80th Annual Oscars Brings In Low Ratings

The 80th anniversary of the Academy Awards has been marked as the least watched Oscar telecast ever. This past Sunday's broadcast, hosted by Jon Stewart, drew in about 32 millions viewers, this number being small compared to other Oscar telecasts. Prior to this year, the lowest ranked Oscars was in 2003, right after the U.S. led invasion of Iraq had just begun.

To most people, there was no surprise that the Oscars brought in such a small audience. Many films that were being showcased were ones that had received great critical reviews, but, still, they were not box office hits.

For example, "No Country For Old Men," which won four awards including best picture, brought in a respectable $64 million at the North American box office. The only film that was nominated for best picture, and crossed the $100 million mark at the box office was the comedy "Juno," which, in the end, only received one win.

Another reason of such low television ratings is that not only were there no box office blockbusters showcased, but many of the acting awards were given to European actors that the American audience may not even have heard about.

Also, this year's low ratings can also due to the recently ended writers strike, which had threatened the Oscars, and also forced a cutback in the Golden Globes.

Schwarzenegger Rewards Children with Army Tank?

On February 19, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger had an Austrian army tank shipped into Los Angeles as an effort to encourage students to stay in school. The tank could previously be found in Groveport, Ohio at the Motts Military Museum, owned by Warren Motts, who says "I'm pleased we had the opportunity to have it and let people see it. It was neat to have a Hollywood connection."

Schwarzenegger has chosen to allow the students of an inner-city Los Angeles school the chance to ride in this tank that he drove during his military service in Austria. He believes that this offer will encourage the children to work hard in school and steer clear of drugs.

I was not aware of army tanks being the new alternative to drug usage and to skipping school; if Schwarzenegger thinks he can pull it off then it would be rewarding in more ways than one. Although it may seem like a good idea to him, I'm sure there are better ways to keep children off the streets and in classrooms. The army tank may be an exciting reward at first, but children will soon get bored and go back to their usual ways.

Famous News Sight Feeling the Heat?

There has been a news website that has been rising as one of the main news websites in the country. The website is called the Drudge Report.(www.drudgereport.com) The Drudge Report is notorious for breaking stories that may not be in the main media. The website has broken many stories on the Presidential Campaigns. In recent days it has been thrown in the spot light as a credible news source. The main news media like CNN, and MSNBC have acknowledge it as a website where they go for information.

Some people have called the website controversial. I say reporting news events in a credible manner is not controversial. Most stories they report are controversial only in the manner of it shedding a negative light on someone. Most of the cries have come from the people it has hurt in public opinion. 

On February 28th the Drudge Report released a story about Prince Harry. The Prince Harry that is 3rd in line to the throne of England. The story reported that Prince Harry was fighting on the front lines of the war in Afghanistan. Sounds like innocent information, Right? Except for the fact the British Government had kept it a secret for the protection of not only Prince Harry, but also for the protection of the troops around him. The Drudge Report has taken some fire from many people for exposing this information. They are the only news source that had done this. British media had even skipped over the story to keep Prince Harry safe. Some Media in Britain found out by Drudge Report. 

Many news outlets came on the air to put the information to people across the world today. Now Prince Harry is probably already back home after being exposed on the front lines. Reports had him in Afghanistan since December. He was suppose to stay until April. Is right to release information that will put people who are considered allies in danger? to the credit of Drudge Report, an Australian newspaper broke the story in January. The story just never made it to one of the most media covered countries in the world. Should have the Drudge Report have known it was to be kept under wraps for the greater good? I just hope this wasn't a stunt to make a website famous, because I believe Drudge Report was well on its way to being a top news source.

It is to my surprise that some people that live in Austin don't know what South by Southwest (SXSW) is. We all know that Austin, TX is definitely the "Live Music Capital of the World." South by Southwest (SXSW, Inc.) is a private company based in Austin, Texas, with a year-round staff of professionals dedicated to building and delivering conference and festival events for entertainment and related media industry professionals. Since 1987, SXSW has produced the internationally recognized Music and Media Conference and Festival.

There are 3 parts to SXSW, the first is Interactive Festival, the second is Film Conference and Festival, and the third is Music Conference and Festival.This year the Interactive Festival with run from March 7-11, the Film Conference and Festival will run from March 7-15, and the Music Conference and Festival will run from March 12-16.

The SXSW Interactive Festival features five days of exciting panel content and amazing parties. Attracting digital creatives as well as visionary technology entrepreneurs, the event celebrates the best minds and the brightest personalities of emerging technology. Whether you are a hard-core geek, a dedicated content creator, a new media entrepreneur, or just someone who likes being around an extremely creative community, SXSW Interactive is for you!

For nine days in March, the SXSW Film Festival screens the best in new independent film from around the world. SXSW has gained accolades for the quality of our programming, which focuses on both emerging talent and cinematic greats. With over 180 films, including innovative narrative and documentary features; narrative, documentary, animated, and experimental shorts; music videos; and midnight films, there’s plenty to satisfy every film lover. Here is a link so you can see the screening of the films for this year.

http://2008.sxsw.com/film/screenings/date/2008-03-07.html

SXSW Music Conference and Festival is one of the largest, most influential, and most anticipated music events of the year. Artists, agents, promoters, and talent buyers mix and mingle with hundreds of media representatives, managers, legal experts, and other professionals to hear amazing music of every genre and conduct crucial business. Careers are launched, deals are struck, advice is shared, fans are created, and media around the world fill TV screens, airwaves, magazine pages, and websites with daily reviews and reports. Here is a link to get a taste of what's going to be seen this year.
http://2008.sxsw.com/music/showcases/date/2008-03-12.html

If you plan on attending SXSW, you should register in order to receive a badge to attend one or all of the three Festivals. Although this year you must enter a local Austin address in order to receive your badge. Here is a link to register http://2008.sxsw.com/register_to_attend/

Whole Foods CEO Illegally Blogging?

This past year, Whole Foods, the Austin based organic food company, was set to merge with its largest rival Wild Oats. That is until the CEO of Whole Foods was caught blogging under an alias undermining the credibility of Wild Oats. To some it was not a big deal, too the majority it was a CEO trying to lower the value of the competitors stock before the potential of a huge merger. In the world of finance, mergers, and of course the FTC, this was a major PR crisis.

On top of the already embarrassing discovery, John Mackey, Whole Foods CEO was quoted as telling board members that the merger would "eliminate forever" a company that could compete in the natural foods industry, adding that it would also help to "avoid nasty price wars." This is where the real problem began. It was in these two remarks that Mackey opened the door to the FTC for investigation into potential antitrust law issues.

One would think that a CEO who is trying to acquire its main competitor would immediately get on TV or online and send out an apology, but not Mackey. Mackey instead decided a better idea would be to justify his comments by counterattacking the FTC investigation. Mackey was quoted as saying, "If eliminating a competitor is inherently 'bad' or 'wrong' then the FTC should probably never allow any mergers to ever occur, because most mergers necessarily mean the elimination of a competitor from the marketplace."



The only apology Mackey ever made was in regards to the blogging incident. The company on the other hand did not stick by their CEO and instead, said it was the personal thoughts of Mackey and not the greater Whole Foods company. Not the most eloquent CEO but one must give him props for sticking with his guns.

