To Respond or Not to Respond (and How) ... That Is the Question

April 26, 2012

The explosion of media venues has provided a wealth of opportunities to get your message out. From traditional broadcast and print news to blogs, social media and the 24/7 cable news world, lawyers and other professionals have ample means to express their views and raise awareness of their practice, firm or company. Likewise, the consumers of such news have ample means to respond in kind.

For example, individuals can freely comment and critique you on online news stories, start a campaign on a new homemade blog in response, and call in to a radio or TV show and offer real-time feedback to the host and guest. While one may argue democracy is alive and thriving with such open parameters, others fret at the danger this openness portends for you or your organization’s reputation, especially if misinformation and lies are spread across the virtual universe or arguments erupt in front of countless online viewers or readers.

The key culprit to this problem is anonymity. Since the Internet was born, we’ve taken for granted that this terrain was a free-for-all, but also a place to virtually hide, permitting individuals and interest groups to address the masses while keeping their identities concealed.

When news sites and then blogs began allowing readers to post comments after their stories and posts, the protocol generally was (and still remains) anyone could weigh in and remain anonymous.

In the last couple of years, however, that idea has come under attack from websites and news organizations that are questioning whether anonymity should be allowed. Some newspapers revised their policies on commenting to give greater prominence to those who use their real names. Others have begun requiring that people register before posting comments, providing some information about themselves. Another alternative employed had readers ranking commenters based in part on how well they and their fellow readers know and trust them.

And now through social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, millions of people have grown accustomed to posting their comments with their names and profile photos attached, representing one of the farthest steps to date away from anonymity.

But in lieu of these alternatives, anonymous commenters remain a significant problem. So what should you, your client or your firm do when faced with such a quandary? Do you respond to misinformed commenters to correct the record, thus at least stopping any further hemorrhaging for some unknown period of time? Or do you lay low hoping the authors of such nefarious messages be perceived as lacking any credibility in the court of public opinion, so why bother?

Whether you choose to respond or not, it is important to understand that naysayers will not stop commenting and spreading falsehoods. Being anonymous or having a pseudonym permits these writer-critics greater freedom to attack without recourse. However, ask any editor and he or she will likely tell you that those who respond to a story anonymously lack the integral characteristic of credibility. But those who volunteer their real names gain credibility and support for at least being upfront and willing to put their “money where your mouth is” so to speak.

When you respond, it is essential to put your name on the post and “own it.” There are stories of executives and politicians responding in anger or even anonymously and getting caught, thus embarrassing themselves and their organizations, and doing unrecoverable damage to their brand (see former New York Congressman Anthony Weiner, who claimed his Twitter account was hacked before fessing up). Keep your response short and punchy so more people will see and read it. Bullet points or numbered response points are good.

A longer-term strategic option is to have a page or section on your website that lays out the facts and dispels myths that have more than just a small shelf-life online.  It could be structured as a “Frequently Asked Questions”-style page and be friendly in tone. Or a “Myths vs. Facts” page where you counter the myth or myths published online with the true facts. You could then begin to post the website link to the page when you do respond to anonymous and/or critical commenters/bloggers. You could continuously update it with new information and answers so that it could become your “go to” response instead of having to undertake this painful experience every time vitriol is spread about you or your organization.

- Jeff

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Santorum's Out. How'd You Find Out?

April 11, 2012

For any aspiring public relations professional, staying up-to-date with the news is very important. With mobile features like CNN push alerts, New York Times updates as well as the enormous amount of apps for all types of news available at your fingertips, it is easier than ever to get information and news instantaneously.

With the 2012 presidential election looming right around the corner, I find it even more important to stay informed about prominent political issues and announcements. 

Just yesterday, Rick Santorum announced he was suspending his presidential campaign, ending his crusade to surface as his party’s conservative champion and handing the Republican presidential nomination to Mitt Romney.

Santorum had proved himself a fierce competitor in the Republican presidential campaign but was ultimately overmatched in money and organization. It would have been nearly impossible for him to secure the nomination over Romney. Santorum gave no specific reason for dropping out of the race and did not offer an endorsement, or any mention, of Romney. 

