Tag Archives: crisis communications

PR Preparedness-Be Ready to Handle Crisis in A Moment’s Notice

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Sorry that I was absent for a week…I took a little breather from blogging, but I’m back with a vengeance.  While I was away did you get a chance to read Jeffrey Zaslow’s article in Wall St. Journal “Keeping Your Foot Away From Your Mouth.”

Sometimes Sorry Doesn't Clear Your Name (credit: imey0106)

This article reminded me of the importance of being prepared for when the time comes when your client (or executive) or even you may say something that the press may construe as being offensive.  And then in a matter of moments you are on the defensive.  These are the days that that you dread as a PR pro.

Every day we can find examples where people have publicly put their proverbial foot in their mouth.  Look at these diddies from this week alone.

First case in point – former USC Mike Garrett - When he learned about the sanctions imposed on that institution by the NCAA for recruiting violations  he told a gathering the following according to the Los Angeles Times.  “As I read the decision by the NCAA, I read between the lines and there was nothing but a lot of envy. They wish they all were Trojans.” Later he added, “Today I got a purpose for really wanting to dominate for another 10 years.”

These comments did not help secure his longevity as you can imagine and last Monday he replaced by Pat Haden.

Foot in mouth syndrome 2 – The premature firing of Federal employee Shirley Sherrod of the USDA.  For those of you following this case, some of her comments at a past speaking engagement were taken out of context and presented on the web. These comments were not positive and reflected upon her poorly.  As a result, the Agriculture department did not check the facts and thus, hastily fired her, when she actually was innocent in the incident. Whoopsy!  What was the result?  The Obama administration had to issue a public apology which in turn caused them much embarrassment. By observing The President over the last two years, I’m sure he was not happy about this incident and how it tarnished his efforts.  You can read more about the story here.

Celebrity Character killers – As a publicist there’s only so much we can do. Anyone who advises a client who has blatantly said or done something that cannot be excused by entering rehab or civic duty — is something that they have to live with.  I am a firm believer in truth and not in cover up.  And I have no problem in advising clients to be remorseful if that is how they feel if they acted poorly. And telling them that they are accountable for their actions.

Actions by celebrities are easily captured now through such outlets as TMZ, Perez Hilton, US, People, etc. These outlets are the prowl of the latest celebrity dish and it’s not that hard to find at times. All they need to do is watch a star’s twitter account these days.  So when a talent twitters something that sullies their reputation-there’s  not much a publicist can do.  What defense do we have?  Do we think this line works — excusing them for their actions because they were inebriated when they wrote it and it wasn’t their intention? The first time this excuse may work, but after that, their credibility get shot.

We all must be accountable for our actions.  Tiger Woods is experiencing this and is careful about his reputation now. He knows he is being watched by the public.  Kobe Bryant had to overcome a situation a few years ago and has kept out of the headlines with scandal.  Laying low does help people forget past issues.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words (credit: Getty images)

But, for those like Mel Gibson and Lindsay Lohan it is a different story.  For Mel, if those tapes are proven to be his voice, he needs to go get some help and then enter back into the limelight when he has changed his ways. And for Lindsay and the fact that she painted that profanity on her fingernail. She did that. No one else can take the blame. How can you defend that action as a publicist other than to say…that it was a cry for help?

With anyone now having the ability to broadcast and share their words through social media, we must be mindful of our words.  We all are held responsible for our actions and accusations. We all must filter our thoughts, actions and deeds online for you are accountable.  And at the end of the day, there’s only so much you can clean up. Yes, people can forgive others, but they also never forget.

Just today the facts came out about Facebook. Over 500 million humans have accounts across the globe. That breaks down to one-out-of-seven people who are using it.  And that fact makes me shudder. It scares me to think about how many of those users are unaware of the power behind words and the damage that can result by misinformation.  If you don’t think it can happen to you, just look at Ms. Sherrod.  Her comments were edited unbeknownst to her.  The same thing could happen to any of us. We need to be smart online.

In summary, be mindful of all that you say, do, write and text.

