tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61309681654579295542024-03-14T02:17:32.297-04:00Are We Having Fun Yet?A witty and insightful look at public relations, media relations, communications, reputation management, crisis management, public affairs, current events, media, video, the art of writing and the state of the universe.Are We Having Fun Yet?http://www.blogger.com/profile/17983346146449079499noreply@blogger.comBlogger73125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130968165457929554.post-15687666045207221402015-09-30T13:04:00.000-04:002015-09-30T13:05:56.530-04:00The Pollution 'Bug' That Bit Volkswagen Threatens Carmaker's Image<!--[if !mso]>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">Recent events had me thinking about
my old ride in high school. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPMQTjeKOewbJmF1_NQPzllgvlKJnaoroiWdnEnvmCZT-UcrbPebAC5wzwr8B9qT9LNPmJhuI7UmGFcAnZ_vtLL1iSUO7Nt5T-H3dDuNpA5ose6UbNlHDLP2o9OnPjXnWVfdfNJMC-efiI/s1600/VWLogo20150928.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPMQTjeKOewbJmF1_NQPzllgvlKJnaoroiWdnEnvmCZT-UcrbPebAC5wzwr8B9qT9LNPmJhuI7UmGFcAnZ_vtLL1iSUO7Nt5T-H3dDuNpA5ose6UbNlHDLP2o9OnPjXnWVfdfNJMC-efiI/s400/VWLogo20150928.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">As a teenager I drove an old Volkswagen Super
Beetle that was painted bright red. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">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. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 19px;">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.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">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.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">That said, my old VW was the
epitome of basic, cheap, transportation. If nothing else, that Volkswagen was
reliable.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">Reliable. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">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.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">As a result, VWs spewed out
pollution that was up to 40 times higher than allowed by federal regulations.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 19px;">In a report by the Washington Post </span><span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">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.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">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.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">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.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 19px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 19px;">Ironically, Volkswagen is German for "The People's Car."</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">Wall Street isn't happy either.
According to <a href="http://fortune.com/2015/09/23/volkswagen-stock-drop/"><span style="color: #420178;">Fortune.com</span></a> 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.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">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. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">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.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">So what is Volkswagen doing to
restore the public's confidence? Good question. The company has fired CEO
Martin Winterkorn</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;"> <span style="color: #0e0e0e;">who has said he
doesn't know how this happened. </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">A video posted on Volkswagen's <a href="http://www.vwdieselinfo.com/"><span style="color: #420178;">website</span></a>
includes an apology from Michael Horn, President and CEO of Volkswagen Group of
America. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">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.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">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?'</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">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.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">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.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">An old VW ad campaign you probably
remember featured the tagline, "</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">On the road of
life there are passengers and there are drivers. Drivers Wanted." </span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">What's wanted -- and needed now -- is
the truth.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">Otherwise, when it comes to VW's
reputation, instead of "</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">Fahrvergnügen" you can
Fuhgeddaboutit.</span></div>
Are We Having Fun Yet?http://www.blogger.com/profile/17983346146449079499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130968165457929554.post-23514274407227103312015-09-22T12:31:00.000-04:002015-09-22T13:52:40.117-04:00Mighty Mouse Storms Gotham (How a Little Rat Became the Big Cheese)<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">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.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Case in point, New York City.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">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 1<sup>st</sup>
Avenue subway station.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">A Youtube clip was posted on September 21, 2015 by a comedian named Matt Little.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">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.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">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. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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There is a new superhero roaming the streets, America: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PizzaRat?src=hash">#PizzaRat</a>. <a href="http://t.co/MZhozjahCx">http://t.co/MZhozjahCx</a> <a href="http://t.co/RncSXxkiTT">pic.twitter.com/RncSXxkiTT</a></div>
— Good Morning America (@GMA) <a href="https://twitter.com/GMA/status/646300044753133568">September 22, 2015</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
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Updated NY Power Rankings:
1) Jets
2) <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PizzaRat?src=hash">#PizzaRat</a>
3) Giants</div>
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSSports/status/646161362251464704">September 22, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><span style="font-size: large;">
Inc.com has a story up:</span> <a href="http://www.inc.com/chris-matyszczyk/6-things-you-ll-learn-about-success-from-pizzarat.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter" target="_blank"><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: KlavikaBlack, Titillium, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -1px; line-height: 46px;">6 Things You’ll Learn About Success From #PizzaRat</span> </b></a>.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Twitter is alive with #PizzaRat comments:</span><br />
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
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2016 candidates on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/pizzarat?src=hash">#pizzarat</a>:
Trump: Thief!
Hillary: Every rat deserves a slice
Rubio: It needs water
Jeb!: I smoked a rat once</div>
— Brian Ries (@moneyries) <a href="https://twitter.com/moneyries/status/646047908933013504">September 21, 2015</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pizzarat?src=hash">#Pizzarat</a> for President! <a href="http://t.co/0gZQtUvuNR">http://t.co/0gZQtUvuNR</a> <a href="http://t.co/KcY3tJ6otp">pic.twitter.com/KcY3tJ6otp</a></div>
— Nigel Chiwaya (@seenigel) <a href="https://twitter.com/seenigel/status/646039957275045888">September 21, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
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so excited my ex-boyfriend has at last found internet fame <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/pizzarat?src=hash">#pizzarat</a></div>
— Keely Flaherty (@flahertykeely) <a href="https://twitter.com/flahertykeely/status/646049494807781376">September 21, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Somewhere in Manhattan, a pizza shop (probably hundreds of
them) is claiming to be the maker of Pizza Rat’s favorite snack food.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">So what is New York City doing to take advantage of the #PizzaRat craze? Apparently, not much. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Not a word from the official New York City social media outlets. </span><span style="font-size: large;">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.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">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.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">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. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Then again, it's no secret that rats are part of life in the city. And t</span><span style="font-size: large;">his is an opportunity for the Big Apple to have a little fun.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">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? </span></div>
Are We Having Fun Yet?http://www.blogger.com/profile/17983346146449079499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130968165457929554.post-10477846715535695872013-02-06T15:58:00.000-05:002015-09-11T10:24:30.953-04:00Reputation Management Collides With Car Rental Giant<span style="font-size: large;"> Hit the brakes! Before your next trip there's something you
need to know about the car rental business. <span style="font-size: large;">An unexpected surprise may be lurking <span style="font-size: large;">i</span></span>n the fine print of your
rental agreement. <span style="font-size: large;">It cou</span>ld cost you a<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>bundle of bucks.
And it may cost at least one car rental company its reputation for being, well,
Thrifty.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> I learned the hard way. On a recent trip to Florida I flew
into West Palm Beach and rented a convertible from Thrifty. I put the <span style="font-size: large;">top</span> down
and headed for Key West. I was dreaming about snowy white beaches and fruity
blue cocktails blissfully unaware of the financial pothole I was about to
hit.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> Hurtling past the palm trees I didn't notice that toll
booths had disappeared from Florida's turnpike. Not that I missed them. You
might have heard that Florida has gone to a cashless toll system. As I
understand it, Floridians use the SunPass system -- you buy a transponder<span style="font-size: large;"> and</span> tolls are automatically deducted from your</span><span style="font-size: large;"> account</span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">.</span> </span><span style="font-size: large;">If
you<span style="font-size: large;"> don't have a transponder </span>a camera snaps a photo of your
license plate and you get billed.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span>SunPass costs $25. But it's a whole different ballgame when you rent a
car.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> The brain trust at Thrifty car rental apparently sees
cashless tolls as a <span style="font-size: large;">cash cow</span>. Thrifty charges $7.99 per day
to use it's "Pass24" system which pays the tolls for you. The maximum charge is
41.99 per week. Keep in mind you can actually buy SunPass for $25. I declined
Thrifty's toll paying service along with an offer to prepay my gas at $9.29 a
gallon. I also declined the Navigation system for $13.99 per day. Oh, and the
rental agent warned that if I returned the car early I'd pay extra. For giving
them back their car early?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> I sure missed those old toll booths a few weeks after
returning home. Turns out I racked up <span style="font-size: large;">seven</span> toll charges
<span style="font-size: large;">total<span style="font-size: large;">ing </span></span>$2. Thrifty hit me with a $15
fee for each of the tolls -- $105! That's not a typo. I was charged $1<span style="font-size: large;">0</span>5 to
collect $2 in tolls. I sure didn't feel like a valued customer. I felt like Thrifty pulled a
"gotcha". Obviously, Thrifty doesn't see this as a <span style="font-size: large;">questionable
practice </span>for a company that's staked its reputation for providing low
cost car rentals<span style="font-size: large;">.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> I called Thrifty and asked to have the charges removed. A
supervisor told me that the Pass24 option is clearly visible on Thrifty's web
site. It is -- but you have to read the fine print to find information about the
$15 per toll fee. As a courtesy, the supervisor said he'd drop the $1<span style="font-size: large;">0</span>5 in fees
if I retroactively paid for Thrifty's Pass24 service at the low, low, low weekly
price of $41.99. Just so you know, it's not just Florida. Thrifty also offers
it's Pass24 system in <span style="font-size: large;">Texas and Colorado</span>.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> Here's the kicker: According to the SunPass website almost
all other car rental agencies are charging $14.75 per month for their cashless
toll systems. That's per MONTH. Of course, you also have to pay the tolls.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"> H</span>ere's a link to the rental car rates that are posted on
the SunPass web site: <a href="https://www.sunpass.com/rentalcar">https://www.sunpass.com/rentalcar</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Writing about cars <span style="font-size: large;">had me thinking about </span></span>the old Ford TV ads<span style="font-size: large;">. They </span>featured the tag line "Quality is Job
1." Maybe it is, maybe not. But one thing many great companies have in common is the
belief that reputation management really is a top job. Good managers <span style="font-size: large;">understand</span>
that <span style="font-size: large;">when c<span style="font-size: large;">onsumers</span></span> think you're out to
get them --<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span>it's bad for business</span>.<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>That's why r</span><span style="font-size: large;">eputations matter. A ruined reputation can <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">be costly</span></span>. <span style="font-size: large;">Ask Charlie
Sheen.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> On Thrifty's web site it says "Thrifty Saves You
Money."<span style="font-size: large;"> Sounds good. But t</span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">he best way to save yourself <span style="font-size: large;">some money <span style="font-size: large;">may be to </span></span></span>rent a car from
some<span style="font-size: large;">body else</span>.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span> </span>Are We Having Fun Yet?http://www.blogger.com/profile/17983346146449079499noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130968165457929554.post-16300425829586789042011-07-20T13:35:00.000-04:002015-09-11T10:21:25.544-04:00Adaptability- Cowboy Rick's Lessons in Career Mobility <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"> What happens when an immovable object meets an irresistible force? You might end up with Cowboy Rick. You can find Cowboy Rick every night towering above the boardwalk at Ocean City, Maryland. He's not especially tall. Cowboy Rick stands above the crowd because he's perched on a milk crate. It's part of his job as a street performer. Rick dresses up as a rhinestone cowboy- painting his face, hands and feet silver. He pretends to be a statue -- standing shock-still for hours at a time.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1KE2knAPHT7s6ZeDlfwIMuLM1RDAUuhGQyyBIWZO-tsXSzyLUBVwqS-53KEDfdk_c0wAl-4jO63AoEORH7YWvWsO_t1L5Lhk3ctyQl3q5f4UHkkqsWUW-EAb_pwzd84Ubi8t31-bRoM5/s1600/thesilvercowboyforblog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1KE2knAPHT7s6ZeDlfwIMuLM1RDAUuhGQyyBIWZO-tsXSzyLUBVwqS-53KEDfdk_c0wAl-4jO63AoEORH7YWvWsO_t1L5Lhk3ctyQl3q5f4UHkkqsWUW-EAb_pwzd84Ubi8t31-bRoM5/s400/thesilvercowboyforblog.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"> It's amazing to see how many people are transfixed by Rick's act. People crowd around and gawk -- watching Rick as he does absolutely -- nothing. Some pose for photos. Small children react with shock and awe. Most people toss a spare dollar into Rick's tip jar. No question, Rick has mastered a unique talent. But what caught my attention is how Rick has literally made a career out of adopting to change.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dy4PUofHH0rWe-zHvFrF8Qzo6uE6c0Nz2-jfIFcJZu63SSbnf7x0VefqzSbQzubG7wdIqFoeiGkHw3Ps7EUEA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"> Mrs. SteveBauerMedia and I met Rick during a recent trip to the beach. We got to talking during one of his breaks. (Hard to believe you need a break from not moving at all.) For a guy who doesn't move very much, Rick gets around. Turns out he's a musician from Ohio. Years ago, Rick pushed, pulled and tugged his 300 pound piano up onto the boardwalk every night. He had one of the best spots in town but got tired of inhaling fumes from the guy who uses aerosol spray paint to create instant works of art.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"> So for a couple of years Rick paraded the boardwalk dressed up like SpongeBob Square Pants. It wasn't long before Rick got a bad case of SBB-SpongeBob Burnout. So Rick moved on and started acting like a statue. Rick says the money is pretty good -- it pays for his globe-trotting. Rick likes to travel.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"> And that led to his next career change. Have you heard that Americans are going overseas to save money on medical procedures? Rick says he met a skilled surgeon in India who performs hernia operations at a deep discount. And Rick is planning to move to India and act as a guide for out-of-towners who come for treatment working as sort of a hospital concierge.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"> You may think Rick is a screwball. And I'll admit this musician definitely marches to the beat of a different drummer. But he's not afraid to try something new. Let's face it -- some people find change a terrifying prospect. They can't get over what I call the "what ifs". What if this happens? What if that goes wrong? Whether it's a new job, a new relationship or a new community -- change can bring fear of the unknown. But it can also bring exciting opportunities.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"> No, I don't think many of us should try to be like Cowboy Rick. Who can stand still that long? I just want you to think about making changes in your life. Invent a new job. Learn to use social media. Be creative. Get out that project that never got done. Write a screenplay. Learn photography. Or you could visit Ocean City and watch Cowboy Rick round up a crowd. Rick makes a living by not moving a muscle -- but he's not afraid to move on and try whatever's next. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span id="goog_572209307"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span id="goog_572209308"></span>Life is short.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #5131bb; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"></span></span><br />