“While this presidential race for us is over, for me, and we will suspend our campaign today, we are not done fighting,’’ Santorum said, vowing to turn his attention to defeating Obama in November. This decision allows Romney to begin the vital task of trying to heal the wounds from a brutal primary while starting to appeal to the crucial independent voters needed in order to defeat President Obama in the fall.

Republican leaders seemed to greet Santorum’s exit with a measure of relief, hoping that the voters can now begin to unite behind Romney.

How did you find out about this decision? What do you think? Let us know!

- Kaitlyn

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Open-Mic Frights

March 30, 2012

The power of the microphone, in the public relations world, has the ability to propel some to greatness, while rendering others to sweaty palms, jittery stances, and stumbling words. It can be an effective tool of communication when used correctly at the right times and targeted towards the right audience.

The speaker must be prepared at all times. More importantly, in acting as a representative for their company, organization, or even their country, they must realize at all time that they are “on record” in order to avoid any misunderstanding, misquoting, or having their words taken out of context.

Especially in regards to the option of speaking live at a public venue where editing and the decision to revoke statements are not always possible, it can prove to be a risky situation if the representative is unprepared and unaware. Even some of the most well-versed and best-known public figures have experienced their fair share of unfortunate (and often embarrassing) run-ins when it comes to the microphone due to carelessness. Add to that the presence of cameras and reporters that could attract the attention of a company’s internal audience, a nation’s members, or even the world, it is no wonder many shy away from public forums.

For example, take into consideration these all but too well-known political microphone gaffes:

-In 2006, the former President of the United States, George W. Bush, used an expletive while speaking to the then-British Prime Minister Tony Blair about the crisis in the Middle East. At the Group of Eight summit held in St. Petersburg, Russia, while expressing his frustration to Blair during their conversation regarding the United Nations and its position on the Israeli-Hezbollah conflict in Lebanon, Bush was unaware of the open mic and stated “See the irony is what they need to do is get Syria to get Hezbollah to stop doing this s*** and it’s over.”

-Dubbed as “Bigotgate” in Westminster, the former Prime Minster Gordon Brown was caught badmouthing an elderly woman who was a life-long Labour supporter. During what started out as a pleasant enough conversation with the woman named Gillian Duffy in April 2010, Brown left the meeting ranting about her to one of his election aide. Unaware of the present television microphone, the prime minister was heard saying “That was a disaster. You should never have put me with that woman. Whose idea was that?” and in response to the question of what she had said, Brown commented “Oh everything…She’s just a sort of bigoted woman that said she used to be Labour.” Apparently, the source of such statements originated from Duffy’s inquiries about immigration towards Brown, who may not have wanted to discuss it with her.

-Last week, President Barack Obama attended the nuclear safety summit in Seoul, South Korea. While waiting for the proceeding of the conference, Obama engaged in dialogue with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and was overhead by a nearby microphone saying that he would have “more flexibility” after the 2012 elections in regards to missile defense. While this was happening, reporters were filing into the venue for the event.

To say the least, sometimes having the microphone may do more harm than good for some individuals.

In addition to focusing on the messages that one intentionally wants to send out to the mass population, one also has to worry about the messages that they want to keep private, private. As you may see (especially from the examples above), even officials who hold prominent positions and maintain a staff of people to manage their image have made mistakes when it comes to the mic. Nevertheless, despite these infamous public incidents, the power of the microphone and of the podium can still be harnessed to achieve favorable outcomes. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the speaker to be:

*Attentive to their statements;
*Aware of who or what is around; and
*Prepared throughout the process.

Especially when reporters (who are the intermediaries between the originator of messages and the audience) are involved, one must be extra diligent. As public relations professionals whose jobs are to prepare the speaker or serve as the speaker themselves, they must be on alert throughout the whole process. In following these basic rules, you may help your client overcome their fear, or perhaps take control of your own.

