4460 blog 14: social seating

When flying from one destination to another, a seat mate can often make or break a good flying experience. Many people have gone through flights with a screaming baby or someone’s wandering elbow, and it’s a pretty large pet peeve of many people when it comes to flying. A Dutch airline, KLM, is working on changing the flying experience.

According to this article, KLM is working on allowing flyers to select their seat mates based on mutual interests. The project is under wraps, so not many details have emerged, but KLM let it slip that they may be using Facebook and LinkedIn as a way to connect passengers with each other.

This idea has a lot of possibilities worthy of exploring. The potential to make business contacts is huge, and a flight is a pretty good excuse to have an impromptu business meeting. Connections can be made, business cards passed around, and the airline benefits from this sort of reputation. Details are still very much in the works, but KLM has stated that they are not interested in trying to make love connections; they also haven’t stated what the compatibility requirements will be.

However, this “social seating” plan could have its drawbacks. Some people may not wish to speak to others during a flight, or they may be compatible professionally but not personally. There could be an opportunity for confidentiality breaches among companies as professionals try to make deals. There may be inaccurate information between the different social media sites. And if people lie about themselves or puff themselves up on their social media sites, that could spell trouble for the people they are paired with during a flight.

Overall, I think it’s an innovative plan and a good way to create publicity for KLM’s airline. I can’t take a definitive stand since the public knows so little about this plan, but it’s one of those things that seem self-obvious. I’m surprised it’s taken this long to implement something like this.

4470 Blog 5: What I learned.

After taking this ethics course, I feel like I have a better grip on ethical theories. When taking journalism classes, there is always a little chapter on ethics and so I had some background on things like the PRSA Code of Ethics. I think this course taught me how to practically apply ethical theories to realistic situations. The theories suddenly meant more than some words on a page, and I got a better appreciation of that this semester. I didn’t know a whole lot about the ethical theories, and now I understand the different points of view and how one theory may say something is wrong, but another theory may say that it’s completely ethically correct.

It sounds weird, but I also learned how to collaborate with a group. Yeah, obviously I’ve worked with groups before, but this time it was all about cooperation and teamwork to get a good grade. It always takes some getting used to when forming a group and dealing with the different personalities that are coming together, but I think we did a pretty good job of completing our work and not getting on each other’s nerves.

Another important lesson I learned this semester is to trust my instincts and stand up for myself. If I feel something is being asked of me that is unethical, I should trust myself and not do it. Ethics is just as much about personal morals and values as it is about deontology and consequentialism. My personal views on an issue should not get in the way of how I do my job, but it should help me stand for what I feel is right or wrong. Some people have ethical values that they will not surrender under any circumstances; they are prepared to lose their jobs over this one issue.

Overall, this class was illuminating. I understand why they make us take it last, so that we can go out into the world caring about what is right and wrong and wanting to make sound ethical decisions. It seems to me to be pretty easy to stop caring about what is ethically right or wrong as time goes on. It’s very important to consider every action carefully and make a choice based on sound ethics and gut instincts. It seems like a self-evident thing but at the same time there are so many unethical things happening in journalism today. It makes you wonder how many people are actually retaining the information they learn in school.

4460 blog 13: Luden's revitalizes Lozenges

Everyone has had a sore throat at one time or another. Chances are, the sore throat is treated with a lozenge. One of the more well known names in the lozenge market is Luden’s, a company which has been around since 1881. Luden’s is declining in popularity and so they’ve begun a new marketing campaign, designed to appeal based on taste instead of need. Luden’s wants its consumers to choose a Luden’s lozenge because it tastes good and looks good and because it works well. To this end, Luden’s has begun a new marketing strategy.

Luden’s hired street teams to stand outside performance events like the opera and pass out samples of their lozenges to attendees, according to this article. The idea is to prevent anyone from coughing or having to clear their throat during the performance. Street teams will also pass out samples at ski resorts and other locations where sore throats tend to thrive. This campaign is smart because it appeals to a need and that makes it more valuable in the consumer’s eyes.

