NFL and sponsors have somehow taken the temperature of the paying public over the years (focus groups, private polls, media audience reaction?) and as Ray performed well on and off the playing field, his public acceptance began to reach positive levels and now has skyrocketed to the heights. This was a gradual process. We see other repentant celebrities try to short circuit their path to redemption by lightening fast apologies which are not backed up by sincere changes in their lives.

Other celebrities of all demographic persuasions have not done nearly as well simply because what they said and what they did were not as believable as Ray Lewis’ formula. Tiger and Lance take note. Ray connected with our sense of our own fallibility and we, the public, judged him to be sincere and forgave him.

Of course, most reporters don’t want to gadfly too much because they live and die through their access to Ray and to his supporters, not the least of which is the NFL.

Quick PR fixes may yield limited results, depending on the severity of the transgression, but there is nothing that pays off like demonstrative actions and sincerity over a reasonable period of time when you can show you are walking the walk and not just talking the talk.

As Crisis PR practitioners and Reputation Management counselors, I recommend we look closely at Ray Lewis’ story and decide thoughtfully what to advise our clients and, maybe more importantly, what is the short -term, mid-term and long-term time frames for pulling the trigger on processes that will yield redemptive success. Of course, Ray’s story and situation may be the perfect storm mixture of actions and reactions that have taken him to where he is now. Still, his scenario is worth a harder look as we counsel our clients about how to be prudent and patient when considering PR or, in this case, Public Raylations.

Scott Sobel is president of Media & Communications Strategies, Inc., a Washington, DC-based public relations firm that manages reputation and communications challenges of all kinds worldwide. www.macstrategies.com. He is also a former corporate public relations practitioner and major market and TV network investigative journalist with a Media Psychology MA from Touro University Worldwide.

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Scott Sobel Offers PR Lessons Learned from the Initial Secrecy Surrounding Hillary Clinton’s Medical Condition

Thursday, January 3rd, 2013

Scott Sobel, President, Media & Communications Strategies, Inc. had the opportunity to share his thoughts about the PR lessons that can be learned from Hillary Clinton’s recent illness. His piece can be seen in Bulldog Reporter, the leading source of PR views, news and tools. Scott is a former corporate public relations practitioner and major market and TV network investigative journalist with a Media Psychology MA from Touro University Worldwide.

The text of the full story is below. You can also read it online HERE.

Initial Secrecy Surrounding Hillary Clinton’s Medical Condition Holds PR Lessons for Practitioners and Journalists, Bulldog Reporter

By Scott Sobel, MA, Media Psychology; President, Media & Communications Strategies

January 2, 2013

 

I just fielded a call from a frustrated State Department beat reporter at a major news services about government spokespersons not immediately releasing every bit of information concerning Secretary Clinton’s medical condition. The call to me for comment came a few hours before a clear announcement that Clinton would fully recover from a blood clot in her head. The reporter wondered why the government was apparently holding back? The conversation with the beat reporter carries media relations lessons for both reporters and those of us who are spokespersons.

 

The reporter’s job, of course, is to press hard for every bit of information and the reporter had the sense “State” was holding back. The implication was the spokespersons for Mrs. Clinton were doing the public a disservice. I disagreed.

 

I explained to the reporter that the government spokespersons were actually doing a responsible job by not succumbing to pressure and feeding speculative fires. Once the reporter heard what I believed were reasonable actions on the part of the spokespersons, the reporter calmed down and took a more balanced approach to the story. The overriding lesson here are 1) that a PR practitioner who calmly and logically explains reasons for actions and 2) understands a journalist’s needs 3) avoids conflict, 4) reduces the likelihood of a negative story and 5) builds credibility and a positive relationship.

 

Here’s a summation of my interview with the reporter:

 

All the stakeholders including journalists and the general public need to take a look at the reports about Mrs. Clinton’s condition through the eyes of others. It’s understood that reporters need to fill their news hole and, of course, break stories but consider what hangs in the balance.

 

The Secretary’s health and ability to represent the US and lead State have incredibly important implications and it is not at all irresponsible for spokespersons to be cautious initially and not completely transparent about her condition. Of course, Mrs. Clinton could also be a future Presidential candidate! You don’t want to make a communication mistake based on a premature statement that could impact any of those factors.