<div style="color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Check out my LinkedIn profile: </span><br />
<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/stevebauermedia" name="webProfileURL" style="color: #2187bb; text-decoration: none;" title="View public profile">http://www.linkedin.com/in/stevebauermedia</a><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Copyright 2011</span></div>
<div style="color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">all rights reserved by the author</span></div>
<div style="color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Photos courtesy: Trina Bauer Photography</span></div>
Are We Having Fun Yet?http://www.blogger.com/profile/17983346146449079499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130968165457929554.post-32543926836900198612011-07-15T11:48:00.003-04:002015-09-11T10:17:00.175-04:00Reputation Management - Act Like You're in the Big Leagues<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"> Pro baseball's Derek Jeter recently blasted his 3,000th hit. It's a noteworthy accomplishment since only 28 other players have done it. Jeter becomes the first New York Yankee to hit 3,000. And that's saying something when your predecessors include Mickey Mantle and Babe Ruth.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br class="webkit-block-placeholder" /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"> What jumps out at me isn't just Jeter's mastery of the fast ball- it's his peerless performance off the field. Mantle and the Babe were famous for their baseball exploits but those two also earned reputations as hard drinking wild men.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"> The Yankee shortstop's accomplishments are impressive. He owns five World Series rings, five Gold Gloves and is a 12 time All-Star. He earns more than $20 million a year. He's dating models and movie stars. He's got it all. You could hate him for it. But even diehard Yankee bashers admit it's hard not to like Jeter.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"> A poll by PRnewswire ranks Jeter as America's most popular sports figure. It's easy to think, "So what?", but it's also easy to lose track of all our fallen sports heros. See if you can link the name with the alleged scandal:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Athlete</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Scandal</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">1) Roger Clemens a) Murder Charges*</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">2) Kobe Bryant b) Mr. Clean</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">3) Tiger Woods c) Steroids**</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">4) OJ Simpson d) Rape Charges***</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">5) Derek Jerek e) Serial Infidelity</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Answers: 1-c, 2-d, 3-e, 4-a, 5-b </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">* Simpson was accused of murdering his wife but was acquitted.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">**Clemens is accused of lying to congressional investigators about steroid use.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">*** Bryant was accused of raping a hotel worker but the charges were later dropped. Bryant admitted to adultery and reached a settlement in civil court.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"> Jeter has maintained his reputation as Mr. Clean for years. Sure, his polished image is carefully cultivated. And it's paid off big. He's one of the most marketable sports names around and that translates into endorsements for Gatorade, Nike, Visa and many more.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"> Jeter is careful to say the right things but more importantly he does the right things. Jeter established a foundation to steer kids away from drugs. Above all- Jeter appears to be humble and truly grateful for his good fortune.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"> Want to be successful like Derek?</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Don't </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">trash talk</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">. Take the high road. You'll look better.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Lead by </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">example</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">. Nobody out hustles Jeter. Bring your 'A' game.</span></span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Support your </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">teammates</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">. Everybody wants to be on a winning team. Be a team player so co-workers will want to help you succeed.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Avoid </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Scandal</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">. Don't be the office gossip. Carry yourself with dignity. Don't do things you wouldn't want to see in the newspaper.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Don't talk down your </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">competition</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">. If they're so bad then why are you playing against them? And you look even worse if you lose.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"> I can hear you thinking, "If I had Jeter's talent I'd make sure I had a great rep.- who wouldn't?" Ask Tiger Woods. Sure, Jeter is blessed with an embarassment of athletic riches. But I'm willing to bet he'd be successful in any profession. Here's a Jeter quote from the Baseball Almanac: </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">"I</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"> want to be remembered as someone who had a lot of respect for the game, his teammates and opponents, and I want to be remembered as a winner. But most importantly I want to be remembered as a Yankee." - Derek Jeter</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"> How do you want to be remembered? As one of Jeter's sponsors might say, "Just Do It."</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 32px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #5131bb; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 32px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #5131bb; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Check out my LinkedIn profile: </span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 32px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #5131bb; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/stevebauermedia" name="webProfileURL" style="color: #2187bb; text-decoration: none;" title="View public profile">http://www.linkedin.com/in/stevebauermedia</a><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 32px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #5131bb; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 32px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #5131bb; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Copyright 2011</span></span></span></div>
<div style="color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 32px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #5131bb; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">all rights reserved by the author</span></span></span></div>
Are We Having Fun Yet?http://www.blogger.com/profile/17983346146449079499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130968165457929554.post-28166014818110778822011-07-09T09:17:00.001-04:002011-07-15T12:15:04.183-04:00VERIZON Customer Service Update #VerizonFail #EpicFail<div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6130968165457929554" name="OLE_LINK1"></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> My Verizon odyssey gets more interesting by the day. As you may recall from an earlier post, my Verizon internet service has been about as reliable as Charlie Sheen’s psychologist. In other words- not very reliable. To briefly recap: for the past six weeks my Verizon DSL has run on one of three speeds- slow, intermittent & not at all. In fact, I’ve been going days at a time with no e-mail, no web browsing, no Twitter, Facebook- no nuthin! I’ve gotten a lot of comments on my previous blog which was intended to highlight the perils of poor customer service.. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;">LF writes: “</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">In this economy smart businesses are doing everything they can to keep their customers. Unlike Verizon…Apparently they either didn't get the "be nice to customers" memo or they think they are too big to care.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">TP writes: “While very nice and friendly, I have found that their customer service isn't always the best in the long run.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> Here’s one from BB: “</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Verizon has been a disaster for eons. I've been their customer since 1994 and still cannot get Internet service on my phone (don't ask!)… As far as I can tell, they do everything they can to make things as difficult as possible for the customer.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> Good to know that I’m not alone. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised when @VerizonSupport contacted me after seeing my story posted on Twitter. Score one for the Twitterverse. </span></div><div align="center"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="width: 600px;"><tbody>
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<tr> <td style="padding: 11.25pt 7.5pt 11.25pt 11.25pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://twitter.com/VerizonSupport?iid=am-114009196113093625265693100&nid=4+status_user&uid=142355098&utm_content=profile"><span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="http://a0.twimg.com/profile_images/624807529/73x73_vzw_twitter_verizon_normal.gif" border="0" height="48" src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/Steve/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image004.gif" width="48" /></span></a></span></div></td> <td style="padding: 11.25pt 11.25pt 11.25pt 0in; width: 100%;" valign="top" width="100%"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 11.25pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://twitter.com/VerizonSupport?iid=am-114009196113093625265693100&nid=4+status_user&uid=142355098&utm_content=profile"><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; text-decoration: none;">VerizonSupport </span></b><span style="color: #999999; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; text-decoration: none;">Verizon Support</span><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; text-decoration: none;"> </span></b></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://twitter.com/SteveBauerMedia"><span style="color: #5a7b93; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; text-decoration: none;">@SteveBauerMedia</span></a></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"> We saw your blog and we'd like to help. Please follow us </span><a href="http://twitter.com/VerizonSupport"><span style="color: #5a7b93; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; text-decoration: none;">@VerizonSupport</span></a></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"> so we may DM. Thank you. ^adh </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 11.25pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://twitter.com/VerizonSupport/status/86098792625078272?iid=am-114009196113093625265693100&nid=4&uid=142355098"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; text-decoration: none;">Jun 29, 11:48 AM</span></a></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"> via </span><a href="http://www.radian6.com/"><span style="color: #5a7b93; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; text-decoration: none;">Radian6 </span></a></span></div></td> </tr>
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> I was asked to fill out a form outlining my beef. The result? Nothing. A week passed without comment. To be fair, my internet service was working (for the most part) during that time. But two days ago my connection to the outside world went AWOL again. Yesterday, I sent a Tweet to @VerizonSupport to ask the whereabouts of my promised help. I actually got a phone call from a sympathetic man apologized for not following up. He said he’d send a technician to my house.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> Today, the technician did not show up at the appointed hour. But he did call to explain there was nothing he could do. He told me there is a pervasive problem affecting thousands of Verizon customers near my home. It appears the problem involves computer equipment located far from this area. I got the distinct impression that Verizon is trying to fix the problem on the cheap- instead of investing the resources to do the job right. The technician gave me the name and phone number for his supervisor. I called and left a message for her. Barbie- I’m still waiting for the call back</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> Next up I called the PUC- the Pennsylvania Utilities Commission. They can’t help me. That led me to the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office. I filed a report there and Verizon has 21-days to respond. Since I’m feeling pretty annoyed with Verizon I also called the FTC. That’s right, I'm making a federal case out of this! A gentleman at the FTC took a report. Sadly, the FTC will not intervene on behalf of us consumers. But my case is now in the files. Next stop- the FCC. They took my report and say Verizon is required to respond to my complaint within 45-days. Why stop there? Hello Better Business Bureau! I filed a report with the BBB and I’m waiting to hear back. I sure hope they call. There’s no telling how long I may have to wait for an e-mail. So that’s the latest on Verizon’s Customer Service. Remember, if you wish to address your concern in English, press one, en Espanol…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> Editor's note: I wrote this blog on Friday, July 8, 2011. I wasn't able to post until Saturday morning because of continuing internet service failures. Since this was written I have spoken several times with people at @VerizonSupport who assure me that equipment upgrades are in the works. I should note that the people there have been unfailingly polite. While I now have (at least for now) internet service- it continues to be extremely slow.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 32px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #5131bb; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><div style="color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Check out my LinkedIn profile: </span><br />
<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/stevebauermedia" name="webProfileURL" style="color: #2187bb; text-decoration: none;" title="View public profile">http://www.linkedin.com/in/stevebauermedia</a><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Copyright 2011</span></div><div style="color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">all rights reserved by the author</span></div></span></span></div>Are We Having Fun Yet?http://www.blogger.com/profile/17983346146449079499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130968165457929554.post-23768821427316444662011-06-29T22:52:00.003-04:002011-07-15T12:15:21.043-04:00Wanted Dead or Alive - Candor & Humor in Public Relations<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOsqdhbeE2jQEkltGn66l4FaLq_wousZMEw_TQdZJ5Lxqtx8LpGmogl7_EFOXgHLyrDR9hztbiZ8K8WLZsLvG3vxThTeRoquyPPUTeJF3yFdDREYW-emOFcvYuII9i5oQXQc5_Kr_Zh7f6/s1600/cobra+charmer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOsqdhbeE2jQEkltGn66l4FaLq_wousZMEw_TQdZJ5Lxqtx8LpGmogl7_EFOXgHLyrDR9hztbiZ8K8WLZsLvG3vxThTeRoquyPPUTeJF3yFdDREYW-emOFcvYuII9i5oQXQc5_Kr_Zh7f6/s200/cobra+charmer.jpg" width="194" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Distant cousins of the Bronx Zoo Cobra</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="dateline" style="font-size: x-large;"> </span><span class="dateline" style="font-size: x-large;"> Remember the wily cobra that escaped from its cage at the Bronx Zoo? The incident could have creeped people out- knowing that a deadly serpent was on the loose. Instead, the folks at the zoo set up a twitter account- @BronxZoosCobra. And the story made international news- in part because of all the wacky tweets that went out- supposedly sent by the missing snake.</span><br />
