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The Durex South African brand of condoms provided us with a text book example of what not to do in PR last week. The PR company managing Durex’s Twitter account tweeted a series of offensive and misogynistic jokes igniting an outrage among bloggers and mainstream media.
To make matters worse, the company failed to immediately apologize to those offended and became very defensive spurting out excuses like Durex tweeted similar jokes in the past without complaint.
Since then, the company has changed their tune and removed the inappropriate tweets. Durex’s marketing director has also issued a formal apology.
Durex’s PR firm struck out here on several fronts. Here’s how you can learn from their mistakes:
In an interview with 6abc Action News‘ David Henry, Neff says “to rehab its image Penn State must demonstrate that its biggest concern is the victims. Then, install policies to make sure it never happens again.” Click on the image above to watch the full report.
Neff Associates President – David Neff is a proud owner of two Golden Retrievers and a self proclaimed dog lover. He has also recently hinted at a bring your doggie to work day!
While only 17 percent of U.S. employers currently allow animals in the workplace, according to a survey from the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, dog-friendly work environments are on the rise.
Major companies like Google, Zynga, and Amazon.com are just a few canine friendly work places.
Having pooches underfoot might seem to some like a distraction, but advocates of animals in the workplace have seen quite the opposite effect. Dogs in the office foster friendlier, more collaborative work environments. And according to a survey of 50 pet friendly companies, there is a lower rate of employee absenteeism and a willingness to work longer hours.
Looks like my beloved Puggle, Lucy-Furr might make her Neff debut – stay tuned!
rispy Kreme Philadelphia is pairing up with Devil’s Den in Philadelphia’s FIRST EVER beer and doughnut pairing – benefiting the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society (PAWS).
The fundraising event kicks off tomorrow, Tuesday, October 25 at 11am and runs through 2a – or until the Doughnuts run out.
Head to Devil’s Den in South Philly to enjoy the three delectable pairings featuring Krispy Kreme’s world famous doughnuts: the Original Glazed Doughnut with Philadelphia Brewing Company’s Joe Porter; Cinnamon Bun Doughnut with Yards’ Thomas Jefferson Ale; and the Pumpkin Spice Cake Doughnut with Weyerbacher’s Verboten.
Each flight, which includes all three pairings, is available for $10, with $4 from each sale going to PAWS.
Devil’s Den and Krispy Kreme’s Doughnut and Craft Beer Tasting for PAWS
Where: Devil’s Den, 1148 S. 11th Street
When: Tuesday, October 25, all day
Cost: $10 per flight
More info: www.phillypaws.org
1. It’s your calling card, piece of real estate, your stake in the space
2. It’s the only way to make a footprint and imprint
3. It tells a story about you and what you do
4. It’s the way people remember, recall and recommend you
5. It is the single most important way to establish your credibility, authority and niche
Public Relations is a fast-paced industry and is not for the faint of heart. Many organizations however, make some basic PR mistakes, which can diminish their visibility and credibility. Check out this list of common PR mistakes to avoid:
1. Failure to Research – For most PR representatives, the pressure is on to place news stories and gain mass media coverage. It can be tempting to email that pitch, press release or fact sheet to every media outlet that seems remotely relatable. Resist! Do your research, familiarize yourself with the publication, read what they have covered previously, and make sure what you are pitching is a good fit!
2. Lack of Follow Up – Don’t forget to formally thank your media contacts for any coverage they may provide! A simple email or thank you card will suffice. PR is all about building relationships.
3. Poor Editing – Nothing turns off a reporter more than a poorly written press release or pitch. And even if you are a rock-star writer, don’t underestimate the importance of good editing. Having someone else look over your draft can be the difference between asking prominent media personnel how they enjoyed their ‘doughnuts’ rather than ‘dognuts.’
4. Ignoring the Human Element – Technology has, without a doubt, enhanced everyday communications in just about every way imaginable. Email, text messaging, Twitter, Facebook and other online resources have been especially beneficial to the lives of PR professionals, who value relationship-building more than they do sleep and food combined. However, there is still something to be said for the occasional phone call or in-person meeting with each and every one of your clients and media contacts. The human element will always reign supreme; its importance shouldn’t be forgotten.
5. Overhyping – PR loses credibility in some circles due to the tendency to overhype. Don’t invite a hundred reporters to a press conference for a “life changing announcement” only to tell them that your client is bringing in a new Vice President. Instead, save your hype for the big news and recognize when the other stuff just isn’t that newsworthy.
f you read this week’s New York Times’ “Sunday Styles,” you probably came across Pamela Paul’s article Don’t Call Me, I Won’t Call You from yesterday’s issue. In the article, Paul denounces the utility of the old-fashioned phone call, citing Nielsen statistics that illustrate decreased voice spending and increasing text spending. Beyond its alleged disutility, Paul states, “Phone calls are rude. Intrusive. Awkward.”