 

I further explained to the reporter that spokespersons absolutely do need to tell the truth as they know it and not mislead. It is much better to say, for instance, “we can’t answer some specific questions now because doctors are in the investigation and treatment phase,” as opposed to misdirection or an outright lie which will undermine the credibility of State and indeed the US government when final facts eventually are revealed. Look what happened at Benghazi … a very, very apt comparison in this case.

 

So what is acceptable? I thought any of the following statements were legitimate and should satisfy a reporter’s needs unless Mrs. Clinton was actually in grave jeopardy (which, as it turns out, she reportedly isn’t). Spokespersons can say that Clinton is getting the best medical care and, rather than fueling speculation, “we will report more specifics about her condition when we can. As for now, Mrs. Clinton, is recovering, doctors are investigating further and the duties of State are not in jeopardy as there is a system in place that deals with all contingencies (including staff illness) and decision-making.”

 

A government spokesperson should add information about all of the support sent to Mrs. Clinton from her famous family, colleagues and even heads of state. It is always good to personalize the folks or organization you represent.

 

A polite reminder to the journalist – the speculation surrounding Mrs. Clinton’s condition or the condition of anyone who is a leader does have cascading implications and must be handled very carefully and honestly. Think about the drama and results that surrounded the illness and eventual death of Apple CEO Steve Jobs.

 

Speculation about Jobs health affected stock, employee morale, competitors’ actions, consumer reaction to the Apple product and more. I asked the reporter to consider how Mrs. Clinton’s health correspondingly affects US reputation, foreign policy and international business despite her imminent resignation from her post.

 

Final thoughts. Relationship building and conversation between a PR practitioner and beat journalists before there are emergencies are great investments and will undoubtedly result in better coverage for you and your stakeholders. Getting to know the reporters and letting them know about your concerns and humanizing you and your job will definitely pay dividends.

 

 

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Scott Sobel, President of Media & Communications Strategies, Comments on the Public’s Reaction to Hillary Clinton’s Health Issues

Wednesday, January 2nd, 2013

What is privacy these days to a public figure? Gone are the days when these individuals could keep their physical ailments under rap. It is amazing to think there was a time when public figures such as President Franklin D. Roosevelt could even hide the fact he was in a wheelchair. True, in almost all photographs he is seen sitting, but he is in a chair to give the illusion that his polio poliomyelitis was less than it was. In today’s world, these photographic tricks don’t work the way they used to and individuals such as Hillary Clinton find their medical problems on Wikipedia before they have even had a chance to call all their loved ones.

Scott Sobel, President of Media & Communications Strategies, recently was interviewed by Nicole Gaouette of Bloomberg to comment on a story about the media and public reaction to Hillary Clinton’s recent hospitalization. An excerpt of the story with Sobel’s comments can be read below:

Clinton Expected to Make Full Recovery from Blood Clot, Bloomberg
January 2, 2012

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was found to have a blood clot in a vein that runs between her brain and her skull, her doctors said today in a statement. Clinton has suffered no neurological damage or stroke, is in good spirits and is expected to make a full recovery, Dr. Lisa Bardack of the Mt. Kisco Medical Group and Dr. Gigi El- Bayoumi of George Washington University said in the statement released by the State Department.

Clinton’s hospitalization in New York City yesterday fueled rumors about her health, highlighting the issues raised by a public figure’s private health challenges. The secretary, named yesterday as the most admired woman in the U.S. in a poll by Gallup Inc., has been called a potential 2016 presidential candidate, heightening scrutiny of her condition.

“Her situation has remarkable, complex implications for politics and business around the world, and the process of government in the United States,” said Scott Sobel, president of Media & Communications Strategies based in Washington. “Her immediate and long-term condition is really important for a number of stakeholders, even — and it’s a very, very long list — of other countries.”

An administration official who has been monitoring Clinton’s progress said that at no point has she been incapacitated. The period when Clinton was least able to work was when she had the stomach virus, according to the official, who asked not to be identified discussing her health.

Throughout, Clinton has been keeping in regular touch with senior leadership at the State Department and the White House, according to the department.