The Luden’s company is undergoing its own change. It was acquired in late 2010 by Prestige Brands, a company specifically designed to take old brands and rejuvenate them. Prestige has introduced a new orange flavor for the lozenges and launched a new advertising campaign designed to appeal to a consumer’s taste. Prestige also owns Chloraseptic, a more serious throat soother, and plans to revitalize that brand’s image as well. Both Chloraseptic and Luden’s are old brands who enjoyed popularity for many years but are now beginning to decline.

From a PR perspective, this new campaign is smart. Prestige and Luden’s are not trying to market the lozenge as something it isn’t, but are rather capitalizing on another aspect of the lozenge. They want to evoke that sense of nostalgia, remembering when a Luden’s lozenge was used as a kid. They also do taste pretty good. It’s a smart way to revitalize an old brand, and using the street teams is a great idea. The lozenges are passed out just when they might be needed most, and this helps them to stick in the consumer’s mind. I suppose that only results will show if this campaign has any effect, but I think it has a lot of potential to bring Luden’s back in popularity.

4470 blog 4: Privacy in these days of social media

With the advent of social media, the need for privacy on the Internet has had to be redefined. Questions arise as to who owns what and if the Internet is a public domain. Many people take information or data from the Internet and redistribute it without giving credit or citing the original source they got it from. Privacy has changed in regards to social media because of sites like Facebook. People appear on the website and some of them may not even know they are there. It can cause a pretty heated debate as to what aspects of your life you want to appear on the Internet. Many people don’t have total control over every thing about themselves that gets posted online, and this presents an interesting problem.

People have to give up an amount of control over their public image when it comes to the Internet, in my opinion. Steps can be taken to help ensure that nothing about you is posted on a social media site without your approval, but nothing is foolproof. And now that anyone can upload anything anywhere at anytime, people have even less control over what gets posted. When it comes to public relations issues, the need to redefine privacy is extremely important. A public relations practitioner has a lot of duties, and many of those include image control for their client. The lack of privacy on the Internet can work against the actions of a public relations professional and undermine a client’s image despite our best efforts. Public relations professionals have to learn to patrol the Internet, but ethically you can’t tamper with someone’s freedom of speech. It is important to assess the public opinion about your client and see where your work has to begin.

It is important to respect original works on the Internet and give credit where it is due, as the anonymous nature of the Internet can lead to theft and plagiarism. It can also lead to cases of identity theft, because so much of the Internet is out in the open. Social media sites need to crack down on their privacy policies. Facebook is a repeat offender about privacy, and users often have to readjust their privacy settings to ensure that nothing unwanted about them is posted online. Social media sites have put privacy settings into place, but they are not extensive enough. At the same time, it is hard to predict what can be damaging to a person’s reputation and where it might come from. These changing times require new innovations for privacy policies, and this is definitely an issue that public relations and advertising professionals need to speak up about.

4460 optional blog: Redefining public relations

Every new public relations student is taught (and hopefully memorizes) the textbook definition of public relations. While the basic foundation of PR--helping to spread information about a person or business--hasn’t changed, the methods have. Nowadays, public relations doesn’t bear much similarity to the practices of twenty or thirty years ago. The changing landscape of media requires that a new definition for public relations be created. The only question is, what should the new definition be?

According to this article by the New York Times, the Public Relations Society of America is attempting to craft a more modern definition of public relations, one that better reflects our shifting media. PRSA last updated its definition in 1982, and enough has happened since then that a revision seems necessary. PRSA will have to take into consideration the new terms that have been created to explain the new face of PR: terms like buzz marketing, word-of-mouth marketing and earned media.