In the world of PR this was a disaster. A CEO who is breaking antitrust laws, as well as writing statements on Yahoo financial blog imitating a customer. A crisis to say the least that this company, in general did not do much to handle. It seemed almost as if it merely disappeared, but was never resolved. There were many crisis management firms called in to help in the disaster, all of which had no impact on the outspoken CEO.

In my eyes the company did not handle this is a good manner. They should have immediately acted on what he had done, made serious comments, and made them public. The CEO especially should have contributed to damage control of his own doings. Although this was not a HUGE public scandal, to those who really invest time in this, it was. This was a good example of PR gone bad.

Can Clinton stop Obama's momentum?

Not if she keeps losing key endorsements. On June 15, the Clinton Campaign released a media release which lauded TX State Representative Senfronia Thompson as a "leading Texan" in its list of representative endorsing Clinton. However, today, Rep. and superdelegate Thompson has switched and endorsed Senator Obama for President. Political blog Burnt Orange Report writes that,
[quote]

Combined with John Lewis' official switch today, Thompson's move makes for a bad PR day for Hillary Clinton, especially in Texas. Thompson isn't as important as Lewis on a national level, but as one of the longest serving Democratic state representatives and a candidate for Speaker of the House -- Thompson is symbolically as important in Texas.

[/quote]

Can Clinton revive her campaign with strong showings in Texas and Ohio March 4th? Will this poor publicity significantly affect her campaign?

Pet Food recall scare

If anyone has a pet they can remember back to 2007 when most of the pet foods that you normally purchased were all being recalled because of potential melamine contamination. On March 15, 2007, the FDA learned that certain pet foods were sickening and killing cats and dogs. They found contaminants in vegetable proteins imported into the United States from China and used as ingredients in pet food. The result was the death of numerous dogs and cats and it was even found in some fish food.

Here is a link to USAToday where you can read some more information about which brands were actually recalled USA Today.


As a result of FDA and USDA's comprehensive investigation, on February 6, 2008, FDA announced that two Chinese nationals and the businesses they operate, along with a U.S. company and its president and chief executive officer, were indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a scheme to import products purported to be wheat gluten into the United States that were contaminated with melamine.
Other forms of help came from animal lovers such as the ASPCA who compiled lists of the recalled foods and posted them on their website to help get the word out to pet owners of what pet foods were infected.
The FDA has an ongoing pet food investigation and is still working to make sure that all pet foods are once again safe to feed our loved ones!

Five for Fighting donate money for Autism Speaks foundation

Alternative band Five for Fighting teamed up with the website whatkindofworlddoyouwant.com in order to raise money for charities. Autism Speaks is one of these charities that has benefited most from this website. For every view from the autism videos posted (there are 133 to chose from), Five for Fighting donates $0.49 to the Autism Speaks foundation to help researchers find a cure for autism. Five for Fighting's goal is to have 10,000 views, but that doesn't mean their donations will stop there. As long as this campaign goes on, no matter how many views the videos receive, the donation from them will still be made.

Had I not been involved with the local Special Olympics delegation back home, I would not have received an email telling me of this amazing PR campaign. People do not realize how hard it is having someone with Autism in your family. I, personally, don't have anyone with autism in my family, but have worked with autistic children for many years. To learn more about autism and just what families have to fight for each day, click on the above link. I wanted to post one of the videos here on the page, but their is not an embedded link or url for me to include.

To learn more about Autism Speaks and other ways you can make a difference, click here

What kind of President do you want?

I don't know how I feel about an African American President, but I also do not know if all my thoughts and pride go out to a women either. Last Thursday, February 21, 2008 Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama spoke here in Austin at the University of Texas in front of a large group of people, and the debate was also aired on CNN. http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/02/21/texas.debate/

The debate was important locally because it really got not only young people to get involved, but everyone in Austin. It was a good opportunity to really see what kind of changes could be made. Great topics were discussed and both democrats brought up excellent points; such as health care. Some proponents say that Universal health care is a must in America for the citizens and Clinton and Obama agreed to disagree with this specific topic. 

http://www.newsweek.com/id/111811

This is our generation, and we need to make a smart, long decision to better our country. Don't forget to vote, and lets try to work at this together to make The United States a safer more reliable place. The debate was a big deal and we were lucky to have them come here to our city of Austin.

Yao Ming Out for Session and maybe Olympics

Houston Rockets All-Star center Yao Ming is out for the rest of the session due to a stress fracture in his left foot. According to Houston Rocket general manger Daryl Morey, Yao has had the stress fractured for almost two weeks now. Last Wednesday, February 27, 2008, Yao set a press release conference to talk about what has happened. Yao Ming is devastative over the injury. This injury is not a injury that happened right away but took several weeks, maybe years for a stress fracture to happen. Yao Ming put a lot of stress in his feet because the Rockets did not have a suitable back-up center for a couple of months. According to the Houston Chronicle, "Doctor blamed the injury on accumulated stress on the bone rather than any single incident. Titan said the true cause was the Rockets' failure to provide a reliable substitute for Yao, forcing him into too much game time." The city of Houston is also in distort because of this situation. The Rockets have had a 12 game winning streak with Yao, and without Yao they do not know how long the streak will continue. On the other side of the world, China, has been upset too. China biggest, tallest star is injured. Yao is probably and most likely the hugest star in China. This also might hurt China in the Olympics as well. "When we heard about Yao's injury, we felt shocked and concerned just like all the basketball fans in China, "Bai Ximin, manager of the national men's team told a packed news conference. "We can totally understand how he feels right now, and we hope he'll remain positive and optimistic while receiving treatment." Yao is expected to be okay during the middle of June but we have no idea if the injury will heal at that time. There is a small percentage that China might be missing their biggest star during the Olympics. If you are interested in reading more about this new release the web link is: Yao Out.
This is a very good press release. I feel like it has touched based on what is important here. That is Yao Ming health and how his country is still supportive of the 7'6 center for the Houston Rockets. Yao Ming is a international icon, especially in Beijing where he is from. The lead of the press release was well developed on the Houston Chronicle website, where I found the new release. I feel like the news release was well developed because it informed the audience about the reality of the injury. Right now, I feel bad for the City of Houston and China. The Rockets have been doing so well lately with 13-0 run. They are the hottest team right now in the NBA (National Basketball Association). I hope that everything works out in the end for Yao Ming and the Rockets and the Olympic team for China. In this blog I am illustrating an effective crisis. The reason why I am doing this is because this is bad for the Houston Rockets and the country of China. Losing a star player is key especially being so close to the playoff and the Olympics. The press release was well done and was immediately out in the media.
Below is the press conference for Yao Ming:

Georgetown High School Students Interview Iraq Soldiers in Teleconference

Here in Central Texas, Georgetown high school students crossed the 7,300 miles between their campus and Baghdad, Iraq using an Internet teleconferencing system to speak live with an Iraqi soldiers. The school set up a giant screen in the library allowing students to speak in real time with soldiers on the other side of the world. The US Army and Williamson County Commissioner Valerie Covey set up the teleconference.
This is a great practice being performed because it allows for lots of interviews in a limited amount of time. With the new technology there does not have to be a camera crew and reporter to establish an interview. It allows for the audience to interact with someone in actual time. The most beneficial aspect is that the audience is affected much more when they have a real interaction with a soldier overseas explaining the current conflict.
Now that the war has been going on for a few years, the recent and current high school students across America have become more interested in the Army. There are interview with soldiers in Iraq but reporters getting paid do them. They see the commercials and other forms of advertising everywhere but don’t get the chance to talk to soldiers in service. That is why it was a great idea to set up a large-scale teleconference with an appropriate audience.

