Wednesday, September 30, 2015

The Pollution 'Bug' That Bit Volkswagen Threatens Carmaker's Image


Recent events had me thinking about my old ride in high school. 

As a teenager I drove an old Volkswagen Super Beetle that was painted bright red.  

I vividly remember flooring the gas peddle -- hoping to get some speed out of that machine. My all-time record, pointed down a steep hill -- with a tailwind -- was 72 mph. 

Once, pranksters rolled my car onto its roof. My Dad and I rolled it back over. There were some dings on the fenders but it started right up and I hopped in and drove away.

In the winter, we had to scrape ice off the inside of the windshield. The heater was a pipe connected to the engine. Hot air came shooting out of a small vent on the floor. After a long trip my left ankle was as red as the paint job -- but the car was still a slow rolling ice box.

That said, my old VW was the epitome of basic, cheap, transportation. If nothing else, that Volkswagen was reliable.

Reliable. 

VW's reputation for reliability has taken a hit lately. Perhaps you heard about it. On Sept. 18 the EPA revealed that Volkswagen sold 11 million diesel cars equipped with computer software that turned on a pollution control device when cars were being tested. The pollution control system turned off when cars went back to normal driving conditions.

As a result, VWs spewed out pollution that was up to 40 times higher than allowed by federal regulations.

In a report by the Washington Post Frank O’Donnell, director of Clean Air Watch, was quoted as saying, “The charges here are truly appalling ... It was cheating not just car buyers but the breathing public.”

VW could be fined up to $37,500 for each car that violated federal pollution rules and that could add up to $18 billion. The company says it has set aside more than $7 billion to pay for damages and anticipated car repairs.

However, the real cost could go much higher. Volkswagen's reliable reputation is in danger of being shredded. Undoubtedly, millions of the company's customers purchased vehicles based on the phony pollution figures. And they can't be very happy.

Ironically, Volkswagen is German for "The People's Car."

Wall Street isn't happy either. According to Fortune.com shares of Volkswagen stock dropped from around $160 to $110 in the three trading days following the EPA's announcement. On Sept. 30 VW closed at $103 per share. Ouch. In May, Forbes listed the Volkswagen Group as the world's 14th largest company with $425 billion in assets and sales of $268 billion. Those numbers have no doubt fallen dramatically.

A VW dealer in Woodlands, Texas told NBC News he sold 13 cars on the Saturday after the scandal broke and only one vehicle on the following Tuesday. 

Media reports say dozens of lawsuits have been filed and more are likely. VW has had to stop selling the cars in question. Officials in Germany have launched an investigation.

So what is Volkswagen doing to restore the public's confidence? Good question. The company has fired CEO Martin Winterkorn who has said he doesn't know how this happened. 

A video posted on Volkswagen's website includes an apology from Michael Horn, President and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America. 



Horn says in part, "While we are still gathering all the facts it's clear that our company betrayed the trust of you, our customers, our employees, our dealers and the public." Horn goes on to say that VW is cooperating with regulators to determine a course of action and that customers will be notified when a fix is available.

Volkswagen has also set up a customer service hotline to answer questions. It's 1 (800) 822-8987. The question I think should be answered is 'How did this happen?'

I always tell people that a key tenet of effective public relations is to "do good." In other words, it's best to do the right thing from the start. Failing that, a key tenet of crisis management is to make things right as soon as humanly possible. As I write, it's been 12 days since the VW scandal erupted.

How is it possible that a company of this stature was able and willing to cheat its customers? VW officials need to come clean. And the sooner the better.

An old VW ad campaign you probably remember featured the tagline, "On the road of life there are passengers and there are drivers. Drivers Wanted." 

What's wanted -- and needed now -- is the truth.

Otherwise, when it comes to VW's reputation, instead of "Fahrvergnügen" you can Fuhgeddaboutit.

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Mighty Mouse Storms Gotham (How a Little Rat Became the Big Cheese)

One of the constant themes I look for when it comes to media relations involves taking lemons and turning them into lemonade. Some organizations have a knack for putting a positive spin on events that could be viewed in a negative light. Other organizations miss some golden opportunities.

Case in point, New York City.

If you spend much time on social media you’ve probably heard about the latest Internet sensation: The New York City Rat. This determined rodent was videotaped dragging an enormous slice of cheese pizza down the steps of the 1st Avenue subway station.

A Youtube clip was posted on September 21, 2015 by a comedian named Matt Little.


New York is no stranger to rats. But this particular rat and his "can do" spirit touched a nerve. Over night “Pizza Rat” became an international celebrity. Within 24 hours the video generated more than 1.6 million views on YouTube.

Pizza Rat exploded in the national press. Time, The New Yorker, BuzzFeed and The Today Show are just a few of the outlets running with this story.
Inc.com has a story up: 6 Things You’ll Learn About Success From #PizzaRat .
Twitter is alive with #PizzaRat comments:




Somewhere in Manhattan, a pizza shop (probably hundreds of them) is claiming to be the maker of Pizza Rat’s favorite snack food.

So what is New York City doing to take advantage of the #PizzaRat craze? Apparently, not much. 

Not a word from the official New York City social media outlets. Mayor Bill de Blasio hasn't commented on his Facebook page or on his Twitter feed or on his Instagram account. The mayor's latest posts concern solar power -- certainly a worthwhile issue -- but it doesn't have the pizzazz of the Pizza Rat story.

In fairness, I realize the Pope is coming to town, and everybody is probably pretty busy with that. But no matter what's going on, you need to be quick on your feet when a public relations opportunity opens up.

I know, I know: rats carry disease and are a potential health hazard. According to WikipediA there are approximately two million rats roaming the streets of New York City. And I will guess the city's top brass doesn't want to call attention to it. 

Then again, it's no secret that rats are part of life in the city. And this is an opportunity for the Big Apple to have a little fun.

How would you handle this one? Perhaps you could use #PizzaRat to promote the irresistible dining opportunities in Manhattan? Mass Transit? How about New York's wild life?