PRSA began the process on September 30, gathering together different public relations groups in an attempt to brainstorm new ideas. They’ve also created a word cloud to see what commonly pops up when people think of public relations. People will be asked to write a sentence using the template: “public relations (does what) with or for (whom) to (do what) for (what purpose),” according to the New York Times article. The public relations groups will review the entries on Dec. 5 and then come up with 3 proposed definitions, which will then be voted on by the general public. PRSA hopes to announce a new definition by the end of the year.

This does not sound like a bad idea at all. A more up-to-date definition will ensure that PR practitioners don’t stray ethically or make a mistake. It will help to clarify what public relations is to the public, and can help to create a better public image of PR as a whole. A lot has changed since 1982. Public relations, especially as a form of communication, are required to change as well. Revising the definition is a logical first step, and I would argue that it’s a great exercise for a PR practitioner to write their own version of the template posted above. It would help us all to remember why we chose PR and what it means to us.

4460 blog 12: Home is Calling, on the Internet

These days, many people are out of work and more are looking to stretch a budget when they go grocery shopping. These consumers are cutting down on the amount of time spent eating out, which is good news for packaged food companies. It’s not great news, however; a lower budget means foregoing nonessential grocery items or buying generic grocery items. Many of these companies need to reach out to the consumer on a personal level, and they are having to fight hard to reach the budget-savvy consumer. Many of these companies are using online platforms to reach out to their customers.

According to this article, General Mills is using its Betty Crocker brand to expand its presence online. Betty Crocker has more than 1.4 million fans on its Facebook page, many of whom are under 35. These fans are connecting with the Betty Crocker brand through Facebook or applications and swapping recipes. Betty Crocker has begun producing e-books to reach its fans as well.

Pillsbury, another GM brand, is also utilizing the Internet to reach out to customers. Pillsbury is using a series of commercials from 2008 and broadcasting them online, hoping to remind consumers that they grew up with Pillsbury and use that nostalgia to their advantage. Especially during the holidays, Pillsbury wants people to remember the feelings of family that were experienced while, say, consuming a crescent roll. The idea is to utilize that emotional connection so that consumers will select Pillsbury over a cheaper generic brand, simply for the emotions that Pillsbury evokes. Since so many people are using Internet recipes to create meal plans and holiday menus, the importance of an Internet presence for older companies like Pillsbury and Betty Crocker can’t be overstated.

These tactics are showing results, as well. In General Mills’ first fiscal quarter, sales increased 5% from the same period a year ago, according to the article. This means that the campaigns are reaching consumers personally, which is the intention. The Internet is an underutilized platform for marketing among brands like Pillsbury and Betty Crocker. These brands are having to redefine themselves in the online age, and come up with both new and familiar forms of marketing to consumers.

4460 blog 11: Brett Ratner Steps in It

Recently, director Brett Ratner was chosen to co-produce the Oscars. This is a big deal, and lends a lot of credibility to the reputation of the person chosen. His friend Eddie Murphy was slated to host, and everything looked peachy. Until Ratner showed up at a public event to do press for his latest movie (which stars Murphy) and let slip a gay slur. He then went on the Howard Stern show and discussed his sexual life frankly. A public outcry followed and Ratner issued an apology for his “thoughtless bigotry.” Days later, Ratner stepped down as the co-producer and Murphy stepped down as host soon after.

Brett Ratner has always been seen as a sort of rebel among directors. He likes the party lifestyle, and he gives uncensored interviews to people. Normally, this is not a problem, but as soon as Ratner aligned himself with the Oscars, he should have understood that his public persona could reflect badly on his job. His use of the gay slur and sexual conversation were not the sort of publicity the Oscars were expecting. Ratner should have practiced good PR or hired someone to help him practice good PR. He was doing press interviews for his new movie and should have also been speaking on how excited he was to host the Oscars and contribute to that legacy, not throwing out thoughtless slurs.