But, if you do find yourself in a spot of trouble…I’m just an email away.

Cindy

Fairness on the Job?

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If you had to downsize staff-would you let go Mary or Ted?

(Readers: This is a post I just wrote for www.JobWorkTeam.com and I thought it would be applicable to to the PR and freelancing world. I’d love your thoughts!)

We’ve discussed appearing desperate in interviews.  We’ve addressed how one shouldn’t talk about grievances about past employers and employees during the job interview and today, I’m going to talk about fairness on the job or better yet the lack of it.

This is a difficult post to write for I would like to say that companies treat employees fairly.  If I’m living in a glass is half full world, then I would say that I believe most companies try their best to be fair to their employees.  But, at the end of the day, every employee knows that the HR department is there to protect the company and not the employee. There’s just no way around that fact.  It’s written into the DNA of business.

If you have worked for any period of time, I’m sure you have witnessed some things that just made no sense and thus, you had to internally process it and move forward the best you could for there are some things that just aren’t fair like…

  • When you hear that a job/promotion you were up for and should have gotten, ultimately went to a friend of the boss who had no prior experience.
  • Or you’ve conducted several interviews for a position and then hear they’ve put the job on hold.
  • Or you’ve worked your tail end off and you’ve been promised a promotion that ultimately goes to the worker that you’ve been cleaning up after.
  • Or the company is downsizing by 3 percent, so they let you go and kept your boss who knows barely nothing.
  • Or when they change your shift and suddenly, you the one with tenure, has to work nights again.

I was talking to a friend about this phenomenon today…the phenomenon of when good people are let go and weaker ones get to stay.  And as such, he reminded me of the last episode of the 70′s hit TV show “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” where new management takes over the WJM-TV station.  The new executives fire the entire staff, except the klutzy, tongue-tied, vain, buffoonish newscaster Ted Baxter.  I thought how true that episode was.  How many times have you seen great people be let go and the better “sweet talkers,” less experienced people get to stay. It’s just the way of life.

In another side note, I had a different discussion with a fellow freelancer and he made another astute point that I never really thought of before. He recently spoke to a class of freelancers and he gave some great sage advice.  He told them the truth.  He said that we all have competition in our fields and usually it isn’t the best one who gets hired…it’s the one that the boss (client) wants to hang out with. He emphasized the fact that if the client is comfortable with you, then they will keep hiring you.  And you know what there is some truth to that.

So, when you’re on the job, expect that some unfairness will come your way and quickly learn how to brush that off.  Remember who you are and what you bring to the table and forget about that issue as best you can.  One tip that will help you stay at the job longer is my second point today – have a comfortable relationship with your boss. Be the go-to person when things are topsy turvy in his life. Help alleviate stress – be there for him/her as a support.  It will go a long way and if she/he loses their job, then they will want to hire you at their next position.  Why? Because that’s the fair thing to do.

Great advice for everyone

No Kin of Mine

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Kin - a failure or ahead of its time?

So by now, I think we have all heard that Microsoft’s latest device, Kin, which was billed as the first phone built for social networking has been taken off the market after only two months in consumers hands.

As a result, I thought it would be good timing to discuss how to handle PR when products shut down.

Ahhh, the Kin. I was a bit confused by the need for such a device when it was announced, how about you?  I mean smart phones are exactly that now, smart and can handle social networking…so why would I need a special phone just for that?  Its selling points didn’t grab me.  Like Apple products that come onto the market, they are trailblazers and become mainstays in our life.  Can you imagine not having an iPod, iTouch or iPad in your life now?  But, a Kin. It wasn’t a necessity, but a gimmick that Microsoft thought would be the “in” thing for young consumers.

I mean it looked cool and I understand what it did. It shot great photos with its camera and you could easily share videos and text for social sites.  But, with so many other devices capable of the doing the same thing…I guess in two short months consumers didn’t feel the need for it in their lives.

I have recently experienced this myself as I start my own social media agency.  I am finding that if my potential client is not open to social media or an advocate of it – then it’s best for the both of us not to do business together-that is not until that client understands the power of new media.  Therefore, the Kin is a product that probably was ahead of its time and the market was too small to understand its need.

