Category Archives: public relations

Dream Tours Florida Wrecks Reputation, Fails Crisis Management

Published on 22nd May 2013 by . Leave a Comment

Ethics count, people

Pursuing shady practices may make you some extra bucks, but the cost will far outweigh the gains when you’re eventually outed. Just look at Dream Tours Florida, the high-end travel company that’s been making a mess of crisis management ever since the New York Post exposed its scheme to rent disabled (or apparently disabled) tour guides out for days at Disney World, allowing their wealthy customers to skip to the front of ride lines.

Check out this screenshot of a since-deleted segment of Dream Tours Florida’s website, which vaguely describes these “VIP Tours”:

FL disabled travelscam disney 2

Just hours after the Post article went up, users began to share it on Dream Tours Florida’s Facebook page and Twitter feed, along with commentary like this:

FL disabled travelscam disney 1

At first, Dream Tours made hamfisted attempts to defend itself, saying that the entire situation was a misunderstanding, and finally making the following post, which was quickly blasted by visitors:

FL disabled travelscam disney 3

We can’t link you to Dream Tours’ Facebook or Twitter pages, because the company yanked both from the web in the midst of a deluge of negative comments.

So, the next time you’re tempted to cross that moral line and all you see is dollar signs, remember this crisis management nightmare, and think again.

The BCM Blogging Team
http://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/

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How NOT to Deal with the Press

Published on 20th May 2013 by . Leave a Comment

Neglecting an important aspect of crisis management creates unnecessary risk

As the leader of an organization, you should expect to be talking to the media on a regular basis. Apparently, John Tortorella, coach of the NHL’s N.Y. Rangers, missed the memo on that one, because he REALLY hates press conferences, and isn’t afraid to let it show.

As you watch this clip, from the YouTube channel of ESPN’s Around the Horn, remember that Tortorella’s team had actually WON just minutes before to go up 1-0 in the playoffs:

Now, the Rangers aren’t a publicly held team, so Tortorella doesn’t have the same obligations he would if he were up there explaining things to investors. Thing is, blowing off press conferences like this isn’t seeding any goodwill with the media, something that’s invaluable should the organization you’re representing, or you personally, come under scrutiny or become embroiled in scandal.

As crisis management professionals, we’re big proponents of building a cushion of goodwill among stakeholders, be they customers, fans, the media, or any other number of groups. Simply put, refusing this shield because of ego or impatience is an unnecessary risk. If the Rangers ever find themselves in crisis, I certainly hope they have a stronger spokesman waiting in the wings.

The BCM Blogging Team
http://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/

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Mountain Dew Loses Control, Crisis Management Ensues

Published on 17th May 2013 by . Leave a Comment

How did this mess ever get the green light?

Late last month, PepsiCo joined the ranks of organizations that went too far with edgy marketing campaigns and were forced into crisis management as a result.

The company partnered with controversial rapper and producer Tyler the Creator to produce a new series of web videos, giving him full creative control. The result, which we can’t bring to you because it’s been removed from both Mountain Dew and Tyler’s online channels, depicts a beaten woman being pushed to pick her assailant from a police lineup of young black men and a goat, which threatens the woman until she flees in fear.

The video was instantly perceived as racist and misogynist, and after a rapid backlash that included slams from national media outlets and a deluge of negativity across social media, PepsiCo issued the following statement:

We apologize for this video and take full responsibility. We have removed it from all Mountain Dew channels and Tyler is removing it from his channels as well.

In addition, the company ran a paid Twitter ad, probably a smart move considering the level of negative sentiment that arose on social media following the video’s release:

 

Just as when a recent Hyundai ad depicted a man attempting suicide, it should have been obvious from the start that these commercials weren’t fit to be broadcast.

Before making any decision on whether or not to share something with the public, stop….and THINK! Ask yourself, will this piss people off? If you’re hazy on the answer, go ahead and run it by friends, family, or an actual test audience, and gather honest feedback before taking it into the public arena.

In this case, the obvious answer was an overwhelming yes, which leaves us wondering what Mountain Dew execs were thinking. Or, perhaps more fittingly, if they were thinking at all.

The BCM Blogging Team
http://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/

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Defining the Roles of Traditional vs Social Media

Published on 15th May 2013 by . 7 Comments. Click to add yours.

Social media’s role should be to bring information to us quickly.  Traditional media’s role should be to bring information to us accurately.

That distinction came to mind recently after I witnessed the horrendously inaccurate traditional media reporting about the Boston Marathon bombing, which was often fed by an apparent desire to keep up with social media rumors.

Chris Martin of The Poynter Institute, which trains traditional journalists on ethics, had this to say about news reporting from Boston:

“No one remembers who got this story first. They only remember who got it wrong.”