-Phuong

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What Do We Do Now? Engaging on Social Media

March 28, 2012

“What do we do now?” These are the five words Bill McKay, played by Robert Redford in “The Candidate,” says after he learns he won his election to close the movie. Just as McKay wondered what he needed to do as senator-elect after his victory, many lawyers and law firms wonder what to do once they’ve gotten on social media. After all, it isn’t enough to just be on social media; you need to know how to effectively use its numerous benefits to “win” in your professional life.

Make no mistake: Law firms are using social media to recruit new clients, network and share their expertise. According to a recent study conducted by ALM Legal Intelligence (ALM is the publisher of the Law Weekly ), almost 85 percent of law firms employ social media and networking tools, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. Just more than 60 percent said their firms now maintain one or more blogs. In addition, nearly 90 percent believe that the integration of social media into their firms’ marketing, business development and recruiting efforts should be an important priority, with more than 40 percent rating social media initiatives as very important. Other findings included more than half saying that their firms plan to increase their budget for social media initiatives in 2012. And finally, more than 40 percent said that blogs and social media networks have helped to increase the number of calls their firms receive from journalists. Likewise, roughly the same number said their presence in the blogosphere and on social media networks had also increased the number of speaking invitations their lawyers receive.

So are you using your and your firm’s social media tools effectively? Here’s a checklist to help you answer this question.

First, are you communicating on the right social media platforms? One criterion to answer this question is to determine what social media your target audiences use and trust. If your prospective clients use Facebook the most, that’s likely where the bulk of your social media resources should be allocated. If you are unable to determine this answer through secondary research, you should, at minimum, ask them. Another gauge is determining what messages or other content (e.g., photos, white papers, blog posts) most effectively demonstrate your or your firm’s capabilities. For example, if you seek to show prospects how effective a presenter you are in front of an important audience, then posting your speaking appearances on a firm YouTube channel may work best. Likewise, if you’re looking to show your broad reach and contacts in the professional legal community, then maintaining an active professional LinkedIn page may be the right answer.

Second, are you sharing valuable information on social media with your followers, fans or subscribers? Ask yourself if the material you’re posting benefits those who are reading, hearing or viewing it. If the answer is yes, then your audiences will keep coming back to learn more, and your individual or firm profile will remain top of mind for referrals and other business-building opportunities.

Third, are you returning the favor in kind? In other words, do you engage with your followers on their pages by commenting on their blog entries, retweeting valuable tweets and “liking” Facebook posts, among other tactics? Helping raise the visibility of the people and organizations that are part of your social media universe will likely get you even deeper support in return.

Fourth, are you consistently posting and updating your social media sites? Though it may be unreasonable to spend more than a short time on your accounts each day or week, it’s important to be consistent. Consistency could range from posting a weekly blog entry from a different practice leader to adding interesting and actionable advice on each of your social media pages on a daily basis. The key is “teaching” your followers that you’re consistent and that they can reasonably expect when you’ll be adding something.

Fifth, is the information you’re sharing interchangeable for different social media? While the language you “speak” on Facebook doesn’t (and I believe shouldn’t) look exactly like the words you post on Twitter, your ability to convey the same information in these different social media using the mores and protocol of each can amplify your message and opportunity to meet your objectives.

So now you are not only on social media, but know “what to do now.” If only McKay could have been so fortunate to run in the age of social media where plenty of comers would have been more than glad to let him know. 

- Jeff

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March Mobile Madness

March 21, 2012

The interplay between technology and popular culture has brought us some really great endeavors over the years. Perhaps the best use of technology in pop culture though is the ability to track and respond to real-time information from anywhere in the world. As the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship unfolds in cities across the country over the next few weeks this ability should come in handy.