Once the mistake was made, Ratner made the right choice to step down and issue an apology. He also spoke about taking a break to think about why he used the slur. These are good PR tactics, but Ratner could have gone further. It is customary for movie stars or athletes to issue a PSA when they make a mistake like this, and since Ratner is a director he can utilize those skills to help support the gay community. He could have also made a donation to charity. Actions always speak louder than words, and it is not enough to simply hear that he is sorry. He will need to demonstrate his regret as well. As for Eddie Murphy, who didn’t do anything except align himself with Ratner, the situation is a bit more murky. Murphy is trying to stage a comeback in his career right now. He didn’t say anything about the slur, but he will be doing press for his new movie, and it is only natural that he’ll be asked about this situation. Murphy will have to decide what to say, how much to talk about, and when to say it. This situation is not irreparable, but it is a good example of the necessity of good PR and the damaging effect bad PR can have.

4470 blog 3: ethical codes in PR and advertising

As public relations students, it is important to understand and examine the codes of ethics and apply them to our everyday lives. The ethics codes had some similarities across the board, but they are different as well since they have to adapt to the different forms of communications. Public relations practitioners are perceived as being dishonest spin doctors, and so the biggest items the PRSA code emphasizes are the importance of honesty and accuracy. These are obvious tenets every PR professional should be following without even thinking about it. Following these ethical codes allows the PR practitioner to make the right decisions. As someone who wants a job in the public relations field, I obviously respond most strongly to the PRSA code of ethics.

However, the American Advertising Federation’s code of ethics covers some important ground as well. They emphasize the importance of telling the truth and keeping the public informed, which is vital to anyone working in a consumer-dictated industry. Both ethical codes are insistent on informing the public and being ethically transparent to their consumers. Obviously, the ethical codes should be as natural as breathing, but it is good to have rock solid rules to follow. They leave no room for creative interpretation. They also help create a standard for behavior which allows the public to trust both PR members and advertising practitioners. This is vital because it ensures that the reputation of the fields as a whole will be trusted and not tarnished. Over time, as both PR and advertising industries practice ethical decision making, the public will become more inclined to trust these industries and believe them when they give their word. Trust is the most important currency in these fields.

Obviously, since I’m going into the public relations field, I’m not expecting to do much in the AAF’s code of ethics. I’m going to be dealing with people in the advertising field and it is important to be aware of the codes of ethics they’re going to be following. If I’m working with an advertiser who is acting sort of shady, I’ll be more educated and better able to call them on their missteps. It’s definitely important to understand how everyone should behave, not just me.

Ethical codes are there for a reason, obviously. Listening to them ensures any decision made is ethically correct and there is no room for mistakes or misunderstandings.

4460 Blog 10: LG's smart advertising

People who have cable TV are familiar with advertisements that are placed on their viewing guides. Others, who view their TV shows online through services like Hulu, are used to advertisements running before or during the show. Advertisers have had to get creative in this new age of DVR, and one of the newest ideas comes in the form of Internet-connected televisions. LG is coming out with a product called the Smart TV, which allows a viewer to use their TV as a traditional set and as an Internet browser. Viewers will be able to watch regular TV browse an app store for games and other items, and watch movies and shows from Hulu and Netflix, all in one place.

Part of LG’s Smart TV launch is a deal with a company called YuMe, which provides video ads and software to different platforms. This deal includes a third party, Toyota Motors. Basically, according to this article, Toyota will be able to place ads for its 2012 Toyota Camry so they are visible when the TV is being used to search or in the TV’s app store. Internet-connected televisions have grown in popularity and are fast becoming the must-have type of TV.

This deal betwen LG, YuMe and Toyota is new, but it won’t be for long. Advertisers are having to come up with new ways of reaching audiences, and this is a logical next step. People who are viewing the TV and see an ad for the 2012 Camry will be able to click a link if they are so inclined and discover more about Toyota’s product. This is practically seamless integration into the new forms of technology. YuMe will eventually be able to adapt the ads to the viewer preference, much like Facebook does today. In the article, this deal is spoken of as if it is an entirely new form of advertising, but I disagree. It does feel like this is the next logical step since advertising is having to change the way that products are marketed to people. A 30-second ad which runs before a TV show has loaded is not unfamiliar to people at this point and a banner ad which shows up during a search screen is a minor annoyance. LG is just getting ahead of the curve in the way that it utilizes its platforms.