The absence of detailed information on her condition until the latest report from Clinton’s physicians left an information vacuum. Speculation filled media from the Daily Beast website to the tabloid National Enquirer, whose cover screamed “Hillary Clinton Brain Cancer Drama!” Assistant Secretary of State Philippe Reines called the Enquirer report “absolute nonsense.”

The administration official said Clinton’s media team has tried to be forthright, issuing seven statements in the three and a half weeks the secretary has been ill, every time there has been a shift in her condition. The continued rumors might be driven in part by the intense public and media interest in Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, the official said. There are times when anything the Clintons do creates a rabid media environment, the official said.

Crisis management experts such as Sobel see no problem in the way Clinton’s team has responded. Sobel points to “everybody’s hunger to find out what’s going on, especially the media. They’ve got to fill that news hole.”

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PR Disasters: A Year in Review and What Could Have Been Done

Thursday, December 13th, 2012

 

Business Insider recently published an article about the biggest PR Disasters of 2012, which left a lot of us wondering – What could have been done differently? The first, and obvious answer, is that the companies involved in these scandals would go back and retract their actions completely, yet in some cases, there were ways to contain or solve a problem before disaster struck.

 

One of the examples that the Business Insider article highlighted was retailers that chased in by offering specials during Hurricane Sandy. American Apparel offered a 20 percent off sale to customers if they typed “SANDYSALE” in the online checkout, stating that they created the sale “in case you’re bored during the storm.” Gap issued a similar sale tweet, but later apologized to customers after they took to Twitter. What both companies should have done is turned the online sales into an opportunity to help Hurricane Sandy Victims. Instead of saying “in case you’re bored,” a great PR strategy would have been to say:

 

Safe at home? Help those who aren’t. Enjoy our online sale today where a percentage of your purchase will go to help those in need.


This would increase sale volume but also show the corporation’s desire to help those in need.

 

An example of a company that actually did help those in need was Rusty’s Auto Salvage. They provided car owners affected by Hurricane Sandy the chance to recover maximum value for their cars. Car owners that were looking to salvage their cars could contact Rusty’s in order for a tow truck to come to the car owner’s location and then tow away the damaged car.  In addition to giving owners much needed money for their vehicles, Rusty’s Auto Salvage also set up a program where it donated money to Hurricane Sandy relief for each damaged car it purchased.

 

Another recent scandal was the George Washington University’s (GWU) admission to the inflation of grades of incoming freshman, which subsequently led to their removal as being ranked on the U.S. News & World Report’s annual best universities. According to a Huffington Post article, President Knapp of GWU stated “We were surprised by the decision of U.S. News to remove George Washington’s numerical ranking rather than to correct it in light of our disclosure. U.S. News data about GW is still available on the U.S. News website. We regret the error and have put safeguards in place to prevent such errors from occurring in the future.”

 

What would we have advised President Knapp to do? Apologize immediately, remove anyone who was involved in inflating the data, and offer to hire a team to reassess admissions data immediately. Reassessing the data could have helped GWU; they would most likely be lowered on U.S. News & World Report’s ranking, but not completely removed. Instead, GWU only said they were going to take measures to prevent something like this from happening this in the future. This may offer some comfort to future applicants, but it doesn’t change the fact that GWU now has a senior class heading into a precarious job market from an unranked university and hundreds of thousands of angry alumni who want to understand why their alma mater is being trashed in the press.  GW should be doing everything they can do to point to the successes of their alumni, while simultaneously focusing on future potential applicants. After all, it was Confucius who said “Study the past if you would define the future.”

 

Wishing everyone a happy and disaster-free 2013.

 

 

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Excerpts from US News and World Report Story about Petraeus Scandal

Monday, November 26th, 2012

 

Jill Kelley Retains High Profile Crisis Manager, Despite Reportedly Being in Debt

By Elizabeth Flock

November 21, 2012

The scandal that began on Nov. 9 after CIA Director David Petraeus admitted an extramarital affair with his biographer continues to unfold this week, as those involved retain powerful lawyers, crisis managers and other experts needed to fix their potentially damaged reputations.