I mean I recently attended a meeting where Sprint’s 4G network was discussed through the use of the HTC EVO android phone.  That phone can do the same things and a few more than the new iPhone 4 can do and it sure can handle everything that the Kin does.  So as Microsoft found out – there really wasn’t a need for Kin.

And as a PR pro, I applaud Microsoft for having the guts and um balls to pull the plug on the device and face defeat. I know corporately it was a hard decision to make for not only did Microsoft face personal embarrassment, but so did Verizon who was the sole carrier.  Verizon supported this concept and thus went down with them.

But, I want to remind you – that there is no such thing as failure.  Look at Thomas Edison, a premier inventor.  He did over 10,000 tweaks to the incandescent light bulb before he perfected it and showed it off.  To him, this is how he views failure.

Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up. T. Edison.

So that’s my PR advice to you. When a product, a TV show or employee is not performing, don’t be afraid to advise your CEO that he/she can pull the plug.  The company will be better off in the long run for it and embarrassment of its demise will be remembered for less than a week. Some other news story will take its place and you will be able to get on with your work as usual.

Look at Toyota…they are weathering the storm and are getting back to work. Cut bait and move on.

Homer Always Shoots Straight From the Hip

If you don’t – then your job as the head of the PR dept. will get quite messy. You will spend a good chuck of your time every day putting out fires from leaks that will arise as news of your product’s ineffectiveness starts to hit the media or is shared through social media.

People have a hard time keeping secrets. And when dealing with television shows, you can never hide the ratings.  Consumers can see how last night’s episode performed or didn’t perform.

Be on top of your game and like Thomas Edison – keep perfecting your product. I’m sure elements of the Kin will remain in the next device that Microsoft launches for it did produce some novel touches.

Soldier on for it takes more courage to admit defeat than to live a lie.

Good job Microsoft.  You did the right thing and deserve respect for trying.  There’s no black eye in this situation.

Freelance Freedom

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Hop on the Carousel of Freelance Life - You'll Love it. Credit: Flickr: Link576

Today I am speaking at a breakfast event held at the Publicists Guild in partnership with the Entertainment Publicists Professional Society (EPPS). The topic of the panel is freelance public relations.  And as such, the point that I hope that I am able to convey to those in attendance is the great need for them to allow themselves to work and think in entirely new ways about their work and their individual lives.

I do think that the statement “out of the box thinking” is over-used, but its meaning is spot on and not trite, trendy nor part of yesterday’s news.  It’s relevant for today, in fact, its mandatory. For if you haven’t noticed…things are not the same (job-wise or economy-wise) as it was say three years ago.  Things have changed and we, as PR professionals, must hop on that merry go around and learn how to enjoy the ride.

Facebook. twitter. Foursquare. Groupon. Blogs.  They’re here. They are real. And they are here to stay. And they are a major component of our communication tools.

Not only is social media a reality, but so are the manners in which we work.  With reductions of full-time positions, PR executives who were downsized are forced to become freelancers/consultants until something permanent does come around again.  And this can be an exhilarating experience and not one to be dreaded if you allow yourself to dream, think differently, and diligently break from traditional work practices.

As a freelancer, you finally are not shackled with promoting one company or touting a company line – you have FREEDOM to explore deep within yourself what would make you happy and finally Do what you’ve always wanted to do….like work for a non-profit that you are passionate about or take culinary classes and start your own cupcake business or open up your shingle and promote a wide range of services. You can do anything that you want…you are the boss of your own company. So who do you want to be?

Don’t let panic or desperation seep in.  Allow yourself the ability to dream.  Don’t stop working on landing a full time gig, but do that six hours in the day.  Spend  a couple hours each day to work on the job you would love to have and develop it.  You can create anything that you want.  Drop down the sides of your box and stand in the middle of it with your head raised skyward and  your hands held high…and enjoy your new found freedom.

I allowed myself to lead a job search work team and created a website.

Who am I to write such statements?