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<span class="dateline" style="font-size: x-large;">@BronxZoosCobra: </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">Rockefeller Plaza is - wait. OMG, Tina Fey just walked by me. Huge fan.</span><span class="dateline" style="font-size: x-large;"> </span><br />
<span class="dateline" style="font-size: x-large;">@BronxZoosCobra:</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> Enjoying a cupcake at Magnolia Bakery. This is going straight to my hips. Oh wait, I don't have hips. Yesssss.</span><span class="dateline" style="font-size: x-large;"> </span><br />
<span class="dateline" style="font-size: x-large;">@BronxZoosCobra: </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">Holding very still at the snake exhibit at the Museum of Natural History. This is going to be hilarious.</span><br />
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<span class="dateline" style="font-size: x-large;"> Almost overnight, the twitter feed attracted tens of thousands of followers. TV cameras flocked to the zoo. Instead of a scary snake story, people thought the Bronx Zoo Cobra was great fun. By the way, the cobra is still tweeting away and as of today has 235,006 followers. As they say, you can't buy that kind of publicity. Conversely, a poor sense of humor can make you, your client or your company look- humorless.</span><br />
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<span class="dateline" style="font-size: x-large;"> Case in Point: Massachussets' authorities have been after Michael Wylie for five long years. Wylie's crime: he ignored a series of jury duty notices. The </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">State Jury Commission finally tracked him down but Wylie won't be going to jail.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"> According to the Eagle-Tribune newspaper in North Andover, MA, Deputy Jury Commissioner John Cavanaugh says it's unlikely the state will proceed with a criminal complaint against Mr. Wylie. I'd say it's pretty unlikely considering that he's been dead for five years.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"> Wylie didn't respond for jury duty in 2006 because he was in a hospice with terminal cancer. He died a few months later. Family members say they told authorities about the death. But those officials claim the family never sent a death certificate. For the past five years the Jury Commission has been sending nasty letters threatening legal action. So here we have the Deputy Jury Commissioner saying it's unlikely the state will press charges.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"> Certainly there's nothing funny about Mr. Wylie's death. But the Jury Commission's cold response makes it sound like the agency is run by a bunch of uncaring bureaucrats. Wouldn't those officials look better if they simply said, "Obviously we take jury duty seriously... maybe a little too seriously. We could have handled this better."</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"> Humor is great but obviously it's not great all the time. Recently, New York State Congressman Anthony Weiner resigned in disgrace after tweeting pictures that were "below the belt". When confronted with the allegations Weiner told reporters he couldn't say with "certitude" that he wasn't the guy in the photos. Certitude? You have to admit that's pretty funny. But a congressman caught up in a sexting scandal isn't something you can laugh off- unless you're Leno or Letterman.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"> What really cooked Weiner's goose was lying about what happened. What he should have done was fess up and admit he'd messed up. Would Weiner have resigned anyway? Almost certainly. But maybe he wouldn't be the butt of so many tasteless jokes. And he could have spared his family some embarrassment.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"> So get out there </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">and use </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">humor when appropriate. Be pleasant. Be candid. Admit your mistakes. Most people will want to believe you're being straightforward. And for Pete's sake, if your last name is "Weiner"- keep your pants on!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 32px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #5131bb; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><div style="color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Check out my LinkedIn profile: </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Copyright 2011</span></div><div style="color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">all rights reserved by the author</span></div></span></span>Are We Having Fun Yet?http://www.blogger.com/profile/17983346146449079499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130968165457929554.post-6078252274934489712011-06-24T11:33:00.001-04:002011-07-15T12:15:42.967-04:00Press One if You Want to Speak With One of Our &*%#&$ Representatives- Why Poor Customer Service is a PR #Fail<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><a 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" 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" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: x-large;"> It isn’t very easy to blog when your internet service provider isn’t very reliable. And that’s apparently the case here at the palatial corporate headquarters of SteveBauerMedia. For some reason, our Verizon DSL has been down more than it’s been up for the past few weeks. We’ve made lots of calls to customer service- always getting the same response- “We’re working on it.” I’m not talking about 20 minute outages here. Our internet connection (and our e-mail) has been broken for days at a time. As you might have guessed- it’s down again as I write this. Trina (Mrs. SteveBauerMedia) is not given to cussing but it sure sounds like she's been shopping at the four-letter-word store.</span></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> That’s why I got on the phone</span></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><b>11:01</b> EDT- I get past a series of automated phone prompts by jamming my index finger into my phone’s “Operator” button while shouting, “Person!”, “Representative!”, “HELP! For the love of God, I just want to talk to a living human being”… The computer promptly places me on hold so I can listen to soothing Musak for 10 minutes. Then I speak with Leila who informs me there is an outage of some kind. She isn’t sure when it might be fixed so I ask to speak with a supervisor. More Musak.</span></span> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><b>11:16</b> EDT- Mayank is very kind and explains that engineers are working on the problem. He gives me a private phone number so I can call him for updates. I patiently explain that I need internet service that actually works. The past few weeks have been filled with a hair-pulling series of service interruptions, intermittent service, painfully slow service and the all-to-often dreaded NO service. Mayunk promises to get back to me within 24 hours. Twenty four hours? That’s when I ask to speak with his supervisor. More Musak.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><b>11:19 </b>EDT-I’m transferred to Manog. Manog explains, once again, that Verizon technicians are on the case. Manog promises to call me in a couple of hours with an update. I tell him I sure appreciate that. But what I really want is someone who can tell me why the system keeps breaking- what’s being done to fix it- and most importantly- I want somebody to tell me that the problem is solved permanently. The casual observer might think Verizon’s equipment must be falling apart- and the company doesn’t want to spend big bucks to fix whatever’s busted. Why else would the system fail every couple of days? I also ask Manog where his office is located. Turns out he’s someplace in India. “Manog, isn’t there somebody in Central Pennsylvania I can talk to?” </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><b>11:22</b> EDT- Back on hold. More Infernal Musak! </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><b>11:35</b> EDT- Zach picks up the phone. Just out of curiosity I ask Zach where he’s located- in the Detroit area. He sounds very, very far away. “Zach”, I say, “I can barely hear you.” Zach responds, “That’s probably because your call from Pennsylvania to India has been bounced over to Michigan.” Zach repeats the Verizon mantra- “Our people are working on it… We don’t know how long it will take… It’s a chronic problem… No, we don’t know what’s causing it.” Zach offers to leave an “open ticket” on my issue and will call me when he knows more. Zach refers me to my local business office so I can try to get action.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><b>11:46</b> EDT- I call Verizon’s Business & Sales Office and get Ms. Peterson on the line. Have you noticed that Verizon doesn’t seem to be very big on full names? Turns out this office is not really local. It’s somewhere in Central New Jersey. Verizon also doesn’t seem to give out very specific locations. I think they’re worried us villagers will grab our pitchforks and launch an attack- if only we knew where they’re hiding! Ms. Peterson has apparently had enough of customer complaints. She asks, “Do you think we do this to you on purpose?” I reply, “Well, no, I’m sure you don’t. But poor service is a problem.” Ms. Peterson puts me on hold.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><b>11:53</b> EDT- On hold</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><b>12:01</b> EDT- On hold. At least the Musak is different. Still terrible. But different.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><b>12:07</b> EDT Still waiting.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><b>12:12</b> EDT- “Okay, Quit your complaining!” That’s what Ms. Peterson yells into the phone as our conversation resumes. I’m pretty sure she’s kidding. At least I hope she is. Ms. Peterson says she’s filed a formal complaint for me. She apologizes for taking so long. She had trouble finding someone willing to take the complaint. I ask, “How long will it take to get a response?” Ms. Peterson says, “Two to three weeks.” “But my internet service is down right now!” Ms. Peterson says, “I’ll transfer you to repair.” Before I can say a word, Denise comes on the line. Denise is in Pittsburgh. She says, and I am not making this up:</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">“What’s wrong with your phone”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">“Nothing. My internet is down.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">“This is telephone repair. I can’t help you.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> I explain to Denise what’s happened. Denise is very nice and gives me a phone number that’s a direct line to Verizon DSL.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><b>12:14</b> EDT- Bathroom break. Hey, I’ve been on the phone for over an hour. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><b>12:17</b> EDT- Calling Verizon DSL. More automated phone prompts. Back on Hold. Please. No MORE Musak. I’ll talk. I’ll talk!!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><b>12:19</b> EDT- Sharoili answers my call. Yup, I’m back in India. Sharoili is incredibly kind. She explains that my internet service is down and that Verizon engineers are working on it. She says it must be very frustrating for me. And Sharoili says she’ll put her supervisor on the line. I decline, say thank you and end the call. Verizon, you win. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><u><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">Prologue:</span></b></u></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> How many times has this happened to you? It’s not just Verizon. A lot of companies treat their customers like this. But these days, reports of bad customer service travels fast- thanks to social media. Speaking of social media- #VerizonFail</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> I think Verizon (and any other company) would be better served by setting up a customer service hotline staffed by people who have the authority to take action. Somebody, somewhere along the line should have said to me: 1) Here’s what’s going on. 2) Here’s what we’re doing to fix it. 3) Here’s what we’re doing to make it right- because we value our customers. I’d suggest a partial refund as a starting point. How about a free month’s service or some kind of upgrade? I tell you, my patience is running thin.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><u><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">Bottom Line: </span></b></u></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> Years ago I was a journalist in New York City. The NYPD has a special Public Information office known as DCPI to handle calls from reporters. If I called DCPI I spoke with an experienced officer who would give me straight answers. If that officer didn’t have the necessary information he or she was empowered to find out. They returned calls immediately, paid attention to deadlines and got facts ASAP. I had a great relationship with the NYPD. Years later, I worked in Philadelphia. In the City of Brotherly Love the police did not have a special office for Public Information. Typically, I’d have to call a precinct- only to be told the officer in charge of a particular investigation was out- and wouldn’t be back for several days. No one else could (or would) help me. The Philadelphia police often came to us- hoping we’d do stories on tough cases- asking for the public’s help. Which police department do you think I was more willing to assist? Enough on my soapbox. It’s now been 24 hours and none of those Verizon supervisors have called as promised. Anyway, the phone’s ringing. It might be the guys from Comcast returning my call…</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 32px; line-height: 36px;"><br class="webkit-block-placeholder" /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 32px; line-height: 36px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #5131bb; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><div style="color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Check out my LinkedIn profile: </span><br />
<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/stevebauermedia" name="webProfileURL" style="color: #2187bb; text-decoration: none;" title="View public profile">http://www.linkedin.com/in/stevebauermedia</a><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Copyright 2011</span></div><div style="color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">all rights reserved by the author</span></div></span></span></div>Are We Having Fun Yet?http://www.blogger.com/profile/17983346146449079499noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130968165457929554.post-77129416656915644362011-06-17T10:03:00.003-04:002011-06-17T12:34:39.957-04:00Why I Nearly Fell on my Backside- And How One Company's Positive PR Response Restored my Sense of Balance<span style="font-size: x-large;"> My local school board made headlines this week for hiring a new school superintendent. The new guy is getting $15,000 a-year more than the last guy- with a base salary of $169,000. Immediately after the hiring the school board decided to lay off or demote 20 school employees because of a budget crisis. One board member called the timing "unfortunate". And I couldn't agree more. I think it's unfortunate that my school board was caught napping in PR class.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> Which leads me to a completely unrelated thought. Occasionally, the staff here at SteveBauerMedia enjoys a good home improvement project- who doesn't? Take my recent bathroom renovation. Admittedly, the new tile floor is not exactly what you would call "level". But I did win a </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkRFiShKwOFdOzhRuzzc541tcCoxfoZaym7wVNNgtqzaG9n2YYy4qQK3Z9KneZKvWGUJb0qcC00qgTBFVXDCZAMXkGTXu-tQb1ySwMDQcECdCpuestPGsqF9-e2pENxkJlcbBKw1ZyRqbB/s1600/Old+sink+in+trash.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkRFiShKwOFdOzhRuzzc541tcCoxfoZaym7wVNNgtqzaG9n2YYy4qQK3Z9KneZKvWGUJb0qcC00qgTBFVXDCZAMXkGTXu-tQb1ySwMDQcECdCpuestPGsqF9-e2pENxkJlcbBKw1ZyRqbB/s200/Old+sink+in+trash.jpeg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: x-large;">grudge match against the sink- thanks to a nine-pound sledge hammer.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> Here comes the segue... It occurs to me that you don't need a sledge hammer to pound out a decent PR policy. (My school board should wake up and pay attention here.) Not that long ago, the customer was always right. Ahhh, the good old days. These days a lot of people think PR departments exist just to put positive spin on corporate misdeeds. Sadly, that sometimes appears to be the case.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWXeY95aq37aZJkuouappMpbcLDTffi6K_ybDJS8R_jmlsONiNbn2hk1hP1dBmpRTny8nED3CK3S_4_2bWewBU1JLZZgCBj1FNy1U8RgL1A0xKwcXTJ_N31bdzY6E27nj7cPenU4IN-xed/s1600/Behr%2527s+Paint.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWXeY95aq37aZJkuouappMpbcLDTffi6K_ybDJS8R_jmlsONiNbn2hk1hP1dBmpRTny8nED3CK3S_4_2bWewBU1JLZZgCBj1FNy1U8RgL1A0xKwcXTJ_N31bdzY6E27nj7cPenU4IN-xed/s200/Behr%2527s+Paint.jpeg" width="112" /></a><span style="font-size: x-large;"> But not always. Which is my segue back to home improvement. About six weeks ago I decided to repaint the back porch- which was a disaster. I decided to do it right, stripping the paint right down to the bare wood. I started with a primer coat before painting with Behr's Porch & Floor Paint. Remember the name. The paint didn't cover particularly well so I had to use two coats. A few days later I stepped out on the deck and nearly fell on my backside. It had rained overnight and there was some moisture on the deck. It wasn't just a little slippery. It felt as if I'd hit black ice!