4460 blog 9: TV and Twitter

These days, practically everyone has a Twitter account. Twitter is used to create personal and business connections, start trends, and give a public opinion on various topics. Twitter has the power to make or break a company’s reputation and people will often use it to express opinions or anticipation about a TV show or movie. This influence is the driving force behind the partnership between Twitter and “The X Factor.”

According to this article, people who watch “The X Factor” can then use Twitter to express their opinion about the latest episode of the show. Simon Cowell, the show’s producer and one of the judges, will read the Tweets and use the information to tweak his show to better reflect popular opinion. In return, Twitter gets multiple mentions during episodes of “The X Factor” and watchers are encouraged to take to Twitter and express their opinions. Producers of the show are currently working on allowing viewers to vote for their favorite performance by using Twitter.

This partnership between television and Twitter is inevitable. It is a mutually beneficial relationship, and the ability to use the Twitter brand to promote a television show should be a no-brainer for PR practitioners. Chloe Sladden works in Twitter’s content and programming unit, and it is her job to help popularize the Twitter brand through the use of television. Sladden does this by helping TV personalities to realize how they can shape their brands and images through the use of Twitter. Her job now is what every PR practitioner in the future will be able to do. We are already beginning to understand the power social media wields and how that can positively or negatively affect a client. It is only a matter of time before Twitter becomes mandatory in shaping a public image or public perception, if it’s not already.

Though the relationship between television and Twitter seems obvious now, it will only become more useful in the future. More and more often, social media is being used to help PR practitioners in their jobs. To people involved in public relations, as well as those involved in the television industry, keeping up with this relationship will soon become as natural and mandatory as breathing.

4460 Blog 8: PR really does help

Lots of people know Amanda Knox’s story by now. She was an American studying the Italian language in the town of Perugia in Italy in 2007. Her roommate was found murdered and Knox and her then-boyfriend were arrested and convicted of the crime by Italian courts. When she appealed her case, Knox’s conviction was overturned and she was allowed to return to her home in Seattle after two years of imprisonment.

While Knox was going through her trial and in prison, the Italian newspapers trumpeted her guilt loudly, calling her “Foxy Knoxy” and insinuating that she and her boyfriend murdered her roommate during a sex game gone wrong. The Italian media painted her as a cheap and easy American, and this public perception of her was embraced by media outlets all over the world. There was nothing to prevent the American media from doing the same, especially the tabloids. Knox had some holes in her story that would have been all too easy to blow out of proportion and she could have been torn apart by the media. But one man helped to reshape the public opinion of Knox.

Three days after Amanda Knox was arrested, her family hired David Marriott to be Knox’s publicist. According to this article, Marriott reshaped the public opinion of Knox, turning her from a sex-crazed party girl into a young woman wrongfully imprisoned, afraid and alone. Thanks to Marriott, when Knox was finally freed she was embraced instead of reviled. Knox’s father Curt is quoted as saying that hiring Marriott “was one of the smartest things we ever did.” Now that Knox is free, Marriott is working with her and her family to secure interviews, book rights, and all of the other benefits of publicity.

As a PR student, this story holds a lot of interest for me. I look at Amanda Knox and then I look at someone like Casey Anthony and I wonder how things would be different if Anthony’s family had hired a publicist for her. We deal in public perception and it is fascinating to observe how the public attitude can be changed through the use of PR tactics. It was Marriott’s job to make Amanda Knox appear innocent and he did it to the best of his ability, though he later said “The British and Italian tabloids created this horrible person, and I felt it was our responsibility to tell the truth.” If Marriott hadn’t been hired, I believe it is safe to assume that Knox’s appeal may have turned out differently. Marriott was instrumental in giving the media the information about Knox’s innocence that they may not have received otherwise. He got Knox’s parents to give interviews about their little girl, putting a human element into an open-and-shut court case. He helped to rally her supporters and never gave up on her, even when she was found guilty.