The tournament is lifting off across America and already Kentucky, Syracuse and North Carolina have all earned top seeding in the three-week, 67-game competition known as March Madness. The NCAA Tourney is an annual rite in the United States. It is one of those events that brings people together as brackets are filled out, wagers made and winners sought. There are more ways than ever to stream all the NCAA games, keep track of your picks and talk smack with your opponents over social media. What are the best ways to follow the action this year? Here are some slam dunk apps from Android and iOS to check out:

  • NCAA March Madness Live (iOS, Android)

This is the official app for March Madness. The app allows you to check the tournament schedule, fill out and track your bracket, stream live games, get customized alerts by team, upsets, close games or overtime.

  • ESPN Bracket Bound 2012 (iOS, Android)

Mobile is one of ESPN’s strengths and its Bracket Bound app is a great way to submit your picks and track scores, highlights, news and Twitter reactions.

  • Yahoo Tourney Pick’em (iOS, Android)

The Yahoo Tourney Pick’em app allows you to pick your bracket, track games, gives you updates and play-by-play for all the games.

  • Thuuz (iOS, Android)

Thuuz is not just and NCAA tournament app but an app for tracking any major U.S. sports. It uses an algorithm to track games and gives an “excitement” rating of 0-100. It will point you to where you can watch these games either on television or on the Web. It also functions as a score and update app and allows you to share those games with your Facebook friends.

  • PocketBracket (Android, iOS, Windows Phone)

If you do not want to go through the major services like ESPN, CBS or Yahoo, there are a variety of places online where you can set up and manage your own bracket pool. From a mobile perspective, PocketBracket is one of the only options available to create and manage public or private brackets.

All of these new advances in app technology lead me to ask the question, what’s next? Let us know what you think.

 - Kaitlyn

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How to Make Your Product Launches Soar.

March 14, 2012

Amidst the innumerable amount of new products introduced every year, organizations continually try to come up with creative and innovative ways to reach target audiences. Going beyond advertising, public relations professionals specifically aim to generate interest by crafting more credible avenues of exposure in order to capture the public’s attention. Whether you or your agency are launching a new product or initiative, here are a few very important steps (and tips) required to increase the likeliness of your campaign’s success!

Before embarking out on a full-blown public relations campaign, you and your team members may want to facilitate a case analysis. In this, by planning ahead of time before taking any action, you make the process of public relations tangible for yourself, for clients, for your boss, and your audiences. Furthermore, it makes the concept of public relations more measurable with various metrics that can include increases in media placement and consumer behavior. From here, you can begin with an:

*Introduction/Overview
-In planning, individuals involved must gather information in order to make the most effective decisions. Hence, they carry out a situation analysis to get an overall idea of what is happening and what they must do.

Next, you should continue with the steps of a case analysis:

1) Background of the company
-If team members are working for a company, they must know what their client is about. This may include the company’s history, reputation, past scandals, if any exist, and so on.
2) Issues
-This aspect can be divided into factual (tangible things that people know) and inference (implications of effects that could occur as a result of actions taken by a company that may affect audience members and the general public).
3) Real State vs. Ideal State
-Real State: Where you, or your company/client, are right now.
-Ideal State: Where you, or your company/client, want to go or want to be.
4) Audiences
-The people or groups of people you and your company want to appeal to. These are the individuals you attempt to persuade to act on your behalf.
5) Timing
-A part of the planning process where team members work with clients to establish the extent to which they aim to establish goals and objective.
-Together, they should try to set up a plan spanning the course of one year rather than three to five years ahead of time. This is due to the fact that things in life are not finite and situations change. Nevertheless, members can still choose to give an overview of their plan for the next three to five years, but nothing too specific.
6) Objective
-The tactics or strategies that plan to be carried out as part of endeavors to achieve a company’s goals.
-Often times, members may choose to budget expenses by objective and use it to determine how much things are going to cost.
7) Key Messages
-These are your “through lines” for the entire campaign. Thus, throughout the launch, your key messages will appear since they are the things that will pop up in every instance of your communication.
8 ) Competition
-Many times, a company finds it helpful to look at the competition’s tactics and strategies. Hence, you and your client may want to check out the competitor’s:
-Company website.
-The type of media they receive.
-What their key messages are based on the coverage they get.