The only real problems with the teleconference were that the screen in the library often became fuzzy and hard to see the soldiers. The audio worked well which was the most important part but there was an eight second delay between the students and the soldiers. These are all easy problems to solve in the future and should be used more frequently with students. It is a great way to really influence young adults instead of just advertising.

Whole Foods, this is Emeril. Emeril, this is Whole Foods!

Celebrities go crazy. Celebrity Chefs go organic!
At least this is true for Emeril Lagasse, who is currently working on a new cooking show entitled Emeril Green which will be featured on an up and coming television network Planet Green, produced by Discovery Communications.

Emeril acting coy

This dynamic new show will feature Emeril preparing innovative signature recipes just as in the past, however he will be working in a Whole Foods Market, incorporating Whole Foods ingredients and products. This seems a very fitting marriage for the two culinary dynasties.
Not only does this serve as a cross-promotional act, it seems Emeril is taking the idea to heart, as he states, "I try a little harder every day to think greener and be respectful of our environment and our resources. On 'Emeril Green' we'll unearth how easy and fun it is to cook with what's fresh, tasty and in-season and find smart ways to make each day a little greener for you and your family."

The Whole Foods Crest

The new Planet Green network from Discovery will cover topical issues of concern for the more modern and progressive television viewer, who is ultimately interested in sustainable foods and a reversion to simpler living. This hypothetical demographic is already expected to shop at Whole Foods and possibly have some interest in culinary arts. It is a wise and profitable three-way marriage for all investors.
For green gossip about the new television show, http://www.ecorazzi.com/2008/02/28/emeril-lagasse-bringing-some-green-cooking-to-discovery-channel/

The NFL and Apple Teamup.

Well it's finally happened, we have reached a period in time where Apple inc. seems to be taking over our technological world. The National Football League (NFL) and Apple® today announced that they will bring 2006 NFL regular season action to the iTunes® Store. itunes® is now offering NFL lovers a chance see all their favorite game highlights. itunes® will offer downloads of highlights from any and all football games for $1.99 per game, or you can follow one team by paying a season pass of $24.99, which includes automatic updates and downloads. The NFL Vice President of Media Strategies states "We’re convinced offering NFL highlights produced by Emmy Award-winning NFL Films and NFL Network’s GameDay on iTunes® is a great way for fans to not only follow their team but also experience the NFL as they never have before.”


I think this is a very effective strategy for Apple® to gain a larger number of subscribers. They use an ethical persuasive appeal by trying to appeal to a different group of individuals, NFL fans. Apple® is persuading NFL fans by offering them something that has never been done, the opportunity to download any game highlights and watch them when ever you want. Before now itunes® seemed to target more towards youthful music lovers.

The NFL is the largest national sports league with the largest number of fans, which is why I believe Apple® is interested in them. No other online source has this deal with the NFL therefore it is exclusively found on itunes® . Apple with defiantly gain new business simply through sports fans who don't have the expensive NFL Network, or through sport fans who are constantly on the go and who don't watch much television.

http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2006/sep/12nfl.html

Bridgestone/Firestone Tire Recall Crisis Communication

In August of 2000, Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. announced a voluntary recall from defected tires. Defective tires included Firestone Radial ATX and Radial ATX II tires in size P235/75R15 produced in North America, Mexico, and Wilderness AT tires in size P235/75R15 produced at the Decatur, Illinois plant. All the owners of vehicles with defective tires were contacted by mail for replacement of tires. Gary Crigger the Executive Vice President of Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. announced the recall, out of the 14.4 million tires produced 6.5 million tires were recalled. In response to this PR crisis, Crigger announced that
"We felt we must take this extraordinary step as a precaution to ensure consumer safety and consumer confidence in our brands. So, no matter how old the tires, no matter how many miles they have on them, we will replace them with new tires…Throughout this process, we have been working very closely with Ford Motor Company and NHTSA to determine the cause of the accidents involving vehicles with these tires. While we have not determined what, if any, problem there may be with these tires, our review of the data suggests three things…We will inspect each customer’s tires for damage or excessive wear, while checking to make sure the tires are inflated to the level specified by the vehicle's manufacturer….We extend our condolences to families that have lost loved ones in accidents. We also apologize to our customers for the inconvenience this recall causes and we ask for their patience," --Crigger
Crigger handled the Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. tire recall quite well by using effective crises communication in his statements. Criggger used concern, clarity, control, confidence, and competence in his statements to the public which was a positive PR image for his company.
CNN article about tire recall

The Bonnaroo Press Release: One little letter makes a big difference

Earlier this month when a press release was sent out by the organizers of the annual Bonnaroo Music Festival announcing this year's lineup, many people in the music industry thought the rumors of a Led Zeppelin reunion had been confirmed. However, the release did not say "Led Zeppelin" but rather "Lez Zeppelin," which is definitely not the same band. Lez Zeppelin is an all-female Led Zeppelin tribute band, but was placed relatively high up in the lineup announcement, right after headliners Pearl Jam, Metallica, Jack Johnson, Kanye West and Willie Nelson. If not scrutinized too closely, one might think that the real Led Zeppelin was performing, which is what many newspapers and websites did think (Associated Press, NME Magazine, Chicago Sun-Times).

There had been rumors of Led Zeppelin's U.S. reunion taking place at this year's Bonnaroo Festival, so perhaps the Bonnaroo PR people decided to draw more attention to the festival by listing Lez Zeppelin high on the announcement to make people initially believe that Led Zeppelin was indeed playing. Technically, its not deceitful; Lez Zeppelin is a real band that is confirmed to play the festival, and they WERE listed after bands that Led Zeppelin would have dwarfed in popularity, notoriety, and audience-draw. Even Robert Plant & Alison Krauss is listed before Lez Zeppelin, which should have tipped anyone writing for a music magazine, music section of a newspaper, or music website should have seen from a mile away. Press Release below:


BONNAROO MUSIC AND ARTS FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES 2008 LINEUP FEATURING: PEARL JAM, METALLICA, JACK JOHNSON, KANYE WEST, ALISON KRAUSS & ROBERT PLANT, MY MORNING JACKET, WILLIE NELSON, PHIL LESH & FRIENDS, B.B. KING, SIGUR ROS, THE RACONTEURS, DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE

LEZ ZEPPELIN CONFIRMED

COMEDY TENT TO HOST ZACH GALIFIANAKIS, JANEANE GAROFALO, JIM NORTON, MIKE BIRBIGLIA AND LATE NIGHT LIVE TALK SHOW WITH DAVID CROSS

EXCLUSIVE 2008 FESTIVAL COMMEMORATIVE DVD AVAILABLE TO FANS WHEN PURCHASING TICKETS

New York, NY. Wednesday, February 6th, 2008: Superfly Productions and A.C. Entertainment are proud to annousnce the initial lineup for the 2008 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. The seventh annual four-day camping and music festival will be held on June 12-15 on the same beautiful 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee, 60 miles south of Nashville. A full list of confirmed acts follows, and more will be announced in the coming weeks. The final Bonnaroo 2008 lineup will total over 100 bands and over 20 comedians performing on 13 stages over four days. Tickets go on sale exclusively through www.bonnaroo.com on Saturday, February 16 at 12:00 PM EDT.