Well, I’m living this at the moment.  And I’m lovin’ it. My hands are no longer held tightly onto the carousel horses, but I’m hanging from the outside of the merry go round.  I’m smiling as it goes round and round and I’m letting the wind and sun shine on my face.  My clients and directions make no sense in the traditional world and I’m glad. I’m living in the social media world where we can create the things that make a difference in the world and matter.  And you know as you make a difference in the world, you are making a difference in your own life. It’s a win-win for all involved.  Let yourself serve wherever you can.

So, what am I doing?  I have a couple clients that are from my career experience, but now I’ve expanded my box to include teaching job search skills to those who are living in transitional housing facilities. I’m showing seniors how to use Facebook.  I’m speaking at colleges and churches. I’m learning how to code CSS and I have my own voice now on several platforms.  I could have never invented this crazy path, traditionally, but I allowed it to take its course and I’m working with nature and not against it anymore.

My box does not have walls…my office is virtual…and I’m free to create.

Freelance-Fear=Freedom

I love this quote that I stumbled upon on twitter from the eschelon2010 conference and I wish I could credit the writer. I hope it inspires you as it did me.  “If you want to make a successful start up, you need a huge vision, not something small.”

Let yourself think. As Seth Godin always reminds us – we are all artists…so allow yourself to create. Grab a paintbrush and put some paint on it.

If you need a little more inspiration….I’m including my favorite clip of all time regarding transitions…The Lemonade Movie.  Please watch it below and become inspired.

Here to serve,

Cindy

So now my question for you is…what would you write on your lemon? If you could what would want to do? Be sure to let me know, I’d love to hear.

Fake But Fun PR

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Fake but fun twitter accounts - A PR Nightmare

In the past about the only fun a publicist could have in her messaging would be writing a creative lead paragraph in a press release.  Yes, all press releases are creative…but sometimes you get to work on a product or content that lends itself to a more informal tone in your missives.  For instance, if I was publicizing “The Last Comic Standing,” I’d probably start the release with a joke from one of the comedians.  But, I’m seeing a whole new arena now open up for us PR folks thanks to twitter with fake PR accounts.

Case in point – the @BPGLOBALPR twitter account-I first found out about it through an article in Wall St. Journal. It’s a great read and I highly recommend it — But, if you can’t take a look at it here’s the opening paragraph  for you –”A Twitter user with an account dubbed BPGlobalPR is posting satirical entries about the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico — and already has more than twice as many followers as BP America’s actual account.”

Oh, the real BP PR team is not happy about this counterfeit account. However, at the same time, BP acknowledges that people are using this vehicle to express their views about this catastrophe and they are not shutting it down. The other surprising antidote about this fake PR account is that several people thought it was the real deal!  This is an interesting idea for citizen protests and something PR pros need to think about and figure out how they would handle it if it happened to a client.

To give you an idea about what they’re writing — here’s some example tweets from BPGLOBALPR :

  1. We respect your outrage, we just don’t believe it’s sustainable. #exxonvaldez #bpcares 9:52 PM Jun 13th
  2. Investing a lot of time & money into cleaning up our image, but the beaches are next on the to-do list for sure. #bpcares 8:19 PM Jun 13th v
  3. On behalf of England, I declare war on the United States. Now, does anyone need fuel for their tanks and jets? ^Tony
  4. Opening more wells in the Gulf! We’re drilling for ALL the oil down there to ensure this never happens again. #4yoursafety
  5. Millions of people live in the gulf. If each one donated just a few thousand dollars, we’d have enough $ to fix this mess. #bpcares 2:11 PM Jun 11th
  6. We are not killing animals in the gulf, we are creating fossils in the gulf. Have a little perspective. #bpcares

These fake accounts are all over the web.