In today’s technology age, it is hard to not go digital. Moreover, one cannot especially afford to ignore the lure of social media. Not only can it prove to be cost-effective, but it may also reach more people in a quicker amount of time. Hence, here are some social media tips to reflect upon.

Combine Traditional and Social Media to get your messages across. If your budget allows it, make room for some flexibility in your initiative to initiate conversation and ensure its continuation.
Choose the Right Platform so as to ensure that your product or initiative is relevant to the right audiences. Consider demographics and what types of social media they consume. It’s too easy to blast messages everywhere, to everyone, every time you log on to your company’s Twitter or Facebook account. However, remember that messages have a saturation point, and you do not want to overwhelm (or bore) your audiences to the “delete” box.
Stick to the Plan particularly when it comes to content, cost, and outreach. It is very important that everyone involved with the launch is on the same page and are consistent with the information being sent out.

With any product launch, and for campaigns in general, your plan should be tailored specifically to your company’s or client’s goals. Not every product or initiative will be identical, so why should all plans be the same? As long as you follow these steps to establish a guideline for yourself and your team, you will have a game plan for your launch. From there, let your creative wings flutter. Don’t be afraid to stand out and be different!

-Phuong

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Make Your Pitch Stand out in a Sea of Emails; How to Get the Attention You Deserve

February 24, 2012

Having been almost one month into my first internship, drafting pitches has become one of my most frequent duties here at Jubelirer Strategies.

Only in my sophomore year at Temple University, I haven’t had many hands on experiences with crafting email pitches to send to journalists. So, when asked to pitch multiple times during my first few weeks, I had to learn a few of the basics.

Journalists, especially in a city as large as Philadelphia, receive hundreds of emails a day from PR pros. Many of them may end up in the trashcan or simply get ignored, but many of them truly are used for stories.

Just like a resume needs to stand out to a future employer, a pitch or press release needs to stand out to a journalist or assignment editor.

According to an article on the Internet Marketing Blog, here are seven simple ways to successfully get the attention of journalists despite their jungle-like inboxes:

•              Craft an Enticing Subject Line: The subject line is the first thing the journalist will see when they receive an email, making it the most important part of the pitch. Use this space to offer the journalist something of value, make it relative to what they cover, ask them a question, or perhaps make a joke. But you’ve got to give them something worth opening.

•              Include Pictures: Everyone knows a picture is worth a thousand words. Be different; visual content is usually ignored in press releases because it is not included in the standard format. Include a video or picture that adds value, but make sure they don’t take too long to load because we all know time is of value.

•              Use Lists: Journalists should be able to scan through the pitch, quickly picking out the most important information. Bullet points and numbered lists are appealing to the eye and allow you to write short phrases that explain the same thing in a full sentence, but in much fewer words.

•              Don’t Attach a File: One of the first lessons I learned as an intern is to never attach a pitch; rather copy and paste into the body of the message. This allows the journalists to quickly read it over without having to wait for the file to download. Formatting will quickly become your best friend.

•              Keep in Short and NO Fluff: Never send a long email. Text-dense paragraphs will most likely be ignored at first glance. Flowery language is not helpful and should be saved for the story after it is written. Your pitch should get right to the point and provide only the absolutely necessary information.

•              Articulate Why the Pitch Matters: Be upfront with the journalist reading your pitch. Tell them why your content is important to them. What about the content is going to be relatable to their readers? Is it a product launch? A new money-saving tip? Store opening? Hospital closing? Always make sure to visually highlight this part of your announcement by bolding, underlining, italicizing; make the pitch clear, concise, and obvious.

•              Display Knowledge of the Journalist and Publication: This may be single handedly the most important part of a pitch. Being able to address a journalist by name will most likely increase the chances of your pitch being read. Researching is vital; find out what they have written about in the past, what sections they are featured in and what types of articles they write about. Personalizing your pitch will not only grab the attention of a journalist who is constantly sent irrelevant pitches, but it also helps to build a relationship with that particular person and their publication for future endeavors.

Which of these tips do you live by? Do you have any other tactics to get the attention of the media? Let us know!