The largest and most revered music and camping event in the country, Bonnaroo has elevated the American rock festival to an unprecedented level. As the only round-the-clock major U.S. music festival, Bonnaroo packs an unparalleled amount of entertainment options into its four days. The event offers attendees the amenities and community spirit of a small city, with 24 hours of activities including a comedy theater, cinema festival, jazz club, silent disco, arcade, Internet cafés, restaurants, yoga classes and hundreds of high quality craft vendors. Since its inception in 2002, Bonnaroo has swiftly earned its status as the country's premier music and arts event. According to the New York Times, "Bonnaroo has revolutionized the modern rock festival." The event is famous for the incredible energy that emerges from its crowds, who make the Bonnaroo pilgrimage to immerse themselves in its unique camping community and witness four days of historical music moments. Honoring the festival's unique spirit, Rolling Stone called Bonnaroo "one of the 50 moments to change the history of rock and roll."

2008 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival Confirmed Artists:

Pearl Jam
Metallica
Jack Johnson
Kanye West
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
Phil Lesh & Friends
My Morning Jacket
The Allman Brothers Band
The Raconteurs
Willie Nelson
Death Cab for Cutie
B.B. King
Sigur Ros
Levon Helm and the Ramble on the Road
Ben Folds
O.A.R.
The Bluegrass Allstars Feat. Luke Bulla, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer and Bryan Sutton
M.I.A.
Umphrey's McGee
Iron & Wine
Yonder Mountain String Band
Swell Season
Talib Kweli
Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi's Soul Stew Revival
Gogol Bordello
Broken Social Scene
Robert Randolph's Revival
Rilo Kiley
Mastodon
Lupe Fiasco
Against Me!
Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings
Pat Green
Ozomatli
Tegan & Sara
Solomon Burke
Drive-By Truckers
!!!
The Avett Brothers
Israel Vibration
Abigail Washburn & the Sparrow Quartet featuring Bela Fleck
Phil Lesh / Larry Campbell / Jackie Greene
Aimee Mann
Ladytron
The Fiery Furnaces
Orchestra Baobab
Ghostland Observatory
Jose Gonzalez
Dark Star Orchestra
Minus the Bear
Donavon Frankenreiter
Lez Zeppelin <--------------------
State Radio
Battles
Jakob Dylan
Two Gallants
The Sword
Vampire Weekend
Little Feat
Nicole Atkins
The Felice Brothers
Mason Jennings
MGMT
The Lee Boys
Black Kids

Jessica & Tony Publicity Stunt

Jessica Simpson and current Dallas Cowboy's Quarterback boyfriend,Tony Romo were in US Weekly magazine this past week. US Weekly claimed they had an exclusive story on the couple's plans to get married. OK! magazine contacted Simpson's rep who neither denied the story or made any attempt to play down the rumor, therefore it is believed that the whole stunt was done intentionally. Supposedly the news is nothing but a rumor and sources close to Simpson claim that she is known for leaking false information about her love life in order to get back in the spotlight or in this case on the cover of the latest tabloid magazine.

To be honest I think this is a great publicity stunt. If Simpson did give out this information in order to "spark up talk" about herself, she definitely accomplished what she intended to accomplish. Simpson and Romo have not really had much attention since the ruckus she caused for attending the Dallas Cowboys games to support Romo when Cowboys fans blamed Simpson for their loss in the playoffs. Therefore, Simpson probably felt like it was time for the two to be talked about by the public again. If Simpson was this desperate to remain in the spotlight I think she knew exactly how to do it because the public is obviously interested in her and Romo's relationship. Especially considering Simpson is supposed to drop her new country album soon which has not received much attention and is not highly anticipated, she definitely needed this boost to stay on the minds of the public if she wants people to know about her new album. I give props to Simpson, just goes to show that if you use publicity correctly it can definitely help your career.

Maxim Shoots Down Black Crowes

Maxim magazine recently butted heads with American rock band, the Black Crowes, over an unjust attempt at reviewing the bands latest album, "Warpaint" in the magazine's March 2008 issue. According to the Crowes' manager, Pete Angelus, justice was not served on their end of the issue and further states on the Black Crowes' website, “Maxim's actions seem to completely lack journalistic integrity and intentionally mislead their readership."


However, in Maxim's defense to the allegations held against them, they stated that the magazine was only previewing the CD and not reviewing it based off the one single "Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution." The magazine does admit their mistake in relation to rating the Crowes' with only giving the band two and a half stars out of five after hearing only one track off the album. Furthermore, Maxim editorial director, James Kaninsky states: "It is Maxim's editorial policy to assign star ratings only to those albums that have been heard in their entirety. Unfortunately, that policy was not followed in the March 2008 issue of our magazine and we apologize to our readers."

Though Maxim magazine has publicly apologized to both the readers and the Black Crowes, Angelus cannot convey his trust and respect back within the magazine. In a statement posted on the bands website he states, "In my opinion, it’s a disgrace to the arts, journalism, critics, the publication itself and the public. What’s next--Maxim's concert reviews of shows they never attended, book reviews of books never read and film reviews of films never seen?”

FOX cuts Montel for cutting loose

Montel Williams lost his job for speaking his mind on a Fox news broadcast. Montel addressed the issue that to much airtime was being focused on the death of famous actor Heath Ledger, and not enough time on the 28 people that have died in the war in Iraq.  Montel was asked to join Fox news for a special, and instead of agreeing with the hosts of the show, he shocked them. Montel exposes the "news" shows and american culture by saying that they have both become shallow and greedy. After being cut off, Montel did not return after the commercial break. Four days later,  key FOX owned stations decided not to renew his show for the 2008-2009 season. Montel has been a television host for 17 years and now is being let down by the media for trying to help out the soldiers of the U.S. military. Montel is now being backed by american troops around the world, and FOX might have a PR crisis on their hand. Having this event happen on FOX news (a station that has done more harm to the U.S. military than any other) makes their image worse, and thats why so many troops are backing Montel up on his decision.

"Montel Williams is an American patriot. Though he left the military years ago, he has never forgotten “his” troops."- Brandon Friedman

Reality TV Star Fired From Day Job

Recently Adam Jasinski, a star on the CBS reality television series "Big Brother" made a comment on the air calling autistic children "retards." Jasinki, who worked for the United Autism Foundation as a PR manager no less, later said that he could call these children with autism whatever he wanted because he worked with them. The show "Big Brother" involves grouping people together in a house with absolutely no contact from the outside world and filming them, so Jasinski really would have no idea that his comments caused an outcry or, were even noticed at all. Unfortunately for Jasinski this was no idle comment unheard by the masses watching. Apparently at least one advertiser "pulled out of the show," and several austism groups have called for CBS to cancel "Big Brother".