At first read, the article is disconcerting to anyone interested in building relationships, like those of us in the PR business. But business people and PR professionals can take solace—while there are some lessons to be learned from Paul’s words, the telephone is far from obsolete or undesirable. In fact, the phone call remains the most personal form of mediated communication and a valuable tool in building relationships.
There’s no doubt that vocal communication can convey more than texting or emailing. Vocal intonation can convey timidity, conviviality, aggression, or, if you’re lucky, charm. But none of it matters if every person you speak to hangs up on you before you can introduce yourself, or, worse, doesn’t pick up the phone at all.
Luckily, there are a few guidelines you can follow to ensure that your phone calls establish a good rapport between you and the journalist, and it all comes down to good manners:
Remember, not every pitch is a success. But every attempted pitch can be used to build relationships that will be essential to future successes.
As time progresses, so do our lives. Perhaps more rapidly than we realize. The ways we choose to progress are changing, largely due to the vehicle known as social media. Social media has enabled each and every one of us to instantly brand ourselves and promote that brand to millions of individuals worldwide. The main tool used to do so, is the network known as Facebook. Facebook has worked its way into our lives professionally and academically as well as in our family life, sports, music and movies.
As far as movies go, the evolution of Facebook was cinematically documented in the feature length film, The Social Network and landed three awards from the academy out of the eight in which it was nominated. Facebook is so involved in our daily lives, even many of the Red Carpet hosts used Facebook to gather questions from their fans to ask the actors as they strolled into the 83rd Annual Academy Awards.
A scene in the movie that sticks out is when the Harvard students are discussing the first 24 hours of Facebook’s existence. In that time, 650 users signed up for the site. Now that number may not seem all that high, but at the time you had to have a Harvard email address in order to sign up. In this first 24 hours, the Facebook brand reached 650 people simply by word of mouth. This is shocking because at the time there was no official advertising, let alone a full understanding of the site by its creator, Mark Zuckerberg, and his colleagues. Due to the viral nature of Facebook, we use this concept to our advantage when endorsing a product, thought, or event without looking too promotional, yet still reaching our audience.
I look at Facebook as a virtual word of mouth, a mouth that can reach millions within a matter of seconds. If you go to a restaurant and enjoy the experience, you’re most likely going to grab your smart phone and at that minute give a status update which includes the name of the restaurant, what you ate and maybe even a link to the website or a picture of your dish. This type of advertising is priceless and today we strive for our brand to achieve a “Facebook-worthy” status.
On ESPN’s Washington radio affiliate ESPN-980 Donovan McNabb was questioned about the reaction he is anticipating at the Link on Sunday. Don predicted cheers. Didn’t he learn anything in Philadelphia?
He will be booed and here are 5 (get-it?) reasons why:
1) He’s wearing the wrong colors. Not only is he wearing the wrong colors, but maroon and yellow represent a bitter division rival.
2) Philadelphia fans embrace grit, hard work and unwavering loyalty to our city. Names like Brian Dawkins, Pat Burrell, and Simon Gagne are examples of a few that have or will receive positive fan reactions. Don clearly doesn’t belong in that group.
3) Smug attitude. Always smiling in a goofy “I don’t really care that much” kind of way.
4) Never accountable. Always finding blame in others. When the birds lost, it was never his fault. Step up and be responsible bucko. That’s what Philly respects.
5) Snide Remarks in the press about Eagles Management, the fans and players never ingratiates Philly Fans.
Target is on the hot seat and the national Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is not letting them forget they missed the target.
Target recently donated $150,000 to Minnesota Forward that supports Republican candidate Tom Emmer in the state’s governor’s race. Emmer is noted for his ultra conservative anti-gay and lesbian social platform.
Target responded that their support for Emmer is strictly a financial and business decision based on the demographics of their home state in Minnesota. What Target overlooked, was they are a national retail brand.
Regardless of Target’s ulterior motive, national pro-LGBT activists campaigns have taken to the airwaves, objecting to Emmer’s social platform and Target’s support.
Groups such as Moveon.org have spoken out against Target and produced
TV spots denouncing Target’s support of the Emmer campaign. A Facebook group calling for a Target boycott has already collected 64,000 members since Tuesday.
To up the ante, HRC says it will match Targets large donation to MN Forward in political contributions, showing their support for same sex marriage.
In 2010, American support for the acceptability of gay and lesbian relations exceeded the 50% threshold. Additionally, same sex marriage has already been legally approved in 6 states and on August 4, 2010 California voters agreed to accept same sex marriage, although appeals have put the decision on hold until December.
With the overwhelming social attitude leaning towards acceptance why would Target make financial contributions in a social issues vacuum. Choosing to support a candidate based on perceived political bonus may ultimately hurt them in the battle against other retailers who recognize social issues are just as important as financial issues. Homosexuals purchase the same goods and services as heterosexuals. Best Buy, are you listening?