David Marriott was a good publicist, and he did his job to the fullest.

The Customer is Always Right!

We are taught in our public relations classes that the formats of customer complaints have changed. We know that if a company has a Facebook page and customers complain on it but the company makes no comment, that’s a big no-no. In this changing social media world, an online presence is essential to a company’s customer service. Customers want to feel that a company is listening to them, and if that company refuses to answer to an online complaint, customers are more than happy to spread their anger all over the internet.

According to this article, a study was performed by Maritz Research Company. Maritz polled 1300 customers who had tweeted a complaint about a company or service. Out of those 1300 customers, only 1/3 were responded to. The article goes on to say that nearly half of the customers expected a response. Of those customers who received a followup on their complaint, 83% said they appreciated hearing from the company. Of those who did not get a followup, 86% said they would have loved to have heard a response from the company. This presents a large problem in the way that customer service is being handled.

The problem with this should be obvious. Customer feedback and customer service should be a number one priority for any company. It is embarrassing and harmful to a company’s reputation if they don’t respond to customer complaints. Netflix learned this when it began charging separately for DVDs and Instant Streaming. Angry customers flooded the company’s Twitter and Facebook pages and wrote hundreds of complaint comments. The company chose not to respond at all, which only fanned the flames. Netflix is still struggling to come back from that mistake, which could have been lessened or mitigated if they had only opened a line of communication with their customers. I’ve said it before, but it obviously bears repeating: in this day and age, companies must learn to play by the new rules. A complaints box just won’t cut it these days, and the ugly side of the internet is that a customer who doesn’t receive a response can spread that information everywhere. It’s not just bad PR, but simply a bad business tactic to ignore customer complaints, even if they’re only 140 characters long.

4460 Blog 6: ESPN doesn't play that.

Since we are discussing ESPN and their crisis handling skills in 4470, I thought that I would do my blog tonight over the recent crisis that ESPN had to face and how they handled it.

ESPN employed Hank Williams Jr. to sing the theme to their Monday Night Football games. He’s been singing the theme for a few years now, but on October 6 ESPN released a statement saying that they no longer would require his services. According to this article, on October 3, Williams Jr. made derogatory comments comparing President Obama to Adolf Hitler. ESPN released a statement distancing themselves from the singer and pulled his song from their program. Three days later, Williams Jr. was fired.

ESPN did waffle a bit before firing Hank Williams Jr., the article says, but ultimately did the right thing and fired him. His comments created a backlash that reflect on ESPN’s reputation, and there was really only one option that they could have taken. I found this situation interesting because we are doing an ethical case study right now involving ESPN’s handling of the Mike Leach controversy. In that case, ESPN did everything wrong and in this case ESPN made a lot of good decisions. They realized that, even though Hank Williams Jr. is obviously not a sportscaster or announcer he still reflected on them and his choice of words also reflects on them. ESPN could not be seen as condoning those words in any way, and so the network took the ultimate step.

ESPN did pause before they fired Williams Jr. They released a statement first distancing themselves from him and then, three days later, they fired him. This could be interpreted as ESPN trying to see what steps they needed to take. If it hadn’t been such a controversial thing, they probably could have gotten away with suspending his song for a while before bringing it back, to make sure that he had learned his lesson. However, many people were angered at these comments and so ESPN had to take the appropriate steps to ensure that no one interpreted the network as being racist. I personally would not accuse an entire network of supporting the eradication of Jews, but stranger things have happened and ESPN needs credibility just like any other news network. They can’t have any doubt or blemish on their reputation.

It is my belief that in this case ESPN acted morally and ethically. Firing Williams Jr. may have seemed a little extreme (after all, the guy only sings a theme song) but in my mind it is the equivalent to Tylenol pulling all their products off the shelves many years ago. Extreme actions are usually the best, especially in a case as sensitive as this one. ESPN could not be accused of playing favorites in any way and they had to do everything above and beyond what was required of them. I feel that they did so, and should be commended for their actions.