- Kaitlyn

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Public Relations: Much More Than Publicity

February 13, 2012

When most people hear the words “public relations,” they associate it with generating media attention, or publicity. To be sure, media relations is in fact one of the core tactics of what public relations practitioners do; however, there are many additional opportunities to raise your personal or organizational visibility beyond garnering headlines and news clip books.

Public relations has moved beyond pitching stories to reporters, producers and bloggers and subsequently capturing news articles. The opportunities for media exposure are simply not as available as they used to be. According to Pew, daily newspaper circulation has decreased 30 percent over the last three decades. The number of nightly news viewers in the United States is down from 60 million to 20 million over the last 10 years.

Smart strategic communications have now matured to include new or enhanced tactics. Here are some important strategies you can deploy right now that will help grow your or your organization’s public profile:

First, become an expert speaker. This entails leveraging one of the most integral skills needed for professional success in and out of the boardroom and courtroom — public speaking. An opportunity to keynote a speech at an industry conference or at a gathering of your prospective clients will allow you to demonstrate field expertise in a non-sales like manner while at the same time getting your name and organization’s brand out there. There are multiple benefits, including the opportunity to showcase how you critically think, analyze and communicate on your feet — all factors that prospects consider when they are deciding who to retain. Start finding opportunities for later this year and 2013 by exploring your local bar association and legal specialty publications for upcoming conferences and panels.

Second, develop your own news bureau. It’s never been easier to improve your visibility through digital and social media. In a world increasingly getting its news through Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, it is paramount now to “get on the train before it leaves the station” and you’re left behind with an ever decreasing set of options.

Blogging (a regularly updated online publication of personal or professional thoughts) and linking your posts to different social media outlets and websites (including your organization’s) represents an easy, credible and inexpensive way to increase your presence. The key is to maintain your blog, so it’s important to set goals, such as one post per week. Make sure to keep the content relevant and interesting. Another important recommendation is to “tag” each of your blog posts. Tagging your posts with relevant keywords allows them to be found more easily on search engines (e.g., Google). For example, a blog entry containing your musings on Pennsylvania’s redistricting situation might include the tags “redistricting,” “PA Supreme Court” and “census.”

Third, advocate for your organization or industry. The lines between public relations, public policy and politics continue to blur. And as digital platforms (e.g., starting petitions on change.org) allow citizens to reward authenticity and punish pretenders, the need for integrating your public relations with your organization’s or industry’s public affairs strategy is growing. Your individual or organization’s visibility will increase in a commensurate fashion with your stance on an issue of importance. To get started, consider authoring an opinion piece (an op-ed) in a newspaper or magazine that covers the topic you’re writing about. You may be pleasantly surprised to see new referrals or business come your way as a result of a published well-thought-out column.

Finally, consider your or your organization’s philanthropic strategy. Whether through volunteering or serving actively on a board of a charity, aligning with a good cause brings good will. But getting involved with a charitable organization is not only beneficial for your overall well-being; it also provides a great opportunity for building your reputation. Are you mentoring an underprivileged child, or teaching seniors living in care facilities how to Skype so that they can have a better relationship with their grandchildren? Whatever you do in or for the community could be of interest (and could likewise raise your profile) to the media and prospective clients or customers. Oftentimes the most wonderful human interest stories seen or read are born as a result of a firm’s nonprofit partners willing to publicize their efforts or charitable giving.

All the strategies discussed in this article can be implemented right away and complement your traditional publicity efforts. So what are you waiting for? It’s time to start generating more visibility and seizing the new business that heads your way.
 
-Jeff

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BMW gets "cooped up" in MINI

February 10, 2012

As the all-too-familiar public relations mantra goes “bad publicity is better than no publicity”. However, this expression can be misleading at times, especially when a company is actually experiencing a potentially awkward promotional situation.

BMW has done just that recently finding itself in an awkward position when the decision to sponsor a storm system in Europe took a disastrous turn. This past week, the cold front known as the “Cooper” (as in the Mini Cooper manufactured by the car company) traveled across the country, wreaking havoc along the way. The storm is now being blamed for the death of 160 people in Poland, Ukraine and elsewhere.