In the film industry, there’s @FakeParamount. Some recent entries include:

  1. Congrats 2 Weinsteins on acquiring Michelle Yeoh film Reign Of Assassins. It’ll look good on the shelf with the other films U never release. 4:19 PM Jun 11th
  2. Wanted: Brilliant foreign directors to direct bland & boring action movies. Just like John Woo, you too can direct movies like Paycheck! 12:15 PM Jun 11th
  3. You weren’t suppose to know that selling toys comes before the script. Doh! (via @arlenecharris) you mean this one? http://ow.ly/1XmtR 12:05 PM Jun 11th v
  4. Ever wonder what would happen if the Titanic was a Transformer? Wonder no longer! James Cameron & Michael Bay unite for TitanicFormers 3-D! 10:38 AM Jun 11th

Or my personal favorite…@facebookPR. Take a look.

  1. Moving all of our servers to Sweden next week so we can really go rogue with our privacy policy 7:06 AM Jun 14th v
  2. Working hard on our new Bing-like backgrounds 6:56 AM Jun 14th
  3. Instead of location, age, relationship status, we’ll be showing advertisers your pics so they can tailor ads to you further 4:20 AM Jun 13th
  4. Great morning. Just found a way to give more of your personal info to advertisers. 4:19 AM Jun 13th
  5. Typical girl on Facebook: Hey, friend me so I can see if that girl I didn’t like in High School got fat. 7:57 AM Jun 12th
  6. Typical guy on Facebook: Hey, friend me so I can see pics of your hot friends. 7:56 AM Jun 12th

And individuals are getting there’s as well….poor Carol Bartz, CEO of Yahoo!…there’s a fake account for her too….I guess it’s the ultimate form of online flattery right? That’s one way to spin it….Anyway, @fakecarolbaratz….you’ll see activity like this:

  1. RT @ivan_d Yahoo is serious about social: cafeteria sandwiches named Status, Update, Connect :) http://twitpic.com/1wta2x All in a yrs work 12:25 PM Jun 14th
  2. Announcing 2 company wide bans effective immidiately: Google as default homepage setting and combovers. 11:52 AM Jun 11th
  3. About the $0.00 check @LeanBlog We’ve recently started letting users know exactly how much we value them. You got your answer, now scram. 9:17 AM Jun 11th
  4. The hype for that new Apple thingamajig is deflating faster than my futon. 1:18 PM Jun 8th
  5. <3′s Bourbon Watermelon Fridays! 4:25 PM Jun 4th
  6. I consider much of what Google does to be on par with plastic cutlery. Cheap, poor usability and disposable.

There’s a lot of people who have extra time on their hands don’t you think?  But, here’s my PR tip for you…go ahead and register a fake twitter account for your company and top CEO-but never use it.  That way, you’ll own the account names and others can’t use FAKEcompanyname for your business.  That won’t stop them, it will just make it a bit harder for them to gain some followers using a name that isn’t as recognizable.

I’m off to read some more fake news….

The real not fake

Cindy

Stereotypes & Labels Lead to PR Messes

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A Search About Stereotypes

Social media is the wild frontier, however, being involved in it doesn’t mean that the rules of libel and slander do not apply.  They do and my biggest fear lies with Mr. Joe Public for he is not a trained journalist. As such he is unaware that he can be sued for things he says about others on his Facebook page. This point leads me to today’s PR Tip – Be careful what you post about others.

Here’s today’s takeaway - Libel is injury to reputation. So that funny post or comment about how so and so is fat, ugly, looks like a dork or is affiliated with some type of political party can get you in trouble if not today then tomorrow.

What led me to write this post is that I’m seeing more labels and stereotypical messaging than ever before which leads me to think it is becoming a trend.  In fact, I fell prey to it.  Last week, a Facebook friend was stating his opinion about Supreme Court Nominee Elena Kagan on his wall.  I made a positive comment about her and then I was received a comment from someone I didn’t know at all who labeled me as a feminist liberal who’s probably never been married.  I did not like how this person labeled me – he didn’t know me, but already he came up with these assumptions.  Yes, I am single, but I am not bitter and I am not a feminist.  I believe in equal pay for equal work and I would love to be married someday.  Labeling is just too easy and most forget that they can get in trouble for it.