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> I called Behr's customer service line to complain. The rep told me there's a warning on the can- telling customers to buy an additive to prevent slippery conditions. Remember the name of the paint? Porch & Floor Paint. Maybe I'm wrong here, but I would presume that porch & floor paint is specially formulated for people to walk on. Who would make floor paint that's slippery?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> I asked to speak with a supervisor. That person told me they hadn't had any problems or complaints. But if the paint isn't slippery why is there a warning on the can? Long story short: the supervisor told me that Behr stands behind its product. He promised to make things right. In fact, he offered to refund the money I spent on paint and pay to have my deck repainted. A few days later a package arrived in the mail with the paperwork I needed to get reimbursed.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> As it turns out, it appears there was some residue left over from the paint that made the surface slick- and since I washed down the deck I haven't experienced any slipping or sliding. I'm still not sure this is the greatest paint in the world- but I'm convinced that Behr's response is something to talk about.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> A lot of companies miss the boat here. Repeating the SteveBauerMedia mantra- "Sometimes you have to do the right thing." Behr knows its reputation is valuable and it's clear to me that Behr's has a corporate policy that takes customer satisfaction seriously. I was not a happy camper when I called. But Behr not only took my complaint seriously- the company promised action. What happens when someone calls your customer service department?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> Me: "The hair dryer exploded and the cat is now bald."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">McAcme Hair Dryer Customer Service: "That's not possible. Our hair dryers are handmade by Tunisian-speaking electricians."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Me: "I'm looking at a naked cat!"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">McAcme Hair Dryer Customer Service: "You probably have faulty wiring in your home." </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> Sometimes, when I've had problems with a product some customer service rep will say, "I'm sorry you feel that way". That particular line always makes me "feel" like I should get out my sledge hammer. Did I mention that my school board wants to raise my taxes? Talk about faulty wiring...</span><br />
<br />
<div style="color: red; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Check out my LinkedIn profile: </span><br />
<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/stevebauermedia" name="webProfileURL" title="View public profile">http://www.linkedin.com/in/stevebauermedia</a><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Copyright 2011</span> </div><div style="color: red; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">all rights reserved by the author</span></div>Are We Having Fun Yet?http://www.blogger.com/profile/17983346146449079499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130968165457929554.post-89014172066322591632011-06-07T12:41:00.004-04:002011-06-20T16:57:53.960-04:00The Power of #SM - Using the Dark Side for Goodliness!<span style="font-size: x-large;"> A friend just sent me a video clip along with this tease: You will <u>NEVER</u> guess what this ad is about. That's a pretty good tease. And if you haven't seen this commercial I'll bet you Sara Palin's gun collection that you will not come close to guessing what company is linked to this ad. Take a look! </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/aGb8pMIeY6w?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> Details about the ad are a bit sketchy. According to information on the internet this devilishly clever commercial aired in Germany- possibly some time ago. I got curious and googled "dirt devil exorcist commercial". The first hit is a link to the Dirt Devil web site. So right there, the vacuum maker is getting bonus points from this video. And there are links to the ad on YouTube, Viad-TV, Ad Week, Vimeo.com so forth and so on. The ad has gone semi-viral with more than 668,000 hits on YouTube. (I think you need at least 1 million hits to lay claim to "Going Viral".)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> A lot of corporations are working on ridiculously clever videos- in hopes of creating an avalanche of attention via the internet and social media. Remember Jennifer Aniston's sex tape? For the record, I just googled "Jennifer Aniston" and her sex tape for the smartwater company is the 9th hit. The smartwater video now has 9,429,408 hits.<span class="watch-view-count"><b></b></span> That is incredible exposure for smartwater. And that kind of free exposure is what everybody wants.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> But that may NOT be the case over at the Dirt Devil company. I can't find the vacuum-maker on Facebook- although there is a page called the "Dirt Devils, Fans of Dirt Devil Vacuum Cleaners". That page has two fans. However, there is a "Dirt Devil Vacuum" page on YouTube. But there are only seven bland commercials posted there- no sign of the exorcist commercial. The YouTube page lists 39 followers- and no activity for the past year. I fired off an e-mail to Dirt Devil's media relations department which was never answered. So I called- and got voice mail. Then I called corporate headquarters and hit voice mail again.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> So here's the take away: I sat down to write a piece about the geniuses at Dirt Devil. But it looks like Dirt Devil isn't "picking up" the importance of social media. If that video is just a parody- which it may well be- Dirt Devil should buy it and put it on the air-along with links to Facebook, Twitter & YouTube.</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> Maybe I should end this post by saying I got the dirt on a big vacuum company? Sorry, the Devil made me do it...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Update: I first wrote to Dirt Devil's Media Relations department on June 1st. On June 17th I received the following reply- and it clears up some questions.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';"><br />
"Hello,</span></span></div><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"> </span> <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;"><br />
</div><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"> </span> <div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';">We appreciate your interest in Dirt Devil. The "exorcist" advertisement was created by a student in Germany independent of Dirt Devil. We have no plans to endorse this advertisement or use it to promote products in the United States. If you have any further questions or concerns you can contact our Marketing Team... Thank you." </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><br />
<div style="color: red; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Check out my LinkedIn profile: <br />
</span><br />
<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/stevebauermedia" name="webProfileURL" title="View public profile">http://www.linkedin.com/in/stevebauermedia</a></div><div style="color: red; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
Copyright 2011</span> </div><div style="color: red; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">all rights reserved by the author</span></div>Are We Having Fun Yet?http://www.blogger.com/profile/17983346146449079499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130968165457929554.post-3163164980379857552011-06-02T22:07:00.001-04:002011-06-17T11:38:08.800-04:00Flash Mobs and Other Corporate Rituals<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"> Question: What do you get when you mix break dancers, drummers, a Broadway show tune and a bewildered crowd? </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"> Answer: You get a snazzy taste of the big apple and some instant street cred for a major financial corporation. Check out this YouTube video:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/xjG9ggZmttk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> As you probably noticed, the sponsor is Wells Fargo. The company has its own YouTube channel. The video you just saw is less than two months old and it's already been viewed1,455,019 times. I'm not sure that counts as going viral. But nearly one and a-half million people have seen it. And when they see it they see "Wells Fargo". It's a nice trick when you get that many people to your site where they see the invitation below:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span id="playnav-curvideo-view-count"></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">____________________</span></div><div class="box-title title-text-color" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Welcome to the Wells Fargo YouTube channel </span></div><div></div><div class="box-editor" style="text-align: justify;"><div style="float: right;"></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div></div><div id="user_branding-body"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> Here, you can learn a bit about our history, browse recent TV commercials, watch informative product videos or view highlights from our recent events.</span></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Also, be sure to check out our blogs, covering everything from student loans to environmental sustainability:<br />
<a class="yt-uix-redirect-link" dir="ltr" href="http://blog.wellsfargo.com/" rel="nofollow" title="http://blog.wellsfargo.com">http://blog.wellsfargo.com</a></span></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Or ask us your questions by following us on Twitter:<br />
<a class="yt-uix-redirect-link" dir="ltr" href="http://www.twitter.com/wellsfargo" rel="nofollow" title="http://www.twitter.com/wellsfargo">http://www.twitter.com/wellsfargo</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">____________________</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> There are lots of other videos from Wells Fargo on YouTube. And a lot of them are in Spanish. That's a blog for another day. The main point is that people who watch the videos are engaged. Here are a couple of random comments.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">"Hundreds wondered where their trashcans went...."</span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> <a class="author" href="http://www.youtube.com/user/h2omanz" title="h2omanz">h2omanz</a></span> </div></div><div class="content" style="text-align: left;"><div class="comment-text" dir="ltr"><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">"That was terrific and enjoyed every minute of it. Those young people were outstanding and congratulate you on this video."</span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> <a class="author" href="http://www.youtube.com/user/hugsbear1" title="hugsbear1">hugsbear1</a></span> </div><div class="content" style="text-align: left;"><div class="comment-text" dir="ltr"><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">"Who cares who paid for it, it's pretty cool to see a group get together and put on a free show in the middle of the street like that.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Looked like everyone there watching enjoyed it, and isn't that what it's all about?"</span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> <a class="author" href="http://www.youtube.com/user/joetteka" title="joetteka">joetteka</a> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> Oh sure, there are negative comments too. Some people don't like Wells Fargo. Or they don't think this performance qualifies as a true "Flash Mob". But so what? As I said, the video is engaging people and they're generally associating Wells Fargo with a fun, feel-good event.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> I know a lot of PR professionals don't believe in social media. There is confusing and conflicting data on how effective social media is as a communications tool. I'm not certain how good it is or might become. But even if SM is just a fad it can still be <strike>good</strike> great exposure for your company and/or clients. And what if it's not a fad? What if this really IS the big communication/marketing platform for the next 10-20 years? Companies that miss the boat may have that sinking feeling for a long time to come.</span><br />
<div style="color: red; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Check out my LinkedIn profile: <br />
</span><br />
<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/stevebauermedia" name="webProfileURL" title="View public profile">http://www.linkedin.com/in/stevebauermedia</a></div><div style="color: red; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
Copyright 2011</span> </div><div style="color: red; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">all rights reserved by the author</span></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></div></div>Are We Having Fun Yet?http://www.blogger.com/profile/17983346146449079499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130968165457929554.post-76209293997791505032011-05-25T20:38:00.004-04:002011-06-17T11:38:29.292-04:00Memorial Day Traditions - A Flowery Tribute to Those We Love<span style="font-size: x-large;"> It's time for the annual migration back to my family's ancestral home. I'll drive 400 miles to spend the Memorial Day holiday visiting relatives in the Midwest. For a lot of people Memorial Day is the Traditional start of the Summer season. For some, it means a day off from work. And for others, it's a day filled with parties, barbecues and parades.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> In Northwest Ohio- where we're all from- it's a Tradition to decorate the graves of our dearly departed. We spend a few hours going from cemetery to cemetery, planting flowers to honor our loved ones. This year, I'll be making my first Memorial Day visit to my Father's grave. I'll finally see the monument we ordered. It was such an ordeal getting one engraved the way we wanted. There's Dad's name along with some poems he wrote. Mom's name is on there too- but we expect Mom to be with us for a long time yet. At the top of the stone there's an etching of daffodils. Dad especially liked daffodils- whenever we'd move Dad would dig up his daffodils and take them with us to the new place. Dad was always a big part of our Memorial Day observances. I have vivid memories of Dad leaving flowers at his parents' graves. And at his Grandparents' too. There were always visits to the graves of our extended family- Great Grandpa's Brother, Grandma's Sister and so on. I suppose it might sound a bit odd to people not familiar with this Tradition. But in truth, we reminisce, we share stories, we remember. It's actually very nice.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> We'll stay at the family cottage- which isn't even in Ohio. It's in Indiana, about 5-miles over the state line. We call it going to the lake. And opening the cottage for the Summer is another Memorial Day Tradition we've observed for many years. My family started going to the lake in 1910. There was no electricity, no air conditioning and no fridge. We had an ice box that we filled with real ice to keep food chilled. We had to fetch water from a hand-pump a quarter mile down the road. Great Grandma Strayer planted lilies out in front. The original place was just a big tent- the kind made out of heavy canvas- like the ones soldiers use. Sometime in the 1930's, somebody ordered a pre-fab garage from the Montgomery Ward catalog. There was no foundation- they perched the garage atop four 50-pound nail kegs filled with cement- one at each corner. We installed wood paneling over the garage door and cut a doorway in the side. And that was our cottage. Over the years, we added a porch, a bedroom and even a toilet- but no shower. We used to take baths in the lake.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> Over memorial Day we'll remember the old days. We'll talk about how Great Grandpa Friedrich- he was a tavern owner- took a keg of beer on the Ferry. People on the boat heard two loud splashes. The first splash was the keg falling overboard. The second splash was Great Grandpa Friedrich diving in after it. And yes, he got the keg back on the boat. We'll go to the local fire hall on Saturday morning- for the annual Memorial Day pancake breakfast. And we'll go "round the round" just like Grandpa Bud used to do. Bud would drive around and around a phone pole down by the railroad tracks- just to listen to all the kids squeal. The phone pole isn't even there anymore. But we'll be sure to drive around and around in a circle where it used to stand.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> About 10 years ago our cottage collapsed- a victim of old age. Dad had it rebuilt before he died. The new one is very modern- it doesn't smell moldy- and it has a shower too. The old place is long gone, but Great Grandma Strayer's lilies are still right there. And this Memorial Day I'll be right there too- along with the rest of my family. It's Tradition.</span><br />
<br />