This is a good example of PR Crisis Management. Apparently, it was well known to other stars of the show as well as viewers that Jasinski worked for the United Autism Foundation. Therefore, Jasinski is somewhat of a representative for the foundation while he is on the show. A comment like that is bound to offend many people, and action would have to be taken in order to show that the United Autism Foundation does not use that kind of language or terminology for those they work with, and do not approve of those that do. The crisis was effectively managed by the UNIAF firing Jasinski, as it was announced on their website. However, due to the sequestered nature of the stars of "Big Brother", Jasinski won't even know he's been fired until he is finished with the show.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/02272008/tv/big_brother_star_fired_for_retard_commen_99458.htm

Too Sexy to Fly

I'm sure everyone heard the buzz when Southwest airlines asked a girl not to fly because her outfit was "too revealing" . When 23-year-old Kyla Ebbert got on the plane in a denim skirt, tank top and sweater, she was told she needed to change or get off the plane. Ebbert did not have a carry on bag and could not change so she was escorted off of the plane. She was told by a man who worked for Southwest that her outfit was too provacative for a family airline. Ebbert got back onto the plane and wrapped herself in a blanket for the remainder of the flight.

Southwest Chief Executive Gary Kelly did publically apologize to Ebbert shorty after. This is a good example of crisis PR. Kelly did act very quickly in attept to resolve the issue, however, it was not immediately successful.

When that was not a success, the airline made a joke of the situation by referring back to their image in the 1970s as "The love airline" because their stewardesses were required by dresscode to wear hot pants. Colleen Barrett, company president, then took a different approach when she anounced a miniskirts-and-hot pants fare sale. Kelly then makes fun of his own airline by talking about the changed they have made since the hot pants days of Southwest Airlines. Part of their crises method was focused on the customers. Kelly said they need to "lean towards customers" rather than these silly types of things.

Press Release:
Southwest Airlines Apologizes to Woman Told to Cover Up, Announces 'Skimpy' Fare Sale
Saturday, September 15, 2007

E-MAIL STORY
PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION
DALLAS — Southwest Airlines Co. says it is apologizing to a young California woman who was told her outfit was too skimpy to fly, and it's using the brouhaha as a marketing ploy — announcing a "miniskirt fare sale."

The aggrieved woman, Kyla Ebbert, took her case Friday to "The Dr. Phil Show." Host Phil McGraw read an apology from Southwest Chief Executive Gary Kelly during the show, which is scheduled to air Tuesday.

Ebbert said she was on a Southwest plane ready to take off from San Diego on July 3 when an airline employee asked her to change her miniskirt, top and sweater or get off.

In a compromise, the 23-year-old was allowed to stay on the flight to Tucson, Ariz., after pulling her skirt down and her top up.

Kelly said the airline apologized to Ebbert in August and thought the affair was over. But in the past two weeks, Ebbert went on NBC's "Today Show" and then "The Dr. Phil Show."

Ebbert's account, and a similar one by another young California woman this week, led to unfavorable press coverage and Internet chatter about Dallas-based Southwest. Newspaper columnists and bloggers derided the airline — which put its stewardesses in hot pants and called itself "The love airline" in the 1970s — as prudish.

Related
Stories
Another Woman Claims Southwest Airlines Forced Her to Cover Up on Flight
Southwest Flight Attendant Tries to Boot Hooters Waitress From Plane Over Clothing

So Kelly decided to change the tone Friday by issuing another apology to Ebbert — company President Colleen Barrett was dispatched to phone her — and announce a miniskirts-and-hot pants fare sale.

"It is quite humorous, given that we were born with hot pants," Kelly said. "We're trying to be good-humored about all this."

Kelly declined to give his opinion of Ebbert's July 3 outfit, and said the airline needs to "lean towards the customer."

"We don't have a dress code at Southwest Airlines, and we don't want to put our employees in the position of being the fashion police," he said, "but there's a fine line you walk sometimes in not offending other passengers."

Kelly said Ebbert is a regular customer of Southwest and he hopes to keep it that way.

On Friday, the airline offered Ebbert two free round-trip tickets, and it issued a double entendre-laced press release announcing "skimpy" sale fares of $49 to $109 each way, available for 10 days.

Efforts to reach Ebbert were unsuccessful.

Airline officials said they hadn't contacted another woman, Setara Qassim, who told a TV interviewer this week that a Southwest employee made her wrap a blanket over her short dress with plunging neckline. Southwest officials said they had no record of Qassim, 21, filing a complaint.

For Ebbert's Today Show interview:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lthoHbTo3Ck

Mary Kate and Ashley Sell Out Even More

In their latest efforts to make their billion dollar fortune even larger, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen are about to release a coffee table book. Why? You ask. Well, why not, they might reply. These two have sold everything from movies to an entertainment empire, so as they grow older, why not please crowds their own age, all while ripping them off. The book will be called "Influence" and should be released this Fall. Supposedly, by purchasing this book you will get an inside look into the lives of the twins, through unseen photographs and interviews of those close to them. "Mary-Kate and I have filled `Influence' with the most interesting, challenging, creative people we know — the ones who helped pave the way for us and our generation," Ashley Olsen said in a statement. Not only will this book help the twin's wads of cash grow, but allowing them to be seen in a more professional and mature light will allow an older audience to view them differently, which could in turn give birth to new career areas to explore.

The Wonderful World of Brands: WWF/WWE

When people think of professional wrestling, they immediately think of World Wrestling Entertainment, or WWE, but it isn’t the only brand of pro wrestling that ever existed. Through the brand-building scheme of Consumer Public Relations, the WWE was able to become synonymous with pro wrestling, even putting its two major competitors out of business. The two other brands of pro wrestling during the 1990s were World Championship Wrestling, or WCW, and Extreme Championship Wrestling, or ECW, and they both went out of business in 2001.
www.wwe.com

By definition, a brand is “a label that seeks to add perceived value to a consumer product by generating loyalty or preference (Tench 422).” During the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s, the WWE, or the WWF as it was known at the time, crossed into mainstream pop culture. Many people who weren’t wrestling fans knew the likes of Andre the Giant and Hulk Hogan. Wrestling became widely popular, but at one point in the late 1990s, the WWE didn’t have either loyalty or preference from wrestling fans. The WWE responded to low ratings against WCW in the late 1990s by launching The Attitude Era, which showcased Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock. In contrast to WCW, the Attitude Era presented “edgy” storylines aimed at adults. With advent of The Attitude Era, WCW drastically suffered. The final straw was when the WWE was able to have Mike Tyson appear on its Monday Night Raw show after the infamous ear incident with Evander Holyfield. When people tuned in to see Mike Tyson, they were fascinated with the show as a whole. From there, the WWE brand was able to build upon itself.
http://prowrestling.about.com/od/thepromotions/a/historywwe.htm



According to the text, a brand must comply with four conditions (Tench 423):
1) “Something that has a buyer and a seller.”
In regards to “a buyer and a seller,” the WWE holds a 3 hour pay-per-view every month and it sells merchandise from its website, www.wweshop.com. Fans will pay $40 a month to see matches that have been extensively hyped up during their regular programming. They’ll also pay $25 for a t-shirt with the image of their favorite wrestler.
2) “Something that has a differentiating name, symbol, or trademark. Moreover, it is differentiated from other similar products around it for reasons other than its name or trademark.”
The WWE, formerly known as the WWF, has had many trademark designs over the years. Its logo looks like a scribbled W with another W on top of it, and an F hanging off the side. Since becoming the WWE, the hanging F has been removed.