Besides calling people “names,” stereotyping someone without presenting facts can also get you in trouble.  Well, to go one step further…any assumptions can get you into trouble.  I remember being involved in an Ad campaign once where images of homely, odd ball, overweight and old people were photographed (all in jest of course) to represent the viewers not watching the network.  I tell you the day after these Ads appeared they came down from public outrage.  So be very careful what general comments you make about someone.

Another recent example of this is the photo (and I’m not going to show it) of Jesse James wearing a Nazi hat.  Allegedly, he was at a party and someone took that photo, again all in jest.  But, this so-called friend posted it somewhere and now it lives on the Internet forever and Mr. James has to defend that he is not a racist probably forever.

In summary, watch your words, especially in the heat of battle.  Be sure to take a couple of breaths before you post a comment after one that you find so imbecilic.  Make sure your comments do not injury anyone’s reputation, especially your own. For you never know if one day you might run for a government office and all those slanderous things you said in jest may appear front and center again and not in good way.

Always Looking Out for Your Reputation,

Cindy

Everything Now is On-the-Record

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Now the Public Can Capture An Image of You Anytime

Before cell phones became recording or filming devices, an executive or PR person dealing with the media could use the words “off the record” to the press and feel comfortable not having those words re-printed or broadcast.  But, now, EVERYONE needs to realize that potentially every move or word they say can end up “on the record,” because of the public’s use of their cell phones as cameras.

How so?

Play along with me here. I’m your publicist for the moment whether you need me or not.  But, as your publicist, I would like to warn you that wherever you are – whether shopping at WalMart, attending a cousin’s baby shower, walking down the street or speaking in front of class at church, school or conference – your images may have been recorded through someone’s cell phone and uploaded to the web.

The reason for this post is to bring awareness to this “on the record” style of living and that as individuals we need to take it seriously in order to protect our brand and/or personal integrity.

I have to admit I may be going a bit overboard on this matter, but if you could see me at a party you’d think I was behaving crazily. I’m always diving or ducking around any one who appears to be taping or taking my image.  Even though I may know you – I don’t want you to take my photo. Why? Since I don’t have the editing rights to your images, I can’t approve the photo(s) you post about me on your Facebook wall.  Yes, you may not have tagged me, but the photo stays up there forever. And that’s a long time.  I carefully censor and filter everything I ever post online to ensure that I am conveying the right message about me to potential employers, clients and friends. I want to control where my image is posted or transmitted at all times and you should too.

Why? It’s because of sites like these….People of Walmart.com. How many times on a weekend have you left your house with bedhead or mismatched clothes to run errands.  I must admit I may look like a wreak at times, but I’ve never shown any bad “cracks” or dressed in costumes other than Halloween like some visiting WalMart.   People of Walmart.com is intended to be a site that people can post photos of customers at WalMart.  And this site and others are hilarious, when it’s not a photo of you or a family member.

Don't Leave the House Without Looking Yourself Over

More importantly, if you are ever speaking at a conference, seminar or large class setting, you should assume someone in that audience is recording your content and that it will appear online somewhere. With that being the case, be very careful about any assumptions or stereotypes you address without proper backing or this “on the record” recording may back fire upon you.  I promise to blog more about this soon.

So, in the meantime, the next time you venture out to WalMart make sure you look presentable.

A showered and shampooed Cindy

The Cable Show – Day 1 – A Demanding Bunch, um Brunch

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The NCTA “The Cable Show” started today and first up was the HRTS/NCTA brunch featuring a conversation with Comcast (soon to be owner of NBC Universal) President and CEO Brian Roberts. The event was being moderated by Peter Chernin, a former boss at Fox who’s early beginnings were in the field of publicity. So I’ve always been a fan of Mr. Chernin’s.  And at the press table, I had the honor of sitting next to CableFax’s Michael Grebb and Jeanne Wolf. I couldn’t ask for better company.

Poised for the Future

Roberts took the floor sans Chernin at the beginning to showcase his On-Demand wares. He announced that Comcast will now offer a bazillion of choices with his On-Demand service called Xfinity. They are enlarging their film archives immensely and he showed us how you can navigate and drill down to find what the consumer wants.  You can search by actor’s name, genre, film festival and even donate to a cause by choosing a certain piece of content.