Among the most intriguing personalities of those involved appears to be Jill Kelley, the socialite and unpaid social liaison to MacDill Air Force Base whose E-Mails with Gen. John Allen may threaten his career. It was Kelley’s complaint to the FBI about threatening E-Mails from Petraeus’s biographer, Paula Broadwell, that kicked off the investigation.

Kelley reportedly lives a lavish lifestyle in Tampa, Fla., yet is deeply in debt. USA Today reports that she faces a number of lawsuits for credit card debts and foreclosures, many of which remain unresolved. E-Mails obtained by ABC News suggest Kelley may have tried to make up some of that debt, having eagerly tried to secure a multi-billion dollar Korean business deal earlier this year. The deal never went through.

Yet Kelley has just hired Abbe D. Lowell, a prominent Washington white-collar defense lawyer, the same lawyer who defended former North Carolina Senator John Edwards during his own extramarital scandal.

But it is unclear how Kelley could afford both Lowell and Smith, a crisis manager. Regions Bank reportedly brought a $1.8 million foreclosure lawsuit against Kelley and her husband in 2010, the same year Bank of America sued them.

Scott Sobel, president of the public relations and crisis management firm Media and Communications Strategies, suggests a possibility for how Kelly is able to afford both services. Sobel says lawyers and crisis managers known for this kind of work often work out a special deal with the client.

“They will take these cases on contingency, or they may be countersuing, or they may take it on in the hope and realization that their profile will be increased,” he says. “It’s an advertising investment.”

Sobel also states that the information not yet revealed may end up being the most salient to the case. “It’s the proverbial ‘devil in the details,’” he says.

To read the full article, click here: http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/washington-whispers/2012/11/21/jill-kelley-retains-high-profile-crisis-manager-despite-reportedly-being-in-debt

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Posted in Brand and Reputation Management, Communications, Crisis PR, Public Relations | Comments Off

Have Social Media Platforms Become A Venue For Lying?

Friday, October 5th, 2012

How to Stay Honest In the Ever-Changing Digital World

There was a time when people had to wait days, possibly even weeks, for news to reach their doorstep; today that’s not case. The minute news breaks, it is all over the internet for anyone to see. But perhaps more alarming, is that anyone can become a journalist or editor in today’s viral world. The world of blogs and Wikipedia has allowed internet users to not only express their stories and opinions, but also for them to brand themselves as “experts”. Although the Internet has opened the door for numerous technological advances, it has also opened an even greater door for disparity and misleading news.

 

Mark Schaefer of Business Grow gave the perfect case study on this in his article last month. He writes:

 

“One of the biggest ironies of the social web is that almost any post you read will pontificate about the need for authenticity. I heard a guru guy speak about this last week. Authenticity. Authenticity. Authenticity. Yet [the guru’s] Twitter avatar photo is 10 years old. At least. His blog is covered with badges about this list or that list he is starring on. Most powerful Twitter this or that.  Some of the lists are made up by his friends. Some of them are made up by him. Most of his blog opinions are simply repeated quotes from the other gurus that he has commandeered as his own.”

 

What does this mean for us communications professionals? It means that we have to be honest and truthful regarding any information we put out on the web for clients. A report done by Trendwatch.com announced that, “With 92 per cent of global consumers saying they trust ‘earned media’ (word-of-mouth and recommendations from friends and family), above all other forms of advertising, businesses must find ways to ‘organic’ connect with consumers to be successful.” If you are wondering what earned media is, Crowd Science defines earned media, or free media, as publicity gained through non-advertising promotional efforts – so things like press releases, PR reps calling up journalists and placing stories with news outlets. Sharing your earned media on your clients’ social media pages is a great way to repurpose content and keep your viral page fresh, and it also it is beneficial in showcasing your skills as a PR professional.

 

Beyond posting new and relevant content, also make sure you are engaging with your viral followers and answering their questions. Offering fans and followers surveys is another way to find out how you can be better a resource to them and be completely transparent about areas you feel you can improve on. Anyone can label themselves an “expert,” but it is up to the individual communications professionals to be “sources” by making sure they are placing truthful content and responding to questions in a timely manner.

Posted in Communications, Crisis PR, Public Relations, Social Media, Uncategorized | Comments Off

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