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Copyright 2011</span> </div><div style="color: red; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">all rights reserved by the author</span></div>Are We Having Fun Yet?http://www.blogger.com/profile/17983346146449079499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130968165457929554.post-69392122943674517822011-05-23T16:54:00.002-04:002011-06-17T11:38:58.123-04:00Avoiding Armageddon - #Rapture #Fail<span style="font-size: x-large;"> I admit it. I was going to write this last week. But when checking my datebook I noticed </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">"EOW" (End Of World)</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> penciled in for Saturday. So I decided writing could wait. I mean, there wasn't much sense publishing a blog that no one would see. But the end of time is apparently running late. So I now have time to address the Armageddon issue. From a practical standpoint the Rapture was a total flop- obviously nothing happened. But you have to admit it was a marketing marvel of biblical proportions. Bloggers were blogging about it. The Rapture was all over the news and the internet. It was featured in the Doonesbury comic strip. Everybody was talking about it. But since the world did not actually end I proudly present the Rapture winners and losers.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> <b>Losers: Credibility</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> Oh sure, Harold Camping is rolling in cash and now he's internationally-famous. But his credibility has to be the biggest loser. For those of you living under a rock, Camping is the guy who predicted the Rapture-that-never-was. The 89-year-old evangelist is the owner of Christian Family Radio network which is based in Oakland, California. Camping, who used to be a civil engineer, developed his prediction by using information from the bible and some kind of mathematical formula. Apparently there was some fuzzy math involved. Camping, who predicted a similar EOW in 1994, is said to be "flabbergasted" that he and the rest of us are still here.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> <b>Winners: Social Media </b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> This was another chance for SM to flex its muscles- and it did. Over the weekend, Twitter's trending topics include #HaroldCamping and #Rapture. The posts using those hashtags were piling up so fast you could hardly see them all. There's even a #Raptureplaylist for EOW music fans. There are also Top Ten Rapture status lists over on Facebook. It seems as if everyone wants to comment on the Rapture. One Facebook friend dryly warned me not to waste my time mowing the lawn on Saturday. Thanks Bill, now it's raining again.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> <b>Losers: Followers of Harold Camping</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> Some of Camping's followers quit their jobs, sold their possessions and donated the money to Camping's organization. The cash apparently financed a well-orchestrated media campaign designed to let people know their days were numbered. Now, those true believers have nothing; no money, no jobs and no idea what happens next. As of this writing, Camping hasn't said whether anyone might get some of that money back. Seems to me that his misguided followers deserve a No Rapture Rebate. Sadly, you sometimes get what you pay for..</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> <b>Winners: Comedians</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> For whatever reason the Rapture hit a funny bone. David Letterman aired the Top 10 Ways to Make the Apocalypse More Fun. That list included #9) Crazy hats like at the royal wedding and #6) Telecast of the Real Housewives being vaporized. One person posted this snarky tweet, "It's my first rapture and I'm trying to figure out what to wear." And how about this tweet from @mcm_kyle, "Harold Camping spent a lot of (his & others') money to promote rapture, but what makes it worse is that he went all in on Linkedin at $115."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> <b>Losers: Bloggers</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> This seems kind of obvious. But now all of us bloggers will have to do the actual hard work of finding other topics to write about.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> <b>Winners: The Truth</b></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;"></div><div style="text-align: right;"></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"> The Rapture had lots of people fessing up to their sins. #endoftheworldconfessions" was a popular stopover on the twittersphere. One woman admitted that she faked it in bed- every time. Ouch! @XJulieeO, tweeted, " I'm the one that took my sisters mascara sorry Amanda!" A thoughtful woman reminded us all that tomorrow is another day, tweeting, </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">"Harold Camping, don't worry... it's not the end of the world". </span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEw4u-yRZIADbtE2jTbNquPAD8TXJyPbyUc4GoW9tjvOABfKYfbaaILsHpDosAErwbJUMUDpVgFqIZnl4RVRsp32-ChdOdW42pr4A3Ve9Md_wuSV4YuoCpryEORoCpnTTtX6EWyyHpRHJh/s1600/2011-05-23_15-20-47_363.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEw4u-yRZIADbtE2jTbNquPAD8TXJyPbyUc4GoW9tjvOABfKYfbaaILsHpDosAErwbJUMUDpVgFqIZnl4RVRsp32-ChdOdW42pr4A3Ve9Md_wuSV4YuoCpryEORoCpnTTtX6EWyyHpRHJh/s320/2011-05-23_15-20-47_363.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Get 'em while they last! </td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: x-large;">Yes, it's Ironic. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">BTW, I've decided to sell custom Tee shirts emblazoned with this inspirational message, "I Survived Armageddon 2011!" You will cherish your Armageddon Tee forever- however long that might be. Order now! This is a limited time offer!</span><br />
<br />
<div style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Editor's Postscript:</span></div><div style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">May 24th</span></div><div style="color: orange;"><br />
</div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: orange;">We've now heard an explanation from Mr. Camping. He had predicted that during the Rapture the faithful would be lifted to Heaven- those remaining would face hell on earth until the final day of reckoning. In his new vision, Camping claims the Rapture actually did happen but says it was an "invisible" judgement day. However, the end of the world will occur as scheduled. Camping insists that his prediction is on the money and that the end of humanity is set for October 21, 2011. So, save the date! As far as the followers who donated money (in some cases their life savings) Camping has no intention of giving it back. In his words, "Why would we return it?" since the world is going to end in October. In other words, we still haven't heard the last from Harold Camping.</span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="color: red; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Check out my LinkedIn profile: <br />
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Copyright 2011</span> </div><div style="color: red; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">all rights reserved by the author</span></div>Are We Having Fun Yet?http://www.blogger.com/profile/17983346146449079499noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130968165457929554.post-32980057909041238922011-05-15T22:08:00.002-04:002011-06-17T11:39:16.085-04:00PRom PRoposition PRovokes PRedictable PR PRoblems - A PRescription for Bad PRess!<span style="font-size: x-large;"> So, up in Connecticut, there's a teenage boy who asks a girl to the prom. The next thing you know the state legislature is involved and the story is making worldwide headlines! The torrent of negative press is a perfect storm of bungled public relations.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> James Tate is a senior at Shelton High School. Tate earned his 15 minutes of fame when he tried to impress his intended prom date. Rather than ask her out during a phone call or while riding on the school bus, James pasted up his proposal in 12" letters over the school's entrance.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> It read simply, "Sonali Rodrigues, will you go to prom with me? HMU -Tate." HMU stands for Hit me Up.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> Sonali said yes. But Shelton High School said no. Since posting the invitation was against school rules Tate was ordered to serve an in-school suspension. And at S.H.S anyone who is suspended after April 1st for any reason cannot attend the prom.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> People complained. They said the punishment didn't fit the crime.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> The school's headmaster, Beth Smith, released a statement that said in part, "This regulation is reinforced over the course of the spring by daily ... announcements, posted signage in common areas of the building, and in classrooms, as well as information letters and automated phone messages to parents... These communications are intended to remind our students and parents of the high school expectations and consequences. This unfortunate situation is a result of one of those consequences." </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> Clearly, that poorly-worded statement reads like a desperate plea for negative media coverage. But you have to admit, it's some first-rate gobbledygook.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> Members of the Connecticut state legislature began drafting legislation to help Tate out of his jam. Yes, they were talking about passing new LAWS because this school was enforcing a zero tolerance policy that sounded pretty dumb to a lot of people.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> According to a CNN report, "Calls to Shelton High School, the Connecticut State Department of Education and the Shelton school superintendent's office were not returned."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> Let me just say that stonewalling in the face of public outcry is always a good idea.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> A Facebook page popped up titled: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=207687739251501&id=120150978513&notif_t=like#%21/pages/Let-James-Tate-Go-to-the-Prom/146161672121334">Let-James-Tate-Go-to-the-Prom</a> At last look 195,005 people liked this. Supporters started calling themselves "Team Tate". Meantime, the suddenly famous Tate was making appearances on the Today Show and Jimmy Kimmel's late night show. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y1aD0fDX0Ag?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b> What went wrong:</b> Instead of admitting that the school policy was a little stiff... instead of making an exception... instead of graciously responding to community concerns and seeking a workable solution- school administrators strictly adhered to their policy. And predictibly, they came off looking like humorless twits.<b> </b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b> What went right:</b> In the face of growing pressure, the headmaster announced that Tate would be allowed to attend his prom! He will now face some kind of alternative punishment. And in the future, penalties for rules violations will be decided on a case-by-case basis. Hallelujah! Common Sense prevails. Now school administrators don't look quite so silly.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> After her reversal, Headmaster Smith told reporters, "I never thought that such a decision would lead to international notoriety..." She thought wrong.<b> </b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b> The Lesson:</b> Boneheaded decisions are no longer limited by the city limits. Think it out before your misguided mistakes go viral- way, way viral.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="color: red; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Check out my LinkedIn profile: <br />
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Copyright 2011</span> </div><div style="color: red; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">all rights reserved by the author</span></div>Are We Having Fun Yet?http://www.blogger.com/profile/17983346146449079499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130968165457929554.post-90382243295160343352011-05-11T12:40:00.001-04:002011-06-17T11:39:36.917-04:00Public Relations NunSense - Religious Groups Take On Wall Street Over Executive Pay<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2m_mxutza0bAeS0vnDgqNu8CsIunUdHiL6kWvByYAhXZWOtBdv9TwgxRde_thw4SrOyidj4zxxWwAMycEaFiwfoykUTmp72zfJMadqL0aj33CmskSC64wlgaNtZ-0t7G-MW88xbI_4hfJ/s1600/church-catholic-1131427-m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2m_mxutza0bAeS0vnDgqNu8CsIunUdHiL6kWvByYAhXZWOtBdv9TwgxRde_thw4SrOyidj4zxxWwAMycEaFiwfoykUTmp72zfJMadqL0aj33CmskSC64wlgaNtZ-0t7G-MW88xbI_4hfJ/s200/church-catholic-1131427-m.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> A comedian named David Brenner used to do some clever observational humor. I remember one schtick about bizarre signs. Brenner claims a sign outside a Los Angles hospital said "No Barking". He quipped, "either the dogs in LA can read or the people here bark". Then there was the billboard outside a convent that said "No Tresspassing. Violators will be Prosecuted to the Fullest Extent of the Law". It was signed by "The Sisters of Mercy". Ba Da Bum.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> If David Brenner were telling this story, he might start by saying, a Nun, a Priest and the CEO of a Jewish group walk into a corporate shareholders meeting... Sorry, I don't have a punchline. But it's no joke. A coalition representing Nuns, Priests and a Jewish group did show up at Goldman Sach's Annual Shareholders Meeting. They demanded to know why Goldman Sachs executives are being paid huge amounts of money. And that created a bit of public relations trouble. Here are some actual headlines:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">"Nuns put Goldman Sachs on Spot on Exec's Pay" - Washington Times</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">"Philadelphia Nuns Call Out Goldman Sachs" - MyFoxPhilly.com</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">"Nuns Outraged by Goldman Sachs" - Money.MSN.com</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> Those religious groups want to know why Goldman's top five suits earned 69.6 million last year- even though profits declined significantly. The Nuns may think those sky-high salaries are sinful but that wasn't the point. The religious groups are longtime investors in Goldman Sachs- and they're concerned that humongous salaries are hurting the bottom line. The Nuns introduced a shareholder resolution asking Goldman Sachs to evaluate executive pay. Goldman Sachs urged investors to vote down the proposal- and investors did just that. Only four percent supported the Nuns. In fact, 73% supported the executive pay package.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> I think it's fair to say Goldman Sachs has been taking it on the chin lately. Many people viewed the company as one of the villains in the financial meltdown. Last year the investment giant paid $550 million to settle an SEC lawsuit which claimed Goldman's misled investors about a mortgage-linked investment. Another recent headline explained that GS spent $700 million on legal representation last year. I guess that's not too surprising. Then there's a scathing Senate report on Goldman's (and other firms) activities during the financial crisis. That report has been sent to the Justice Department for additional investigation.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> <b>The Outcome</b>: most of the headlines before the annual meeting focused on the Nuns. That put Goldman's in a tough position. I mean, how do you attack a position held by Nuns? As far as I can tell Goldman's ignored the Nun/Executive pay issue. Did this work? Is it an effective PR strategy? In news reports that followed the annual meeting- I didn't see any references to Nuns. Most reports noted the executive pay proposal was voted down and that was it. But is Goldman's stand good public relations strategy? Is it wise in light of the ongoing legal troubles? What should Goldman's have done instead? As SteveBauerMedia has said before- paying executives gobs of money when so many Americans are jobless makes companies look heartless. That said, Goldman's appears to be doing just fine. And yet, I still think there's a significant possibility the company might someday be "prosecuted to the fullest extent" in the court of public opinion. What do you think?</span><br />
<br />
<div style="color: red; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Check out my LinkedIn profile: <br />