4460 Blog 5: M is for Mother, and also for Money.

When it comes to making purchases, it’s no surprise that mothers make up a large portion of the buying public. They buy for their newborns, their toddlers, their kids and then eventually they buy for their teenagers. They buy a lot of stuff, and their opinions and influence should be carefully measured and considered by advertisers, right?

Wrong. Marketing to mothers is a woefully untapped resource. Much of the smart marketing is done towards men. Advertisers just aren’t speaking to mothers on their emotional level. The moms on TV commercials look perfect, and their households run with immaculate ease. It’s never outright stated, but certainly implied that these moms are home all the time, and that they have nothing better to do with their time than get stains out of clothes and carpets. This, obviously, doesn’t reflect the way things really are. Where a stay-at-home mom used to be the norm, she is now the minority. Today’s mother works and has ambitions outside (as well as inside) the home. She wants to see herself and her life reflected in the items that she buys, and marketers and advertisers have been a little slow on the uptake.

Well, that is about to change. According to this article, women (and men) in advertising are beginning to understand the marketing potential in advertising for mothers. The article points out that mothers spend an incredible amount in the United States every year, around $2.3 trillion. It also stresses that moms are often the gatekeepers for products that enter the household and items that are used within it. Since the women pushing for accurate advertising are advertisers and marketers themselves, the likelihood of getting it right goes up exponentially.

The marketers have begun doing panels and group gatherings of mothers to more accurately gather opinions and feelings. The gatherings are interesting in that it is stressed that they are not focus groups. Katherine Wintsch, the guiding force behind Mom Complex, which runs the gatherings, points out that on a focus group, mothers are more likely to want to look competent to other mothers, so they’ll trot out the standard answers: “moms are busy,” or “moms want their kids to be healthy.” They are and they do, of course, but there are much better insights to be gleaned from today’s working mother. This sea change in advertising can produce more tailored products and ads, and the possibilities that arise from this are endless. It is interesting to read an article like this and then keep an eye out for commercials targeted specifically to mothers. A more accurate representation of the trials and tribulations of motherhood can only be a good thing for the women who are raising children. After all, if you’re going to spend trillions of dollars, don’t you want it to work for you?

4470: Ethical theories in today's world

After learning about the classical ethical theories, it seems to me that the public perception of the ethics practiced by public relations professionals differs greatly from the ethics actually practiced by us. The public’s ethical perception of us matters just as much as our own ethical perception of ourselves. In some cases, the public perception may matter more. A public relations practitioner relies heavily on the reactions of the public and the support of the public when it comes to a client. To be perceived as shifty, dishonest, or untrustworthy is inherently damaging to a practitioner’s reputation.

To the public, PR practitioners are shady people. The public perception of PR pros can be seen as consequentialist: we don’t care about the method as long as the result helps our client. Any publicity is good publicity, right? They believe that we will do anything to achieve our goals, and this public impression is hard to shake. Some PR firms do leave this impression, though. One example would be in entertainment PR, where a publicist will do almost anything to get press for his client. I’m sure that consequentialist ethics do exist in public relations, and since ethics depend so much on the individual and the situation, I’m sure that many PR practitioners are guilty of using consequentialist ethics.

To me, however, this ethical theory is lacking in quite a few ways. The main focus of PR is the client, yes, but it’s also the public. What we convey to the public is proportional to the attitude and feelings that are sent back to us, and so as PR practitioners, we can’t just only do what is best for the client. There are many levels to consider when making a decision, and it stands to reason that consequentialism is not a viable ethical theory in public relations or advertising. Consequentialism requires a degree of ruthlessness, and a ruthless quality is not beneficial to those who practice public relations.