Sadly, newsrooms mired in traditions of the 20th Century are focused on avoiding being “scooped” and, in so doing, are no longer taking the time to fact-check properly.  Ignoring the reality that they can’t have it both ways – and hence the need for a definitive distinction between their role and the role of social media.

And while I can talk all day from my bully pulpit, the only way the public will ever clearly understand that distinction is if social media influencers and highly respected traditional journalists (a) buy into the idea and (b) start walking that talk.

Journalists, in particular, need to stop putting speed before fact-checking.  They need to return to making credibility their most important asset.  In today’s world, a Walter Cronkite could not exist as a credible source, because he would be fed unverified information on a regular basis, information that would come back to bite him.  And that’s just sad.

Craig Newmark, founder of craigslist and craigconnects and a strong supporter of the work of Poynter and others involved with improving journalistic ethics, is fond of saying “I want news I can trust again.”

Me too, Craig, me too.

Jonathan Bernstein
President
Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc.

[Author's Postscript: On a contracted basis, I am the Project Director for craigconnects, hence my knowledge of Craig's involvement with this topic.  However, this blog post comes from my experience and my heart - it is not part of my responsibilities for this client.]

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Crisis Management for Bystanders

Published on 9th May 2013 by . Leave a Comment

[Editor's note: This post from Paul Purcell, Bernstein Crisis Management contractor and author of Disaster Prep 101 - The Ultimate Guide to Emergency Readiness, explains how bystander businesses can lend a hand in the midst of crisis.]

On April 15th, the nation witnessed the tragedy of the Boston Marathon bombing, and we simultaneously witnessed the heroism of public safety officials, runners, and race fans who sprinted into harm’s way to help total strangers.

As the smoke cleared and the injured were being tended to, the “uninvolved” bystanders – if anyone can call them that – searched for answers to the immediate questions of “What do I do now?”  “How can I help?”  Or, “Do I stay out of the way?”  Among those asking these questions were the businesses lining the race route.

In today’s post, we ask these questions of you.  If your business was in the vicinity of a public event which was attacked, what are the things you could do, before, during, and after an attack, to help not only your own business and employees, but victims as well as the “affected uninjured?”

Here are but a few of the hundreds of options at your disposal that could make a difference.

Before

Train your staff in first aid and CPR.  The skill to save a life is worth its weight in gold whether it’s used to save an injured victim or the life of one of your employees’ family members.

Have a first aid kit and possibly an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) at your location.  Being prepared means having the right tools on hand, even if these tools are rarely used.  In the case of first aid gear, it’s better to have it and not need it than the other way around.

Opt for larger (or extra) fire extinguishers or a mounted fire hose.  Fire is a universal and unforgiving enemy, and like first aid, it’s better to have the extra equipment even if it’s (hopefully) rarely used.    Remember the nightclub fire in West Warwick, Rhode Island in 2003?  One hundred fatalities, all for want of a good water fire extinguisher or fire hose.

Report suspicious individuals or packages.  Nothing beats good intel, and one of the best sources of intel is the crowd participating in an event.  Keep a close watch over your immediate area.

During – As an Attack is Occurring

Check your people first, and then branch outward.  Provide safety for any clients in your business as well as your own personnel.

Offer direct assistance to victims as able and call for assistance.  The information you provide on any victims at your location will help emergency responders react accordingly.

Immediately After

Provide shelter.  In the case of the Boston Marathon attack, the immediate area was on lockdown for quite a while.  The weather was a bit on the cool side and many runners arriving at the finish line had little more than their running gear.  As a physical location, you can offer bystanders shelter.  They may need protection from secondary dangers, shelter from the elements, or to simply get out of the way of arriving responders.  However, maintain vigilance for suspicious individuals looking to hide from authorities.

Offer WiFi and/or your land-line phone.  In a situation such as this, cell phone service is going to be a problem.  Heavy use may overload the system, or authorities may shunt service to emergency units.  Either way, you can help people in your area by letting them use any WiFi you may have (which allows email and social media to bypass voice lines), or you may let people use your land-line phone to call loved ones or emergency contacts.

Offer water or food.  The longer an area is on lockdown, the more likely your temporary guests will need a little water or food (and restrooms).  Though you may not have much on site, sharing what you may have on hand is a big help in a situation like this.  Hint:  You may want to bring in a case of bottled water or a bag of snacks on event day just for such an eventuality.

Again, these are but a few of hundreds of steps you could (and should) incorporate into your business’ security plan.  Start with these, add extra layers of safety and protection as you’re able, and help set the example that businesses, just like families, should be prepared for disaster and thereby better manage any crisis in advance of anything actually happening.

Paul Purcell is an Atlanta-based security analyst and preparedness consultant with over twenty years risk management and preparedness experience. He’s also the author of Disaster Prep 101 at www.DisasterPrep101.com.

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