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Copyright 2011</span> </div><div style="color: red; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">all rights reserved by the author</span></div>Are We Having Fun Yet?http://www.blogger.com/profile/17983346146449079499noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130968165457929554.post-47174796641709338242011-05-04T14:38:00.002-04:002011-06-17T11:39:55.308-04:00FTK! Young Slugger Launches Major League Public Relations Campaign<span style="font-size: x-large;"> There are some unmistakable signs that Spring has sprung. The snow pack is finally beginning to melt here in Central Pennsylvania, the Robbins are defrosting, and once again, SteveBauerMedia is out with another feel good story. Oh, and one more sign of Spring- 12-year-old Elliot Mast is swinging for the seats. This blog post is about a young baseball star's quest to help sick children and how he's tapping into the power of social media.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> Last year Elliot used his prodigious baseball skills to raise $5,000 for Pittsburgh Children's Hospital. Elliot plays for the Caporuscios Baseball team- part of the East End Youth Baseball league in Altoona. Here's how it works. For every hit Elliot gets each of his sponsors pay $2. For every home run Elliot belts the sponsors pony up $10 apiece. And for every strike out that Elliot pitches his sponsors donate $5. So far this season Elliot has two homers, six hits, and 16 strike outs. That means each sponsor will donate $112 to Pittsburgh Children's Hospital- and the baseball season is far from over. So why is Elliot doing this? He says it's FTK- For The Kids. Here's what's posted on his blog page.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> <span style="color: blue;">"Why am I helping Pittsburgh Children's Hospital? I was born with a club foot and I didn't think I would walk. They helped me to walk and play baseball. I had to wear a cast on my leg & foot everyday till I was 8 months old, then I had surgery and had to wear a special shoe and brace! They helped me!"</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> It's a great story. But it's Elliot's use of technology that I find really interesting. Off the field he's a Social Media "All Star". For starters, I first found out about Elliot through a posting on LinkedIn.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> You can learn about Elliot's ambitious fundraising campaign by visiting: <a href="http://www.elliotmast.blogspot.com/">Elliot's blog page</a> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> Become a sponsor or make a one time donation through his PayPal account.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> You can friend Elliot on Facebook.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> Follow Elliot on twitter @Elliotmast. You can also add a Twibbon to your twitter account to help spread the word.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> You can watch video's about Elliot's FTK program on YouTube. Here's his 2011 campaign fundraising video.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> <object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://2.gvt0.com/vi/XS_mtrHN2J4/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/XS_mtrHN2J4&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/XS_mtrHN2J4&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></span></div><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> This media campaign is working. Elliot has already been featured in several newspaper articles and TV reports. A Google search for "Elliot Mast" turns up 7,590 entries. Google your own name and see how many hits you get. And this is all to help kids who need medical help. You can go ahead and start feeling good now. And I'm going to help you feel good by testing the power of social media. I'm posting this story on Twitter- and I'm asking my followers to retweet it. Let's see if we can all help Elliot's message reach an even larger audience. Maybe we can help this caring young man raise some extra money. I'll be sure to post any information I get from Elliot. FTK!</span><br />
<br />
<div style="color: red; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Check out my LinkedIn profile: <br />
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Copyright 2011</span> </div><div style="color: red; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">all rights reserved by the author</span></div>Are We Having Fun Yet?http://www.blogger.com/profile/17983346146449079499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130968165457929554.post-83307741068170101242011-04-25T18:23:00.002-04:002011-06-17T11:44:23.011-04:00Can Drinking Wine Improve Your PR Skills? Six Vintage Lessons From the Wine Cellar<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU9zqAVVewtIA6hyphenhyphenoZWp1tJjb9_rWZoSY4MenNg1_4h42QvxCH6BgNsMYSHPnLnxBUWyphe8JNMQ2FjOw14-i9vSuzjPz46cEx2EfdJ2P0GdLHH5qkMzzG1bBZdO7z7Y4rRYmPNgRQrijT/s1600/tourofcave.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU9zqAVVewtIA6hyphenhyphenoZWp1tJjb9_rWZoSY4MenNg1_4h42QvxCH6BgNsMYSHPnLnxBUWyphe8JNMQ2FjOw14-i9vSuzjPz46cEx2EfdJ2P0GdLHH5qkMzzG1bBZdO7z7Y4rRYmPNgRQrijT/s1600/tourofcave.jpeg" /></a></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXeRyclPNLVIdBz_9E36lTgM9CBqHCT26u2BtV1e3f8h6ZbklH5JAUKrF4TqiAcA7ZRRwV3JRp61Iz9oSmW8D0XfMQieIjZ2RreLwq_w_ONfSiD4d-wQMZ8RyFBDfJkgY0ib7hf4DqFIqW/s1600/bottlepumps.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXeRyclPNLVIdBz_9E36lTgM9CBqHCT26u2BtV1e3f8h6ZbklH5JAUKrF4TqiAcA7ZRRwV3JRp61Iz9oSmW8D0XfMQieIjZ2RreLwq_w_ONfSiD4d-wQMZ8RyFBDfJkgY0ib7hf4DqFIqW/s200/bottlepumps.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
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</tbody></table> <span style="font-size: x-large;">There's an old joke about a guy who says he went to to the fights and a hockey game broke out. Obviously, fights at a hockey game are about what you would expect to see. A recent night out turned into a PR experience I wasn't expecting. No, I did not go to the fights or a hockey game.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"> I went to a wine tasting at a small winery in Central Pennsylvania. Let's face it, Central PA isn't exactly Napa Valley. No matter, the staff at SteveBauerMedia never passes up an excuse to drink a little vino. This particular outfit is called the Seven Mountains Wine Cellars. It's run by Scott Bubb and his wife Mary Ann. In his previous life Scott was a successful, award-winning amateur winemaker. But he paid the bills working at a factory. After a 35-year career in manufacturing, the factory closed and Scott was out on the street.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8y0pMgNu5su7O2DYYUJpnmQe8MQSPJ_gcT0VX9dgYBMntlU4eVRueeAHkfF7LKFBwN19zaw7bwsK6wTxyCLvIPLj1CDAF0nZEkCjIdUuxeucfHO7-aAOpkEu3gjDyp3s0YrhQtAGbkmOB/s1600/winesampling.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8y0pMgNu5su7O2DYYUJpnmQe8MQSPJ_gcT0VX9dgYBMntlU4eVRueeAHkfF7LKFBwN19zaw7bwsK6wTxyCLvIPLj1CDAF0nZEkCjIdUuxeucfHO7-aAOpkEu3gjDyp3s0YrhQtAGbkmOB/s200/winesampling.jpeg" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scott Bubb, Vintner</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: x-large;"> That's how Scott and Mary Ann suddenly found themselves in the wine business. The Bubb's are by no means PR professionals but they figured out the common sense basics. Naturally, they started with research. The couple spent a great deal of time touring vineyards across the country- always asking lots of questions. They learned what worked and what didn't. One of the first things Scott told our group was, quote, "It's all about the experience. A year from now you won't remember what wine you had but you'll remember how you felt. We want you to have a good experience here."</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Lesson 1) A good experience. Is that what you're giving your clients and customers?</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPMi7t09fabOG2CGqd8rptbj5L8pcqtIJ12EnleL3AWcMiXJE3PdSeJ8pVaHo39XF_PNwWtypX3slaC4bWbWLrLcWiLQPOgymZdXFAGwntKLrN1x-hfzVZzuXq9UZUvIbn8xSdftRvnRjB/s1600/winebarrels.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPMi7t09fabOG2CGqd8rptbj5L8pcqtIJ12EnleL3AWcMiXJE3PdSeJ8pVaHo39XF_PNwWtypX3slaC4bWbWLrLcWiLQPOgymZdXFAGwntKLrN1x-hfzVZzuXq9UZUvIbn8xSdftRvnRjB/s200/winebarrels.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A barrel of fun!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: right;"></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"> At Seven Mountains you can adopt a barrel of wine! <span class="style3">It's a grueling five year process. First, you have to pay $500. (That's the grueling part) Then they put a plaque on your barrel engraved with your personal message. Once a year for four years you get a case of wine. Each case has a retail value of roughly $175.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv98SAA9rjblbrbG0MxQD4FL0bVWRcdWuq91hfAf0ROMKwAm429RTYTnfIuQKifZG30Urx7lVl3D53ZYiSfoLDlBidkQaU-pFAipQz-KX1Mjq6VXgbRpIv7ww0kjUpQrIHfI9wCeBnxkZ3/s1600/winebarrelsaying.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv98SAA9rjblbrbG0MxQD4FL0bVWRcdWuq91hfAf0ROMKwAm429RTYTnfIuQKifZG30Urx7lVl3D53ZYiSfoLDlBidkQaU-pFAipQz-KX1Mjq6VXgbRpIv7ww0kjUpQrIHfI9wCeBnxkZ3/s200/winebarrelsaying.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Your message here! </td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="style3">On the fifth year you get the actual wine barrel.</span> However, you can't do this right now because </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">every single barrel in the place has already been adopted.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Lesson 2) Be creative. Engage your customers. Have fun.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc7FO7bzmob2s3dizWpd-rth2JCDTd7pCYrvQLD-AmQapEYItI3sbwxtCQ6wthEPNBDlj1e076_zP9TuKUCU04uV14ku8MFOxVdybQ21edulCGCxW08bHaIvBjs49IGZG4Xz-itOYwAof7/s1600/tourofcave.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc7FO7bzmob2s3dizWpd-rth2JCDTd7pCYrvQLD-AmQapEYItI3sbwxtCQ6wthEPNBDlj1e076_zP9TuKUCU04uV14ku8MFOxVdybQ21edulCGCxW08bHaIvBjs49IGZG4Xz-itOYwAof7/s200/tourofcave.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
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</tbody></table><span style="font-size: x-large;"> Scott gave us a guided tour of his whole operation. He answered all our questions and showed us how everything works. He tapped one of the 15,000 gallon vats and let us all pour a glass. We learned a lot about winemaking and had a bunch of laughs. Turns out Scott is a pretty funny guy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Lesson 3) Be Accessible. Listen to your customers. Let them ask questions. A growing number of businesses are using social media to interact with the public. It gives the people you need the most (customers) a chance to tell you what they think- to make suggestions- and sometimes, to complain. But you are getting valuable feedback. And yes, you can follow Seven Mountains on Facebook. <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Seven-Mountains-Wine-Cellars/120150978513">Follow 7 Mts Wine Cellar on Facebook</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"> Scott let us taste several different wines, explaining how different varieties are made, telling us about the history of winemaking- generally sharing his expertise. He also paired each wine with special food, chocolates, or hor d'oeuvres. And he made it a point of telling us exactly which local catering companies had prepared each dish. The Bubb's aren't just tooting their own horn.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Lesson 4) Network. Share the wealth. Build alliances. Pay it forward and pass along good information about your colleagues and business associates. You want them to do the same for you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"> When the weather is nice people are always welcome to stop by and picnic out on the deck. The Bubbs encourage customers to come on over and watch the big game on the flat screen! Seven Mountains also sponsors local bands and invites everyone to see the performances.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU9zqAVVewtIA6hyphenhyphenoZWp1tJjb9_rWZoSY4MenNg1_4h42QvxCH6BgNsMYSHPnLnxBUWyphe8JNMQ2FjOw14-i9vSuzjPz46cEx2EfdJ2P0GdLHH5qkMzzG1bBZdO7z7Y4rRYmPNgRQrijT/s1600/tourofcave.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU9zqAVVewtIA6hyphenhyphenoZWp1tJjb9_rWZoSY4MenNg1_4h42QvxCH6BgNsMYSHPnLnxBUWyphe8JNMQ2FjOw14-i9vSuzjPz46cEx2EfdJ2P0GdLHH5qkMzzG1bBZdO7z7Y4rRYmPNgRQrijT/s1600/tourofcave.jpeg" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Lesson 5) Reach out. Be friendly. Be a part of the community.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWNHOeDlxp7wR1pCefdYAH5-FJtI7LD2twzRFi_kH6rwzrnV_-4A3jGJZWk24UHkJ6Rm8WisUmaKrVBty6YTt5BkYV24JkNUrixCeTqR9EovQXRNEU8Jv5H1et1pvyd8LItsElO1yfMkPf/s1600/wineglass.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWNHOeDlxp7wR1pCefdYAH5-FJtI7LD2twzRFi_kH6rwzrnV_-4A3jGJZWk24UHkJ6Rm8WisUmaKrVBty6YTt5BkYV24JkNUrixCeTqR9EovQXRNEU8Jv5H1et1pvyd8LItsElO1yfMkPf/s200/wineglass.jpeg" width="133" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"> Before we left for the night everyone in our group was handed a souvenir wine glass featuring the Seven Mountains logo.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Lesson 6) Share your good name. Cultivate your image.</span><br />
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<div style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> The Bubb's started their business in the middle of a recession. They hoped to sell something like 15,000 gallons of wine by year five. Scott says they sold 8,000 gallons the first year. They reached their five-year goal of 15,000 gallons in just the second year. This year they're expecting to sell 75,000 gallons. Sure, the wine is pretty good. But what sets Seven Mountains apart? The ancient Greeks proclaimed, </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">"In vino veritas"- in wine there is truth. And as it turns out, there's pretty good PR in there too. Cheers!</span></div><div style="color: red;"><br />
</div><div style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Photos courtesy of Trina Bauer Photography</span></div><div style="color: red;"><br />
</div><div style="color: red; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Check out my LinkedIn profile: <br />
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Copyright 2011</span> </div><div style="color: red; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">all rights reserved by the author</span></div><div style="color: red; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><span class="style3"></span>Are We Having Fun Yet?http://www.blogger.com/profile/17983346146449079499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130968165457929554.post-29494901974288410842011-04-20T19:13:00.001-04:002011-06-17T11:44:38.977-04:00Who's "Sorry" Now? Taco Bell Claims Victory After Agressive PR in Taco Filling Lawsuit.<span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwqqcNgsxW0rWRiHD-PTOmeDUQR_kPgUZHQIQN-gt_ilu-OGzWbgHYGdRU5Xb8K-nQwpvYLkoDcIcGPxuYsMDxPKKKEsZbon26_JPNDTKmD1q1Q5MeSIT99bd0-OirOsdPgKNbCQUhRSD5/s1600/Taco+Bell+b.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwqqcNgsxW0rWRiHD-PTOmeDUQR_kPgUZHQIQN-gt_ilu-OGzWbgHYGdRU5Xb8K-nQwpvYLkoDcIcGPxuYsMDxPKKKEsZbon26_JPNDTKmD1q1Q5MeSIT99bd0-OirOsdPgKNbCQUhRSD5/s200/Taco+Bell+b.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: x-large;"> Your company is hit with a scandalous accusation. The case makes national headlines. Consumers assume your product is "tainted". And in the end, there's nothing to the story. All that bad publicity had to have an impact. And you can't put the genie back in the bottle- Who's going to pay?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"> That's apparently the scenario that Taco Bell is dealing with right now. As SteveBauerMedia reported last January the fast food giant was sued for allegedly using less than 50% beef in its Taco filling. Back then SBM advised:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: blue;"> "In a case like this Taco Bell needs to do more than issue a statement on its web site, threaten legal action, and hunker down to see if it will all blow over." stevebauermedia 1/11</span></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"> Apparently Taco Bell took SBM's advice because the company came out swinging- with full page ads in major newspapers. CEO Greg Creed angrily denounced the lawsuit- stating that Taco Bell's tacos contain 88% beef and 12% spices and other ingredients. TB vowed to fight. Today, the original lawsuit was suddenly dropped. According to the Associated Press, the law firm Beasley Allen, based in Montgomery, Alabama, says it dropped the lawsuit because Taco Bell changed its marketing and product disclosure information. Taco Bell says it did no such thing. Whatever. The big question for Taco Bell now- how does the company rescue its reputation?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"> You'd think in a case like this that it's difficult if not impossible to repair all the damage. But Taco Bell is doing a great job of crisis management. Back to major newspapers today, TB placed full page ads targeting that law firm in Alabama. The ads ask, quote, </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: red;"> "Would it kill you to say you're sorry?... As for the lawyers who brought this suit: You got it wrong, and you're probably feeling pretty bad right about now. But you know what always helps? Saying to everyone, 'I'm sorry.' C'mon, you can do it!"</span></span><br />
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<div style="color: lime;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">See Taco Bell's complete press release here: </span></div><div style="color: lime;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.tacobell.com/pdf/Say_Sorry.pdf" style="color: lime;">Taco Bell Statement</a></span></div><div style="color: lime;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></div><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: red;"> </span>In today's ads Taco Bell crows the company is making "no changes to our products or ingredients...no changes to our advertising." The best defense is a good offense. And we think Taco Bell is in a good position to turn lemons into lemonade- or in this case ground beef into filet mignon. What next? Should Taco Bell file a defamation lawsuit? That would keep the issue in the public eye- giving TB more opportunities to remind the public that it sells a quality product. Quality is a relative term since we are talking about fast food... Taco Bell needs to stay aggressive- because this could be a golden opportunity to re-energize the brand. We checked TB's website and discovered this YouTube statement from TB's CEO: </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/J39aCp2slcY?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwqqcNgsxW0rWRiHD-PTOmeDUQR_kPgUZHQIQN-gt_ilu-OGzWbgHYGdRU5Xb8K-nQwpvYLkoDcIcGPxuYsMDxPKKKEsZbon26_JPNDTKmD1q1Q5MeSIT99bd0-OirOsdPgKNbCQUhRSD5/s1600/Taco+Bell+b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span style="font-size: x-large;"> He's essentially reading the newspaper ad. We think he should be a lot more active- maybe eating a taco while standing in court (of public opinion).</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"> We found the same press release and YouTube video on Taco Bell's Facebook page. We should note that Taco Bell's Facebook page has a <span class="placePageStatsNumber">6,198,614 "likes". By comparison, industry leader McDonald's has </span><span class="uiNumberGiant fsxxl fwb">7,848,664. Burger King has a less-than-whopping 1,039,052, and Wendy's has less than a million.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="uiNumberGiant fsxxl fwb"> Over at Twitter Taco Bell is running with this hashtag #Victoryfortruth! And it looks like a lot of people are retweeting the link to that YouTube video.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpESibdNSeWrvu-MhJxcr2ziIjoOSnsI098VaxmViQHtv8wB71ufXE0D-mrbD0qscqOoECpYYYXeIZrPLe80giqx29XJio0DFvhxD_CDgAaAmJHvJ8pqeoPaATpOosDwCVh_FsBjZu955n/s1600/Taco+Bell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpESibdNSeWrvu-MhJxcr2ziIjoOSnsI098VaxmViQHtv8wB71ufXE0D-mrbD0qscqOoECpYYYXeIZrPLe80giqx29XJio0DFvhxD_CDgAaAmJHvJ8pqeoPaATpOosDwCVh_FsBjZu955n/s200/Taco+Bell.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="uiNumberGiant fsxxl fwb"> We sent an e-mail to Taco Bell's media relations department asking what else the company is planning. But we haven't heard back yet. I hope they'll take our advice and come up with an aggressive -and clever- campaign that not only focuses on the "beef" but promotes Taco Bell in an engaging way. It's gotta be better than that YouTube thing. Gotta run- it's already after lunchtime and I suddenly have a craving for one of those crunchy gordita things.</span></span><br />