3) Something that has positive or negative assocications in consumers’ minds for reasons other than its literal product characteristics.”
The positive associations with the WWE are Wrestlemania, a wrestling pay-per-view known as “the grandaddy of the them all,” which has showcased appearances from figures in pop culture. The first Wrestlemania had an appearance by Mr. T, and the most recent event had an appearance by Donald Trump. The negative associations are “wrestling is fake” and steroid use (which it doesn’t legally allow).

4) “Something that has been created, rather than is naturally occurring.”
The WWE developed originally from the National Wrestling Alliance, or NWA. Then, in 1963 the World Wide Wrestling Federation, or WWWF, branched from the NWA In 1976, the WWWF was renamed the World Wrestling Federation, or WWF. However, the brand lost its rights to the acronym to the World Wildlife Fund in 2002, thus becoming the WWE.
http://prowrestling.about.com/od/thepromotions/a/historywwe.htm

Brands have an emotional power, and the WWE is no exception. The pro-wrestling company allows a special connection with its fans through its history. Many fans were introduced to wrestling by their fathers, providing a bonding experience. Fans have memories of their favorite childhood wrestlers and the fun they had cheering for him or her. The WWE also provides three separate shows on three separate days of the week, 52 weeks of the year with no re-runs. The WWE is successful because of innovative ideas complete with brand building. The text explains:

Given the emotional capital that is invested in some-if not all-purchasing decisions, public relations can be used to deomstrate that a brand empathises with the worries, needs and aspirations of particular groups of people, allowing it connect and align itself with consumers in an indirect but powerful association (Tench 423).

To make my point, has anyone ever heard of TNA?

Will the points be in or out? Heidi Klum teams up with My coke rewards

So, I am sure all of you watched the Oscars. Right? Yes? No? Well Heidi Klum wore a GORGEOUS red dress by John Galiano.. Here's a recap: ------------------->

there you go. Well, not only is this a gorgeous dress, it could be yours for the right amount of points! My coke rewards points, that is. Heidi Klum teamed up with the Coca-Cola Company and their my rewards program. They are auctioning off this beautiful dress for the highest bidder. Every 3 points equals $1. Their goal is $250,000. Their proceeds will go towards the Foundation of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD.

I really love this PR tool. Everyone loves Coca-Cola ( I am biased, so this is my opinion) and everyone loves Heidi Klum (again my opinion). I think Heidi Klum will drive more people to the My coke rewards website and some might begin the program. I, myself, am a devout point saver and a proud Diet Coke addict. I have 3300 points so far and I am saving to 5300 to get this sweet XM player. Pretty cool huh!?

Heidi Klum and Coca-Cola will act as Good Samaritans for the month. This is a good cause benefit. It looks great on both parties involved. Will I bid on Heidi Klum's dress? Probably not, seeing she is a size -2.

My Coke Rewards is a great promotional tool, itself. Yet, Heidi Klum's participation has really helped it out a lot.

Auf Wiedersehen!

Translation: Jay-Z knows Hip-Hoppers Don't Dance into Cell Phone Stores

Knowing your publics is top priority in the advertising business as well as the PR business. However, it is well known that advertising companies are sometimes disconnected from communities that are not of the mainstream.

Well, hip-hop mogul Shawn Carter, also known as Jay-Z, wishes to change this. Last week, Carter purchased a 51% stake in New-York based Translation advertising and will be acting as chairman. The ad agency is part of Stoute’s Translation Consultation and Brand Imaging company. According to Carter, Translation advertising will do its best to dispel myths about several key publics, specifically the hip-hop community.

Talking to reporters, Carter expressed his desire to "talk to corporate America and have them understand our voice, really. Not any satire or any type of way like that."

Correctly identifying the best way to communicate to a specific public will undoubtedly put Jay-Z ahead of the pack.

Skype

Skype is a great PR tool. It is similar to podcasts but it's visual and audio, not just audio like podcasts. Skype is free to anyone and the only tools you need are the internet, of course, a webcam, speakers, and a microphone. Skype allows you to have online conversations while using a webcam. It is more personal than a podcast because you view the person you are talking to and it works just like a telephone.

Skype would be perfect for overseas meetings, live viedeo conferencing, and for keeping in touch with faculty, friends and family. Skpye can also record conversations. If a company needed to do a training session they could do it with skype because they could demonstrate what they were training. For example, how to make a latte.

Mormon church staying out of Presidential Race

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints heightened PR efforts in the spring of last year to answer the myths about their neutrality in the 2008 presidential election. They wanted to express this excessively because Mormon, presidential hopeful Mitt Romney recently announced that he raised $21 million dollars in campaign money, which is far more than any other Republican candidate. Micheal Otterson, media relations director for the 12.6 million member church, states "We have to walk a very fine line to stay away from political issues," "But it is clear that the profile of the church will be raised during this (campaign) period. All of the things that are going on will serve as catalysts to raise questions about us and who we really are". The church also increased PR efforts in light of the negative reputation the Mormon religion carries.

I believe that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints did a good job of dealing with the situation as soon as it happened. They knew that in the coming months the large amount of campaign funds that Romney has would draw attention, so they got rid of their old media relations group and made sure the public knew they were neutral in the presidential race. It also gave them an opportunity to take advantage of the extra publicity to clean up their reputation.

I believe that this crisis falls under a environmental force that they couldn't help from happening (otherwise known as the business and economic crisis category), but as Fearn-Banks states, as long as you contain, recover, and learn from the issue at hand the crisis can almost be viewed as a good thing. Mitt Romney running for president is free publicity for the church and is giving them an opportunity to tackle other issues that they face, but if they weren't so prompt about stating that they were neutral in the political race the outcome might of turned the other way.

For more information click:http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0407/3449.html

Starbuck's Publicity Stunt

Almost every Starbucks closed from 5:30 pm to 9:00 pm this past Tuesday. They stated that they were going to re-train their employees on how to make better and higher quality espressos.

Apparently, Starbucks customers have been complaining about the quality of customer service as well as the quality of their espressos. Espresso machines need minimual human interaction. But, Starbucks says that the espresso machine is only part of what makes the drink, the Barista is the "artist". The 3 1/2 training session was intended to address these issues.

But why couldn't they have done this before opening? or after closing? Or even in smaller increments throughout the week? Ultimately, this seems to be a way for Starbucks to generate publicity for their quality. But why does Starbucks need publicity? According to the New York Times, "the company is closing 100 American stores because of sluggish sales, and expansion plans have been scaled back."

The fact that Starbucks across the nation closed at the same time did create some publicity. There were even articles and blogs discussing if this was a publicity stunt - which is even more publicity. Although the company would have lost some money in sales, they saved some money on advertising.

Bill Clinton: Political Asset or PR Crisis Waiting to Happen?

Former President Bill Clinton maybe a huge asset for his wife’s campaign, since he remains extraordinarily popular among Democrats but has he become a PR Liability for Hillary?

Bill has been campaigning for his wife aggressively defending her record at all costs even if it meant bad mouthing her opponents. During the South Carolina Democratic Primaries Bill was accused of going way too far in criticizing Barack Obama, predicting he would win just because of his race and then likening him to Jesse Jackson after he did win.

His criticism of Obama caused uproar amongst the South Carolina population causing Hillary to lose. America also showed their contempt towards him, ABC’s The View said, “Keep it zipped Bill!” While Al Sharpton declared "Whether he thinks it's the press distorting him or not, his making these statements is polarizing the country".