I also was excited to see that he mentioned that he is working with the ipad to showcase content. It was nice to hear him recognize that it’s a relevant content distribution point.

He understands good management is not micro-management

He understands good management is not micro-management

Chernin threw out a heavy piece of artillery at the start. He asked what his disappointments have been. Roberts thought he was a bit slow on the dime in the content area.  He wished he had made investments 20 years ago in cable companies like Turner or Discovery.

Roberts thinks that cable has been under-valued in its contributions to the industry.  In addition for being known for sending a monthly bill, cable has made advancements in content. Who wouldn’t agree to that some of TV’s most memorable shows have come from cable companies.

It was a great that Roberts pointed out that one of its shining examples at his company is Frank Eliason, who heads up ComcastCares.  Frank is a rock star in social media and all those involved in the field, know that he is a trend setter who cares for his customers. It was great to hear Roberts’ recognize his contributions.

I have been around Mr. Roberts before at conferences, but I forgot how much I like him and his demeanor.  I like how relaxed he is as a media mogul.  He could be the neighbor next door. He’s not rushed, pretentious nor reek of the Hollywood power stench – even though he is a leader in entertainment.  Maybe it’s because he runs a family company and his dad is still an ever presence.  But, what I could gather from his comments, simply  is:

-He understands that his success comes in taking care of customers.  He is striving to make new devices easier to use for consumers which I say is brilliant. We’ ve got enough to figure out on own and any help that others give us is welcome.  Smart thinking.

-He also is not going to micro-manage NBC Universal. He’s not going to shove their ways down the new company’s throat.  He knows that each channel has its own distinct brand he’ll leave it at that.

-He knows the company has to transform and will and so he has to be constantly changing and he’s open to it.  A company that creates is what he is excited about.

-NBC News is going to be the cornerstone to the company. He is excited about acquiring it and needs to protect it. NBC News he said will help define Comcast.

Chernin did a nice job moderating the conversation. As a former top executive at News Corp., Chernin knew first-hand some of the struggles Roberts and gang will encounter and tried his best to tip his hat to a few – like angering politicians or consumers with a subject of newscast.

It was the perfect way to kick off the convention – and I’m so glad that Roberts agreed. For is there anything bigger than this acquistion at the moment in cable?

On to the next event.

Cindy

HBO & LA Times Are Heroes for Basilone Coverage

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Episode 8 Was a Tribute to John Basilone

I was simply awe-struck at the manner in which HBO’s episode 8 of “The Pacific” portrayed John Basilone last Sunday.  This episode was remarkable and unforgettable. What stood out, wasn’t the episode’s production value or even Jon Seda’s portrayal of the Congressional Medal of Honor recipient – it was the subject matter.  Since this series is based on true events, I knew that what I was watching really did happen and that this man from the Bronx, deserves the title of hero.

The episode progresses along nicely giving us viewers a glimpse into his life after he tires of selling war bonds.  After being a PR puppet and treated with celebrity status for over a year, he missed home which was The Marines and he wanted to come back. And so he did. He was assigned to train Marines at Camp Pendleton, near San Diego, CA.  In doing so, he started to feel like his old self again by wearing fatigues, eating in the mess tent and being a gunnery sergeant.

Basilone is forever remembered near Camp Pendleton with a Street and Freeway Named After Him

Now, like most soldiers and you could have put me in that category too, I would have run right out of the service as fast as I could when my discharge was up.   But, not Basilone.  When his time was up, he enlisted for a third time even though he just got married.

The scene that brought me to my feet and made my eyes tear up and my jaw drop was his last charge leading his troops in Iwo Jima.  It was an amazing sight of heroism to witness. The battlefield was this man’s playing field.  He was one of the best as he led his Company through heavy artillery falling from the sky and direct shots and he kept going.  Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, the executive producers of “The Pacific,” did him justice.  They re-created the magic that was this man – how different and special he was from the rest.  We were eye-witnesses as viewers and thus, we were able to see this soldier’s courage, determination, persistence and leadership.