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Copyright 2011</span> </div><div style="color: red; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">all rights reserved by the author</span></div><span class="uiNumberGiant fsxxl fwb"></span>Are We Having Fun Yet?http://www.blogger.com/profile/17983346146449079499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130968165457929554.post-67738690138705247292011-04-19T10:08:00.002-04:002011-06-17T11:45:46.321-04:00The Airline Industry Wants to Steal Your Luggage* and Other PR Missteps<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE5T58dGvotWIZY-LQbnW3YyBTUAA8nrUhB41ra6O_c7Dv68NyrRNQOi9K3QJlfVF8J7KcFyaqaBXNisAtuiiZqj6Q5hUBRcvcJLRBjPrHRmzzJfJOuC7Y8VfylJTTeIIpAtAbGAb8Mzjw/s1600/luggage+conveyor+belt.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE5T58dGvotWIZY-LQbnW3YyBTUAA8nrUhB41ra6O_c7Dv68NyrRNQOi9K3QJlfVF8J7KcFyaqaBXNisAtuiiZqj6Q5hUBRcvcJLRBjPrHRmzzJfJOuC7Y8VfylJTTeIIpAtAbGAb8Mzjw/s200/luggage+conveyor+belt.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: x-large;"> *No, the airline industry doesn't really want to steal your luggage.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> But it does sound like the fly guys are playing fast and loose with your hard earned cash The government is now asking airlines to refund baggage fees whenever your luggage doesn't arrive in a "timely manner". Sounds fair to me. When you pay to have a bag shipped you expect it to arrive with you. Sometimes "mishandled" luggage doesn't turn up for days or weeks. The Air Transport Association of America, the industry group that represents most major airlines, claims automatic refunds for delayed bags will increase costs and lead to higher prices for passengers. Can you hear it? It's the unmistakably grating sound of of bad PR.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> Full disclosure: a major US carrier once sent my luggage to Idontknowwhere, USA- leaving me on a Caribbean cruise ship dressed in slacks, loafers and a sports coat. The cruise line gave me flip flops from the spa, a couple of T-shirts, and that's what I had to wear for 3 days.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> Almost all the airlines charge $15, $20, $25 or more for each piece of luggage you check. If you get to your destination and your bag does not- most airlines will not issue a refund- although a few will give you a "credit".</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> According the the FAA's web site, US airlines mishandled more than 138,000 bags in February. Just for fun, let's say all 138,000 bags were misplaced- meaning that they'll show up eventually. Assuming the airlines charged just $15 per bag- that's $2,070,000. Spread over an entire year that's a bit under $25 million.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> You could argue that the no refund policy makes airlines look a little greedy- and a little anxious to "stick it" to their customers. Remember, these are the people who've brought us flight delays, overbooked planes, passengers trapped on the tarmac for hours and let's not forget full body scans.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> Hey airline industry- do you have any idea how much it costs for a national ad campaign? It's a lot. Here are some of the headlines from the "No Luggage, No Refund" stories that are making the rounds. </span><br />
<ul><li><h1><span style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">The Seattle Times:<b>Air travelers might finally catch a break</b></span></span></span></h1></li>
<li><h1><span style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Bloomberg Business Week: <b>Gov't wants airlines to repay fee after losing bag</b></span></span></span></h1></li>
<li><h1><span style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Philadelphia Inquirer: <b>Refunds proposed for delayed baggage</b></span></span></span></h1></li>
<li><h1><span style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Washington Post: <b>Airline lose your suitcase? Government says you should get your checked-bag fee back</b></span></span></span></h1></li>
<li><h1><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Detroit Free Press: <b>New rule could require airlines to refund bag fee if luggage is lost</b></span></span></span></span></h1></li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR1buL7E4TIYBeGmtCOMdJIjjkIMzfkhLmB0-x0CZvrI9TITwn6cFhM9WGKOsJjcM69kGEmWVD_dBM80HhbYxa0_kRU1YooB-b-30EbRDdXRTx92adl6uxtEL4Wyy1KR0QE6kGoKg4bWx4/s1600/luggage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR1buL7E4TIYBeGmtCOMdJIjjkIMzfkhLmB0-x0CZvrI9TITwn6cFhM9WGKOsJjcM69kGEmWVD_dBM80HhbYxa0_kRU1YooB-b-30EbRDdXRTx92adl6uxtEL4Wyy1KR0QE6kGoKg4bWx4/s320/luggage.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><h1><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> Know what all those news stories have in common? They all give the appearance that the airline industry thinks it's okay to charge for a service and then not deliver. Even better, all those stories suggest that the airline industry is essentially refusing to do the right thing. I'm betting that if you had to pay for all of this negative publicity it would cost a lot more than $25 million. But I hear the major airlines will earn $5 billion dollars this year- so they must know what they're doing...</span></span></span></span></h1><div style="color: red; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Check out my LinkedIn profile: <br />
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Copyright 2011</span> </div><div style="color: red; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">all rights reserved by the author</span></div><h1><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></span></span></h1>Are We Having Fun Yet?http://www.blogger.com/profile/17983346146449079499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130968165457929554.post-45675966041101080542011-04-12T17:02:00.001-04:002011-06-17T11:46:15.357-04:00What's Your Good Name Worth?- Price Points in PR<span style="font-size: x-large;"> You've probably heard that top executives with Transocean awarded themselves hefty bonuses- citing 2010 as "the best year in safety performance in our Company's history". Transocean is the company that owned the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig. That rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, killing 11 people. Predictably, the safety bonus announcement generated a firestorm of negative publicity.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> Transocean later apologized for the "insensitive wording" in a SEC filing about the bonuses. I just checked the Transocean web site- and found a news release announcing that Transocean's Senior managers are "voluntarily donating those safety bonuses to the Deepwater Horizon Memorial Fund." I think that's a creative use of the word "voluntarily". At least the bonuses, about $250,000, will go to the fund that benefits families of the 11 people who died. If only those executives could donate to a fund that restores your reputation.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> What I don't get is how often I have to write the words "tone deaf"? How could anyone think declaring 2010 a "safe" year was a safe move for Transocean? Didn't they read the papers? At what point do you say, "everyone hates us anyway, so we might as well get paid a bundle"? If you look up the most infamous professions the oil industry is no doubt gaining ground on used car salesmen and attorneys.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> All this got me to thinking about executive salaries. So I googled "executive greed". I found a New York Times article that included a study by two professors, Lucian Bebchuk of Harvard and Yaniv Grinstein of Cornell. According to Bebchuck and Grinstein: from 2001 to 2003... (executive pay) totaled roughly 10 percent of corporate profits at public companies.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> I don't even want to know what 10 percent of corporate profits might total. Let's just agree that it's an obscene sum of money.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> I also found an Amazon.com ad for a book titled- </span><span id="btAsinTitle" style="font-size: x-large;">"Executive Greed: Examining Business Failures that Contributed to the Economic Crisis". Ironically, the book is selling for $65.</span><span id="btAsinTitle" style="font-size: x-large;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span id="btAsinTitle" style="font-size: x-large;"> According to CNNMoney.com's list of 20 top-paid CEOs </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">The 2010 winner is Philippe P. Dauman. Dauman collected $84 million as the head of Viacom. At the bottom of the top 20 list is Robert J. Stevens who made $19 million running Lockheed Martin. Coming in at number 20 Stevens must be some kind of executive slacker.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> Has anybody noticed there was a terrible recession awhile back? Millions of Americans are out of work- reporting zero earnings. Yet, at the same time all these CEOs amassed small fortunes. I'm not going to rail about inequity. I'm not going to complain about ethics. That's not the point.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> I'd think some of these brilliant top executives would exploit the pay issue- and turn it into a public relations bonanza. They could cut their pay and tell customers they're lowering prices until better times return. Remember when Lee Iacocca set his salary at one dollar? A few years later, after Chrysler rebounded, Iacocca was the top-paid CEO. Just saying...</span><br />
<br />
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Copyright 2011</span> </div><div style="color: red; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">all rights reserved by the author</span></div>Are We Having Fun Yet?http://www.blogger.com/profile/17983346146449079499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130968165457929554.post-86625120631359712532011-04-07T16:18:00.003-04:002011-06-17T11:55:05.146-04:00Nothing Too Big For This Small Boy- How YouTube & Twitter Helped Make National News<span style="font-size: x-large;"> Here's a cute story about a small New Jersey boy who has big dreams. It's also about a big politician who understands social media. Five-year-old Jesse Koczon is the star of a YouTube video that's become an instant classic. In one emotional scene Jesse sobs that he's "too small to be governor of New Jersey". Take a look. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/7xKQsmqTWpI?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> Jesse's video generated over 176,000 hits in less than a week. But it also generated a lot of buzz because New Jersey Governor Chris Christie got into the act. The Guv sent this tweet to Jesse: </span><br />
<br />
<div class="tweet-row"><div class="tweet-user-block"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/GovChristie"><img alt="Governor Christie" class="tweet-user-block-image user-profile-link" data-user-id="90484508" src="http://a2.twimg.com/profile_images/1174619249/TwitterPicGovChristie_normal.JPG" /></a></span> <br />
<div class="tweet-user-block-name"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a class="tweet-user-block-screen-name user-profile-link" data-user-id="90484508" href="http://twitter.com/#%21/GovChristie" title="Governor Christie">@GovChristie</a> <span class="tweet-user-block-full-name">Governor Christie </span></span></div></div></div><div class="tweet-row"><div class="tweet-text tweet-text-large"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Don’t worry Jesse, people gave plenty of reasons why I couldn't be Governor, though being too small wasn't one of them</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> For those not familiar with Governor Christie, the reason that being small wasn't a problem is that he can politely be described as "husky". So, the little kid gets a personal message from the Governor and everybody's happy. But it doesn't end there. </span></div></div><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> Yesterday, Governor Christie signed a proclamation making Jesse honorary governor for a day. Jesse's twin brother, Brandon, was named honorary lieutenant governor. During a private moment Jessie and Governor Christie had a talk- about taxes. And that led to a pretty funny exchange in front of reporters.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="color: lime;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></div><div style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Governor Christie: Didn't you and I have a talk back there about property taxes?</span></div><div style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Jesse: "Of course I did."</span></div><div style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Governor Christie: "And what did I tell you?"</span></div><div style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Jesse: "Don't raise them." (laughter)</span></div><div style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Governor Christie: "And if you do raise them, what happens?" </span></div><div style="color: red;"></div><div style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Jesse: I won't be Governor for that long." (more laughter)</span></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> You can see the exchange because the Governor's staff posted video to YouTube.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/kLWqVVJeRWA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> This story is now being carried by all kinds of media outlets.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> The takeaway: Governor Christie could have ignored Jesse's video. But instead, the social media-savvy politician used Twitter to respond. And now, in the middle of a budget/economic crisis there's a feel good story coming out of the New Jersey Statehouse. Clearly, Christie gets social media- his official web page features links to Facebook and YouTube. He has more than 35,000 followers on Twitter. And it's not just for show. Governor Christie is using social media to get his message out there. Here are just a couple of recent Tweets I found.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="tweet-image"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img alt="Governor Christie" class="user-profile-link" data-user-id="90484508" height="48" src="http://a2.twimg.com/profile_images/1174619249/TwitterPicGovChristie_normal.JPG" width="48" /></span> </div><div class="tweet-row"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="tweet-user-name"> <a class="tweet-screen-name user-profile-link" data-user-id="90484508" href="http://twitter.com/#%21/GovChristie" title="Governor Christie">GovChristie</a> <span class="tweet-full-name">Governor Christie</span> </span></span> <br />
<div class="tweet-corner"><div class="tweet-meta"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="icons"> </span></span><br />
<div class="extra-icons"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="icons"><span class="inlinemedia-icons"></span> </span></span></div></div></div></div><div class="tweet-row"><div class="tweet-text"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Tune in to @<a class=" twitter-atreply" data-screen-name="ABC" href="http://twitter.com/ABC" rel="nofollow">ABC</a> @<a class=" twitter-atreply" data-screen-name="ABCWorldNews" href="http://twitter.com/ABCWorldNews" rel="nofollow">ABCWorldNews</a> tonight to catch my interview with Diane Sawyer</span></div></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="tweet-image"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img alt="Governor Christie" class="user-profile-link" data-user-id="90484508" height="48" src="http://a2.twimg.com/profile_images/1174619249/TwitterPicGovChristie_normal.JPG" width="48" /></span> </div><div class="tweet-row"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="tweet-user-name"> <a class="tweet-screen-name user-profile-link" data-user-id="90484508" href="http://twitter.com/#%21/GovChristie" title="Governor Christie">GovChristie</a> <span class="tweet-full-name">Governor Christie</span> </span></span> </div><div class="tweet-row"><div class="tweet-text"><span style="font-size: x-large;">@<a class=" twitter-atreply" data-screen-name="Rachel1019" href="http://twitter.com/Rachel1019" rel="nofollow">Rachel1019</a> I sent your issue to the state treasurer for investigation & follow up</span></div><div class="tweet-text"></div><div class="tweet-image"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img alt="Governor Christie" class="user-profile-link" data-user-id="90484508" height="48" src="http://a2.twimg.com/profile_images/1174619249/TwitterPicGovChristie_normal.JPG" width="48" /></span> </div><div class="tweet-row"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="tweet-user-name"> <a class="tweet-screen-name user-profile-link" data-user-id="90484508" href="http://twitter.com/#%21/GovChristie" title="Governor Christie">GovChristie</a> <span class="tweet-full-name">Governor Christie</span> </span></span> <br />