Hillary’s public relations team quickly went into overdrive to clean up the PR crisis Bill caused. Through effective management they managed to blame the media for turning the presidential candidacy into a “race” issue.

To recant his previous statement, later Bill told reporters that he thought some of the comments were overblown or taken out of context but did not apologize. Later he issued this statement:

“She’s the best qualified person to be president I’ve ever had a chance to support, and I feel strongly about that and I think there’s nothing wrong with me saying that but what I learned from that whole dustup, and all the things people saying that I didn’t, is that as long as I’m promoting her no one can have an objection; but I can’t defend her. Someone else has to do that.”

Clinton continues campaigning for his wife but has toned down his comments in the face of the severe criticism from the American public.

Exxon Still Reeling from '89 Oil Spill

It is hard not to dwell on the crisis management aspect of PR when it is at the forefront of publicity. Think about it, you know all about Enron but when's the last time you read a press release regarding the mayor of Oregon's plan to open a new general store on Main Street? Crisis management is important because instead of making the mistakes yourself, you can watch others and learn what NOT to do. We once discussed the Exxon Valdez oil spill of 1989 as an example of ineffective crisis management. Obviously, the crisis in question was detrimental to the environment of Cordova, Alaska but it seems that there are lasting effects on Exxon as well. Today the Associated Press issued a release citing that Exxon will go before the U.S. Supreme Court this Wednesday. Why, you may ask? Well, in 1994 a jury in Anchorage, Alaska awarded the victims of the incident $5 billon in punitive damages (recall the video the former Exxon CEO's response to how to fix the damages to the Alaskan fishing industry). Following the court ruling, Exxon Mobil Corp. made a series of court appeals and the amount to be paid in damages has since been cut in half. Now, it turns out that $2.5 billion is too much for a company which made a profit of $40.6 billion in 2007! Is it really so "unconstitutional" to ask Exxon to pay punitive damages which equates to a measly 6% of their annual profit? Is it cruel and unusual punishment to ask them to pay for an incident which is their fault?

33,000 plaintiffs including Alaskan commercial fisherman, natives, landowners, businesses, and local governments stand to lose the $2.5 billion judgment if the high court sides with Exxon. For the record, the oil spill ruined 1,200 miles of Alaskan shoreline and killed hundreds and thousands of animals which were indigenous to the region. In actually there is not amount of money that can make up for the loss of life to an ecosystem, but punitive damages meant to be paid out of moral responsibility apparently hurt big business far more.

In my opinion, Exxon seems to maintain a tone of insensitivity on the matter. Apparently Exxon should no longer be held accountable for the incident because of an estimated $3.5 billion paid in clean up costs (even though there is still an estimated 85 tons of lingering crude). Not to mention the fact that the skipper of the Exxon Valdez was the true culprit. Last time I checked, in a corporation the liability in a crisis does not rest on individuals.

ALDO'S BATTLE AGAINST AIDS

The ALDO shoe company has recently joined forces with one of its charitable partners, YOUTHAIDS, to develop an AIDS prevention program around the world. ALDO’s and YOUTHAIDS mission is to gather funds to help spread out prevention of the AIDS/HIV disease. The campaign has spread around the world to more than 22 countries. Within the year of its existence, the program has raised over $2 million in support for their foundation. The ALDO and YOUTHAIDS foundation helped out nations such as Rwanda, South Africa, China, and Romania. The foundation launched programs that protected individuals from HIV infection, provided health products and services such as HIV testing and counseling. Some of the factors that the foundation used to aim to their audience were through television, education, and local community mobilization.

The ALDO and YOUTHAIDS campaign is an excellent aid for fighting the war against HIV/AIDS. This foundation is a productive campaign that is helping out the world promote AID awareness, and help those that are in need.

http://www.youthaids-aldo.org/

Obama Speech Scandal

The 2008 Presidential Campaign has a lot of people talking. The real battle and much of the spotlight has been turned on to the Democratic race between Barack Obama Senator form Illinois and Hillary Clinton Senator from New York. This week CNN.com reported that Senator Clinton's camp accused Barack Obama for borrowing lines from the speech of Governor Deval Patrick, a friend of Obama's. The Clinton campaign the used the PR tactic of leaking a video comparing Obama's speech with Patrick's speech to youtube for the public to see. Now more than ever it is vital to have a quick and effective crisis management on your campaign team to tame scandals like this quickly before it can seriously injure a campaign.

In a great crisis management move Obama's camp first addressed the statements, then made sure all parties involved were on the same team and the pointed out Clinton had borrowed lines as well, in an attempt to discredit her. Obama addressed the accusations by stating "I've written two books, wrote most of my speeches. So I think putting aside the question ... in terms of whether my words are my own, I think that would be carrying it too far." His camp admitted that there might be some borrowed words between the two men because they share ideas with each other and are friends. The Obama campagin made sure all parties were on the same page and had Patrick issued a statement to the media stating that "Senator Obama and I are long-time friends and allies. We often share ideas about politics, policy and language." The Obama campaign even went so far as to check statements made by David Axelrod, who was an advisor for both Obama's Senate campaign and for Patrick's gubernatorial run, talk about getting all your people on the same page. The Obama camp then stated that Clinton had borrowed lines from some of Obama's speeches as well. This was a great reaction by his team. They addressed the situation before it could really harm the race. In fact today he won Wisconsin today, his ninth straight win in a row.

Largest Meat Recall in History

PR STORY: The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced the recall of approx. 143 million pounds of raw and frozen beef from a Chino meat-packing company, proclaiming that it was unfit for human consumption because of repeated failures and lapses in required inspections. According to the department, this has been the largest beef recall that the United States has ever suffered. They also claimed that the there could be serious health consequences if the meat was in fact consumed, but officials say some of the recalled meat has already been distributed and consumed. (obviously a scary situation needing immediate attention) According to a news release issued by the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service in Washington, D.C., the cattle did not undergo proper inspection. There has been information and evidence received by the agency shows that Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. "did not consistently contact the FSIS public health veterinarian" as required when cattle became nonambulatory after being inspected, the release said. Department spokesman Keith Williams noted that today's beef recall was not based on the same levels of concern for public health as in some prior recalls. "There is a remote probability of any serious health concern . . . but we are taking this action because of our regulations" and in abundance of caution, Williams said of the recall. The first problems at the plant began when there was a release of a video showing inhumane treatment towards animals at the plant which occurred sometime between October 11th and November 9th of 2007. The video was captured by the Humane Society and prompted schools all over the nation to pull the beef from their cafeteria menus. This video shows a plant manager abusing and paddling a nonamulatory cow in order to get it to get up so they can take it to be slaughtered. According to the United States laws, cattle that aren’t able to walk, are not allowed to be slaughtered and processed for human consumption because they are more likely to carry mad cow disease. (Now the issue is not just the recalled meat, but animal cruelty, which fuels the crisis) Last week, the U.S Department of Agriculture suspended inspections at Hallmark, which immediately closed the plant (A first step in handingling the crisis). Earlier this month, several California lawmakers, including Rep. George Miller, called for an independent investigation (2nd step of action) into the National School Lunch Program, for which Hallmark was a top supplier. San Bernardino County prosecutors last week filed felony charges of animal cruelty and illegal movement of nonambulatory animals against the manager (Third Step of action). The agency placed a Jan. 30 hold on all Westland products in federal outlets, including the National School Lunch Program, the Emergency Food Assistance Program and the Food Assistance Program on Indian Reservations, USDA officials said Sunday (Another step of taking action). The USDA now has a recall list that they issued which includes several beef products with many of its vendors.