The opportunity to name a storm has been a tradition in Germany for decades.

BMW’s decision to take on such a publicity stunt (I’m wondering why BMW would want to associate itself with adverse weather?) had dire consequences for the brand. Dire in the sense that associations with their car model could be attached to the fact that most people froze to death from the dangerous climate that Cooper brought while others later submitted to the effects of hypothermia.

In a statement made by a representative from BMW, the spokeswoman stated, “It was not intentional and you cannot tell in advance what a weather system will do. That it took on catastrophic proportions and left so many victims, we do regret very much.”

The apology issued by the car manufacturer may seem unusual at first glance since they were in no way responsible for the destruction caused by the unfortunate weather. However, in dealing with reputation for individuals and organizations alike, one must be careful of name recognition and brand affiliation. Of which, it may be certain that the executives at BMW would not wish to have their brand mentioned by newscasters and the world in connection to a natural disaster and death.

Public relations may be tricky in this way due to the fact that some things, such as the weather, are out of everyone’s control. Nevertheless, it is in the power of some to decipher between an innovative, unique way to reach the population and a possibly adverse promotional endeavor that could drag down a name. Especially when one of Mini Cooper’s current slogans is “Mini makes the weather”, it may just add fuel to the fire. Furthermore, even though the company has already got Cooper, the third high-pressure front of the year, they also gained the rights to name a low front later in the year as “Minnie”.

Thus, a key concept that all companies must keep in mind is knowing when, where and what types of publicity to endorse, amongst the abundance of other inquiries to address before embarking on any sort of branding placement.

Thus, the question must be asked, is ANY attempt at publicity worth it?

-Phuong

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#Unhappy Meal

January 30, 2012

In today’s tech-savvy world, organizations are turning to social media more frequently to promote their brand. Many times, it’s the right way to go, as it is a platform for efficient communication to effectively reach targeted audiences – when used correctly that is. Emphasis must be placed on “when used correctly” because things can often go wrong very quickly.

Last week, McDonald’s served as a prime example of social media promotion gone wrong when it initiated a campaign on Twitter with the hashtag #McDStories. After its initial hashtag #MeetTheFarmers proved somewhat successful with touching stories of farmers associated with McDonald’s, the company encouraged the Twitter community to share fond personal memories about their times at the fast food chain, hoping to draw attention to the producers of their food along with the fresh quality of ingredients. It only took two #McDStories hashtags before things turned ugly and downright unappetizing.

“Tweets” from consumers included the likes of:

• #McDStories @McDonalds scalds baby chicks alive for nuggets #MeetTheReality here & take action: McCruelty.com #UnhappyMeal.
• One time I walked into McDonalds and I could smell Type 2 diabetes floating in the air and I threw up. #McDStories.
• And by “pride” do you mean “eyeballs and ammonia”? Yeah, people can taste it, all right. #McDStories.

To say the least, the stories were anything but nice memories of childhood visits to the restaurants.

McDonalds took action immediately and removed the hashtag. Rick Wion, the company’s social media director, commented on the event and took to his own Twitter account to alleviate the situation. By stating that there were 72,000 mentions of McDonalds on the day of the promotion, of which only 2% were negative, he utilized numbers as concrete support for the company’s credibility.

Even though the campaign did not go as planned – generally backfiring on the brand – the people in charge reacted quickly and rationally, both of which are essential rules in the public relations realm. Decisions must be made, and not just any decisions among the myriad of options. The right choices are made with careful analysis of each unique situation.

By monitoring the posts, examining feedback, removing the hashtag when things turned negative, and responding within the same medium, the professionals responsible for the campaign prevented further damage. Their attentiveness is a major asset in dealing with social media and business promotion.

When it comes to public relations, one must expect the unexpected and come to appreciate the unpredictability of social media, especially if audiences are given the opportunity to have their say.

-Phuong

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