<div class="tweet-corner"><div class="tweet-meta"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="icons"> </span></span><br />
<div class="extra-icons"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="icons"><span class="inlinemedia-icons"></span> </span></span></div></div></div></div><div class="tweet-row"><div class="tweet-text"><span style="font-size: x-large;">@<a class=" twitter-atreply" data-screen-name="JaneyJusticeXXX" href="http://twitter.com/JaneyJusticeXXX" rel="nofollow">JaneyJusticeXXX</a> U know nothing. My parents were middle class, both worked. I pd 4 my own college & law school. Sorry so uninformed & bitter</span></div><div class="tweet-text"></div><div class="tweet-image"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img alt="Governor Christie" class="user-profile-link" data-user-id="90484508" height="48" src="http://a2.twimg.com/profile_images/1174619249/TwitterPicGovChristie_normal.JPG" width="48" /></span> </div><div class="tweet-row"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="tweet-user-name"> <a class="tweet-screen-name user-profile-link" data-user-id="90484508" href="http://twitter.com/#%21/GovChristie" title="Governor Christie">GovChristie</a> <span class="tweet-full-name">Governor Christie</span> </span></span> <br />
<div class="tweet-corner"><div class="tweet-meta"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="icons"> </span></span><br />
<div class="extra-icons"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="icons"><span class="inlinemedia-icons"></span> </span></span></div></div></div></div><div class="tweet-row"><div class="tweet-text"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Just left Nino's Reataurant in Harrison. Best Sicilian pizza in NJ.</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> You don't have to be a politician to see the value you get by using social media to interact with your customers. Whether you're a politician or a company or a public relations pro- when it comes to social media you can lead, follow or get out of the way. Just be careful you don't get voted out of business.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Update: Since this was first posted the original video of Jesse has been removed from YouTube- citing a copyright claim by Disney Enterprises. </span></div></div><div class="tweet-text"><br />
<div style="color: red; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Check out my LinkedIn profile: <br />
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Copyright 2011</span> </div><div style="color: red; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">all rights reserved by the author</span></div><div style="color: red; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div></div></div></div>Are We Having Fun Yet?http://www.blogger.com/profile/17983346146449079499noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130968165457929554.post-45320530959615690362011-03-30T14:58:00.001-04:002011-06-17T11:51:40.070-04:00Aflac Quacks the Social Media Code<span style="font-size: x-large;"> By now you've probably heard about Gilbert Gottfried and the Aflac duck. For those who missed it, Gottfried was the distinctive voice of AFFFFFLLLAAAAACCCCCC! for more than a decade. Sadly, the loud-mouthed comedian tweeted some insensitive "jokes" in the aftermath of Japan's horrific earthquake/tsunami. (I won't repeat the jokes. If you need to read them you can find them yourself on the internet.) Talk about tone deaf- a massive tragedy isn't something to joke about. For what it's worth, Gottfried later used Twitter to apologize. As it turns out, Aflac does big business in Japan- so it was no surprise when Gottried was fired. Thanks to those entertaining commercials you probably know Aflac insurance is for people who are hurt and can't work. Ironically, Gottfried has hurt himself and he's not working at Aflac anymore.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> But that's not the point. What's noteworthy is how Aflac is using social media to make lemonade out of Gottfried's raspberries. The Aflac duck has its own Twitter page- <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/aflacduck">@aflacduck</a> which includes a link to raise money for Japanese quake/tsunami victims. The insurance giant is also holding an open casting call- to find a replacement duck voice-over artist. Clever. This is getting a lot of attention in the media. A quick glance on-line reveals stories in dozens of media outlets- from ABC News to Zimbio.com. As they say, it's the kind of press you just can't buy. Aflac invites everyone to "take a Quack at it" (being its spokes-duck). You can apply at <a href="http://quackaflac.com/">QuackAflac.com</a> and at Monster too. Here are the directions courtesy of Aflac:</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">"How would the Duck sound- informative, frustrated, happy, surprised, angry?</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Feel free to add grunts, groans, and mutterings,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> but no words other than "Aflac.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Include whatever you think</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> the Duck should sound like.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Be creative and show us if you've got</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> what it takes to be the next Aflac Duck."</span></div><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> Published reports say Aflac has already gotten more than 28,000 applications. Casting calls will be held Thursday (March 31) and Friday (April 1) in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Las Vegas and Austin. You can also send an audio file directly to Aflac. Do you suppose any TV cameras might be invited to those auditions? Film at 11:00. And get this: </span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/aflacduck">Aflac's Facebook page</a> is now liked by 242,184 people. Out of curiosity, I checked some other insurance companies. State Farm Insurance has 67,512 Facebook likes. Allstate Insurance has 27,301. And talk about putting it all together- a recent Aflac tweet directs people to Aflac's Facebook page- where they'll be posting audio of some duck voice audition finalists.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> Lessons Learned:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">1) Tragedies are not humorous. Seriously.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">2) Social media can reach a large audience quickly- but as Gilbert Gottfried found out that can be a really bad thing.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">3) Social media mistakes can and will happen as we all learn to handle this ever-changing technology.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">4) Aflac could have been frustrated, surprised and angry by Gottfried's unfunny attempts at humor.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">5) Instead, Aflac saw an opportunity in disguise- and it's called social media. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">6) Creative crisis management can help "insure" your company's reputation.</span><br />
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Copyright 2011</span> </div><div style="color: red; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">all rights reserved by the author</span></div>Are We Having Fun Yet?http://www.blogger.com/profile/17983346146449079499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130968165457929554.post-980686689901070232011-03-23T12:49:00.002-04:002011-06-17T11:52:08.006-04:00PR Fallout From Japan - An Extreme Case of Crisis Management<span style="font-size: x-large;"> The tragic chain events in Japan has opened up a Pandora's box of public relations troubles. Is Japan's government telling victims what they need to know? Is there too much confusion? Is there a crisis management plan? Or are Japan's leaders simply overwhelmed by the multiple disasters? Realistically, It's hard to know what's happening in the midst of chaos. Japanese Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano has emerged as a prominent spokesperson. His name is a global trending topic on Twitter. But some critics also question whether Edano is telling the truth. I've seen some interviews with Japanese quake/tsunami/nuclear victims who don't know whether to trust what the government is telling them. What could Japan do better? I think, given the scope of the disaster, this remains an open question.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"> The Nuclear issue has to rank as the greatest challenge in terms of PR. Every day there's a new report about radiation spikes. Increased radiation levels in spinach, milk and tap water has a lot of Japanese people worried. A report in the Christian Science Monitor indicates that public support for nuclear power has fallen sharply. A Gallup Poll taken last March showed that 62% of Americans supported nuclear energy. Today, a USA Today/Gallup survey shows that support dropping to 44%.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"> Early on, Japan recommended evacuations for residents living within a 12 mile radius of the damaged reactors. But at the same time U.S. officials were warning Americans living within 50-miles to move. Is the U.S. being more cautious or is Japan downplaying the dangers- perhaps to avoid sparking mass hysteria?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"> News outlets are running lots of stories questioning the safety of nuclear plants in the United States. What if it happened here? I'm sure it's no coincidence that The Today Show was given an "unprecedented" look inside a nuclear plant in Louisiana. Operators told The Today Show their plant was extremely safe. At the end of the story, reporter Tom Costello pointed out that his radiation monitor registered a zero- no radiation exposure despite his being taken to the area where spent nuclear rods are stored. Balance that against a new Associated Press report- revealing there are nearly 72,000 tons of radioactive nuclear waste in the United States. And there is no plan to store that waste permanently. We're told nuclear waste can remain dangerous for years- tens of thousands of years.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"> As the tragedy in Japan unfolds the nuclear industry may have to grapple with even more negative news reports. There are sure to be renewed calls for greater scrutiny, better safety measures- and even the end of nuclear power. Obviously, the industry is working hard to give reporters its side of the story. But I'm not sure if I see a "Crisis Management" plan at work. If American nuclear plants are safer than plants in Japan- that could be the focus of a major PR campaign. The nuclear industry may also need to take concrete action. It may be time to come up with a plan to dispose of all that radioactive waste. If plants can be made safer- perhaps now is a good time to address the issue. I think the people in charge of the nuclear energy industry need to be proactive. If U.S. plants are safe, those executives need to help Americans understand we are not facing unnecessary- and unknown- risks. It's clear that everyone in Japan knows the risks are very real indeed.</span><br />
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Copyright 2011</span> </div><div style="color: red; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">all rights reserved by the author</span></div>Are We Having Fun Yet?http://www.blogger.com/profile/17983346146449079499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130968165457929554.post-1384050823055729192011-03-10T17:46:00.002-05:002011-06-17T11:52:28.107-04:00Jennifer Aniston's Sex Tape Goes Viral<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"> Forget about Friends. Jennifer Aniston is getting noticed for her performance in an entirely different arena. Not surprisingly, the racy title is not entirely accurate. Jennifer's sex tape is less about sex than it is about going viral.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"> You might have noticed that Aniston is the face of a marketing campaign for smartwater- a company that sells upscale bottled water. On its web site smartwater proclaims <span id="playnav-curvideo-view-count">itself, and I quote, "the water with all the answers... a zero calorie, vapor distilled, electrolyte-enhanced water." (So you know it's good!).</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span id="playnav-curvideo-view-count"> The JAST (Jennifer Aniston Sex Tape) was made with one singular mission- to go viral. I'm not sure that I believe it myself, but YouTube says JAST has pulled </span><span dir="ltr"></span><span id="playnav-curvideo-view-count">a staggering 5,053,172 views</span> since it was posted on March 7th.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"> How, you may ask, did smartwater attract so much attention? Here's the recipe. Take one bottle of water, add one attractive and irreverent pitchwoman, and then make fun of all the viral videos you've seen in the past. As I mentioned, it's all done with the brazen intention of going viral. There are puppies, (lots and lots of puppies) dancing babies, dirty dancing (don't ask), and notably, Jennifer Aniston kicking a man in the crotch. The actual video appears below.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://3.gvt0.com/vi/kgX_IJPOifs/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/kgX_IJPOifs&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kgX_IJPOifs&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></span></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span dir="ltr"></span><span id="playnav-curvideo-view-count"> </span> And now you know why this really is called The Jennifer Aniston Sex Tape. JAST has already been written up in the New York Daily News, Huffingtonpost, CBS News, etc. etc., and almost every on-line piece includes a link to the video (see above). It would seem that smartwater is the toast of the viral town.</span><br />
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Copyright 2011</span> </div><div style="color: red; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">all rights reserved by the author</span></div>Are We Having Fun Yet?http://www.blogger.com/profile/17983346146449079499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130968165457929554.post-27468221745351169262011-03-04T16:42:00.002-05:002011-06-17T11:52:45.900-04:00Celebrity-Style Public Relations - What Charlie Sheen Can Teach Us About Personal Branding<span style="font-size: x-large;"> I really wanted to write a negative spiel about Charlie Sheen- it's just so bizarre. Forgetting, for a moment, his recurring drug/alcohol/anger issues... This is a guy who lives with not one, but two, young girlfriends he calls "goddesses". And Sheen is now embroiled in a child custody dispute. On top of that, Charlie's essentially been kicked out of his $1.8 million per episode TV sitcom job. Sheen's been spouting off about the "Tiger Blood" running through his veins and says he's addicted to "Winning" (whatever that means). Is it any wonder that Charlie's publicist just quit?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"> But wait a minute. I just googled Charlie Sheen and he's at the top of the charts with a bullet. A couple of days ago, Sheen joined the Twitterverse. His profile states, and I quote, </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">"Born Small... Now Huge... Winning... Bring it...! (unemployed winner...)"</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"> And he's apparently set the record for attracting one million followers in just 25 hours and 17 minutes. As I write this Mr. Sheen has 1,587,548 friends. For the record, that number includes me. I sent Charlie a tweet asking for comment. I'm still waiting. But with enough friends to fill every major league baseball stadium it may take Charlie a little while to get back to me. (By my count the total seating for MLB ballparks is 1,309,961) Oddly enough, Charlie has only friended 26 of his followers. I hope he adds my name to the short list- because this blog post really needs a comment from that Tiger-blooded bad-boy actor.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"> A lot of people are convinced that Charlie is a total psycho- and he just may be one. But there's no doubt that he's a genius at generating PR buzz. He's appeared live on NBC's today show almost every day this week. I imagine People Magazine is working on a special edition featuring a "Charlie Angels" centerfold. As I understand it, Sheen may turn the twitter thing into an advertising-based revenue stream. Everybody is talking about Charlie. Everybody has an opinion. His Q-rating is taking off. Maybe Charlie doesn't need a publicist after all.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"> And for those of you keeping score at home it took me about 90 minutes to research and write this post. Most of that time was spent adding up the seating capacity for all those ballparks. And in that 90 minutes, Charlie Sheen's list of Twitter friends rose to 1,598,687. That's an increase of 11,139. By any standard those numbers are P.R. Pretty Ridiculous.</span><br />
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Copyright 2011</span> </div><div style="color: red; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">all rights reserved by the author</span></div>Are We Having Fun Yet?http://www.blogger.com/profile/17983346146449079499noreply@blogger.com0