Watch News Report

NEWS REPORT TWO

APPLIED CONCEPT: The PR concept was crisis response/management. Although the response was not necessarily directed at the media, although there were several news reports, it is apparent the USDA officials took the situation in to control and did what they thought was necessary. After the problem became apparent, they immediately acknowledged it, researched/investigated, and handled it. The publics they talked to were clients and vendors of their meat product and also the department spokesperson, in this case Keith Williams, and the manager. After conclusive research, they recalled the 143 million pounds of raw meat and the San Bernardino Country prosecutors got involved with the animal cruelty aspect and took matters into their hands to charge this as a felony. Also another form of written PR they used as part of the crisis response is that the USDA sent out a news release discussing the situation and inspection process that was being undergone.

Watch movies just like BATMAN!

Canadian based, Elite Home Theater Company, is now marketing it's latest custom home theater decore. Look familiar? It is themed after Bob Kane's Batman comic. Elite Home Theater Co. has released this information via press releases to news outlets and media aficionado websites. The "Bat Cave" theater buzz has gone viral. Rumors of the unusually interesting home theater has shocked many. PR for this product has been the hype. The product is public specific to very wealthy people with over-the-top tastes. The positioning of the product is extravagance and entertainment.

I think the company is doing a good job of letting the product do it's own PR. All you have to do is put out a couple of press releases to a few media outlets and with the internet these days, it's easy to have a buzz spread without much of any cost at all. Which is extremely beneficial to the company being that the product itself is so expensive. More and more companies are coming to this realization.

Fashion Sense

It’s what we do every morning, find something to wear. Believe it or not, each and every time we all dig through our closets we are inspired by the fashion world. There are many people out in society that do not think they are associated with the big designer names, simply because they do not wear them, but little do they know that inspiration for any style originates from the creations of that “big designer”. A prominent time and place to find these big time designers is New York Fashion Week, which has become a popular event. The fashion industry is no longer just buried inside your closet; it is becoming an everyday necessity for celebrities and the everyday citizen thanks to Fashion Week.
When I received the phone call from my friend begging me to take a week off from school and fly to New York for Fashion Weekhttp://www.mbfashionweek.com/newyork/fall2008/sponsors/index.html, I thought he was absurd. How can I take a whole week off from my everyday life, just to go to an event that, I thought, was strictly for models and designers? As days went by, I began seeing more daily entertainment news about which actress was attending the fashion shows or which singer was solely at fashion week for their favorite designer. The Bush twins have reportedly been seen out at the shows. Even people who are not celebrities, my friend for example, are going to the event. A lot has changed since 1993 when Fashion Week was first created by the Council of Fashion Designers of America. Now, it is an event of who is there and for which designer.
Fashion is, without a doubt, making it a point to be noticed in our everyday lives with various media such as the 2006 film, The Devil Wears Prada, to a whole television station devoted to style, the Style Networkhttp://www.mystyle.com/. Fashion is definitely making its permanent mark on society. Even the top fashion magazine, Vogue, no longer focuses on supermodels for their covers. Today, movie stars and singers, people society idolize, now grace the covers. Oddly enough, even phones are beginning to receive high fashion makeovers. Dolce & Gabbana now has a special edition Motorola Razr. Coco Channel also has a phone design of her own, which is highly recommended by musician, Kanye West.
With Fashion Week being held twice a year, once for the Fall lines, and a second time for Spring lines, allows society, as a whole, a chance to soak up some fashion sense. You can fly to New York, watch the updates on television, or even keep up with your favorite designers online. So the next time you step into your closet for a clothing item that might not have a designer label, you can still thank the fashion industry as a whole.

Tragedy strikes a college campus...yet again

Northern Illinois University's website currently features information on the tragedy that occured yesterday. Former NIU student Stephan Kazmierczak, 27, killed five students while injuring 16 others. Classes have been canceled through the weekend, as well as sporting events. The website includes important information about the tragedy, such as the latest information, vigils, important phone numbers, counceling information, and support from the community.

This is great crisis control on behalf of the university. It shows that this is a very serious matter, and all this information is rezdily available to those affected by the tragedy. The layout of the page is simple, which I think is appropriate and show's their sorrows. There are no pictures on the page, except for the black ribbon. It is also a good step in not having pictures of the victims killed on their website. By not featuring pictures, it allows the families to grieve in peace. Previous to this event, I had never been to the NIU website, but at the bery bottom of the page are links to information that I am guessing is on their homepage on any other given day.

Jane Fonda Celebrates a V-Day Crisis

NBC apologized Thursday for itself and actress Jane Fonda, after an offensive word was spoken on the “Today Show.”
Jane Fonda sat alongside writer and feminist activist Eve Ensler on the set of the “Today Show,” to discuss Ensler’s work, “The Vagina Monologues.” “The Vagina Monologues” is a play in which women speak openly about their bodies and sexuality. It focuses on female empowerment and the woman as an individual. Fonda will be appearing in the 10th anniversary performance.
Fonda was answering a questioned posed by “Today Show” co-host Meredith Vieira, and accidentally used the exact term for the monologue. Fonda was explaining her reason why she declined when the term was uttered. NBC felt the need to address this issue and appointed Co-host Vieira to inform the viewers of the apology ten minutes later. Fonda’s use of the c-word may have offended a number of viewers. Consequently, “Today” used a still photograph of Fonda during later airings of the show in order to cover-up the mistake.

This was quick thinking on behalf of NBC, who was forced to handle the sudden “crisis” in a timely manner. The television network NBC, nor the “Today Show” host had any inclination that Fonda was going to utter this remark. However, in television, these mishaps occur. Therefore, effective crisis management is imperative. The crisis must be identified, if possible, before it occurs and handled before it becomes a major issue. The public relations effort was effective. Before this information could hit the high-speed internet, NBC took control of the situation by offering an apology on air. It was important that NBC took the drama out of the crisis. If NBC had not apologized for this mishap, perhaps a media backlash would have occurred and the outcome would have been worse.

Barcelona: a growing hot spot

Ellen Ognitz from tribune media services inc. has proved that Barcelona has become one of the fastest growing travel destinations for families and teens favorite places to travel and go abroad.  With all this city has to offer including new housing, parks, great art and architecture, wonderful food, close beaches and plenty of cool hotels.

She has included the names of some interesting sites and hotels to help advertise what Barcelona has to offer.  She focuses on places that would specifically interest kids, teens and families and welcome more questions and comments at www.takingthekids.com.  She adds her favorite cites including the infamous Piccaso museum and Spain's most visited Sagrada Famillia that some 2.5 million people visited last year.  

Ognitz does a good job in representing Barcelona and everything it has to offer.  She could be seen as doing PR for the different places that she names and the city in general by explaining how it is such a wonderful place with so much beauty, culture and fun and that it can be enjoyed by people of all ages. 

www.cnn.com/2008/TRAVEL/getaways/02/04/barcelona/index.html