I guess Basilone’s courage and heroism made such an impact on me because the world desperately needs heroes.  We don’t have too many walking around at the moment. Sadly, sports celebrities fall under this title from time to time – but, this heroism does not match that of Basilone – that’s entirely something else.

He Deserves A Book Deal

I mean I am just sick and tired of whining financiers who say they’ve got screwed in the meltdown.  Anyone who is angry that they didn’t get their million dollar bonuses…well, that means nothing to me and tells me about their selfish characters.  Our heroes are the men and women who are currently serving our Country everyday and because there’s no cameras on them we can’t see their heroism, but it’s there and they should be applauded.

This Basilone tribute was needed and it came none too soon.  America needed a sobering reminder that we should honor those who overcome great obstacles and make a difference in the world and we should spend less time following those who don’t  (I could name several here.)

I also wanted to recognize the LA Times too. On Monday, they had an article on the front page of its Calendar section written by William Lansford, a fellow marine, who cleared the air about Basilone’s last day in battle. I was so pleased to learn even more about this great man who deserves to be remembered – just like our past leaders.  Heck, based on his life and accomplishments, I think he deserves to have a national holiday named after him.

Be sure to pay honor to our true heroes, our service personnel, and thanks for letting me write about a man that made an impact in my life, some 65 years later.

Only two more episodes left…

Cindy

A Secret PR Tip

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Are secrets ever harmless?

I’ll going to let you in on a little secret. Secrets are a dangerous tool in your public relations tool chest any way that you look at them. When your client is keeping a secret from you – that’s deadly and when you use them in your strategy – that’s never a good thing. So my advice to all you budding publicists and those more advanced is to never go that route ever if you have the choice. For secrets, always have a way of rearing their ugly head.

And there are several examples to point toward regarding this “bad” practice. The primary example….Former President Richard M. Nixon. Did he or his cabinet ever think that they would be implicated in the Watergate break-in? And for more modern examples…how about Tiger Woods and Jesse James. Do you think that their “playing” the field with other women besides their wives would ever get them into trouble? Tiger even had a team surrounding him to keep things quiet – or for that matter secret.

This secret caused an impeachment. Heck, even the secret of "Deep Throat" was exposed.

Or corporately….Toyota. Did they think that they could forever sit on not warning some of their customers about the acceleration problem?

And on more personal grounds, how many people do you know that have had a secret in their family and it get uncovered. These secrets may have been not exposed during that person’s lifetime…but sooner or later they eventually did-a secret love child, a secret way of life, etc.

Here’s my best advice regarding secrets in communication matters.

  • 1) When something is exposed, whether its true or not about your client – ask your client point blank if there is anything that they should tell you about the situation. Get all the truth you can out of the person in the strictest confidence.
  • 2) After that, talk to the lawyers involved on your side and ask them if there is a secret that you need to know about…get all the facts you can.
  • 3) If there is a secret and you know it – work to position your client in the best way in the comments that you will craft surrounding the situation. But, you will have to start to expose the truth.
  • 4) When exposing the truth, make sure that you address only facts and keep it short. Say the least that you can. Have you noticed how short all of Tiger Woods’ press conferences are?
  • 5) And be sure to get in front of the story.
  • 6) And always work in conjunction with the lawyers on the case.

The Los Angeles Dodgers Owners Frank and Jamie McCourt are telling all their secrets in an ugly divorce.

Did you think that the McCourt’s (LA Dodgers owners) dirty laundry would ever be exposed? Well it is, thanks to an ugly divorce. Did Mark McGwire ever think that he had to expose that he used steroids? He came clean last January.  And now even criminals don’t stand a chance due to the incredible DNA process which identifies them more quickly than before.  So you see — Secrets are never a safe practice.

The saying the truth will set you free is always true. Work toward truth in all that you do, for lies and secrets, will eventually be uncovered. And they are no fun when it happens on your watch.

I’d love to hear your thoughts regarding secrets in the PR practice. Whisper them here in your comments.

Best,

Cindy


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