Virtue ethics have more of a home in public relations. There are going to be quite a few opportunities to make ethical decisions, and it seems that a strong moral fiber is a requirement for working in the public relations field. The world, unfortunately, is not black or white, and ethical decisions have many factors that can come into play. Though all PR pros live by the PRSA Code of Ethics, and therefore use deontological ethics, there are times when a more personal moral choice needs to be made. A good PR practitioner should listen to his or her heart, brain and gut before making a choice, and strong morals allow for more thoughtful decision making.

Though these ethical theories were developed years ago, they are still used today. Some, like consequentialism, are falling out of vogue in today’s ethical world, but as long as people keep making decisions these factors will come into play. One can only hope that any decision made is thoughtful and well reasoned.

4460 Blog 4: Throwing Out the Standard Press Release

We’ve been writing press releases in class these past few weeks, and it’s led me to wonder. I know that social media and the evolution of technology has forced PR professionals to adapt to new formats. It stands to reason, then, that the press release would also undergo a change, right? There has to be a more modern way to get a message out there. We’ve seen new and more creative ways of advertising, so why not PR? There are a few unconventional formats for sending out client information now, and the PR pro will soon have to be proficient at all of these formats.

According to this article, PR pros should be utilizing their creativity when it comes to press releases. They should stretch the rules occasionally, and try things to see what works and what doesn’t. The article challenges us to never write a standard press release again, unless the client specifically asks for one. The article recommends certain methods, such as the email pitch, which we’ve learned a little of in class. There are also suggestions for using Twitter or Facebook to get out information normally found on a standard press release. The phone pitch is also suggested, to build a rapport with the reporter.

The thing that is stressed in the email release is background knowledge of the reporter. This is important for obvious reasons. If you’re going to pitch someone or send them important information, it’s best to know your audience, always. Twitter doesn’t seem like it would be very effective to me. The article says to take the key idea and tweet it, but sometimes the key idea needs more than 140 characters to get its point across. Blog posts are a great idea, both for the client and for the PR pro. They allow you to be as brief or as verbose as you want, cater to a specific audience, and maintain a familiar, easygoing tone. The only problem I can see with blog posting as a PR method is getting the audience in the first place. It seems to be more of an “if you write it, they will come” school of thought, but it also seems that networking is vital in this area.

Another important point in the article is that PR professionals get a chance to create content instead of just regurgitating it for others. With the new nontraditional formats, we can create videos, blog posts, almost anything we want to. We can support our clients in new and exciting ways, and the possibilities are constantly being revised.

4460 Blog 3: Social Media Crises

For today’s blog, I’d like to continue the theme begun by posting on ConAgra’s mistake last week. ConAgra didn’t understand its audience or the people it was trying to reach, and since all of those people were bloggers, ConAgra’s blunder soon gained viral status. In this digital age, companies are practically required to have a social media presence, the more prolific the better. It’s important for companies to be able to respond quickly and efficiently when faced with a crisis through social media. But a new study from Altimeter group has discovered that most companies are woefully underprepared for social media crises.

Many companies are still learning to adapt to social media, where reputations can be made or unmade at the click of a mouse. Companies who are good at responding to social media crises are encouraging their employees to continue to blog or tweet about their employer. They are also educating their employees on social media standards and which outlet serves best to get the message across. The report’s lead writer has constructed a pyramid similar to Maslow’s Heirarchy of Needs that helps companies prioritize social media usage and crises.

Every company needs to learn to adapt in today’s world, and a quick response is a large part of that. If ConAgra had had a social media crisis team (or had educated their employees in social media crisis response), the problem could have been lessened significantly. As it is, it looks like they don’t care enough to make any mention of the problem, while anger against them flies back and forth at the speed of light. A company cannot possibly expect to keep up if it doesn’t utilize the same tools as the Internet age.

The study surveyed over 144 companies to collect its information. It is both surprising and unsurprising that these companies are so underprepared. Many of them are still learning in this new social media world, but bigger companies should have social media crisis teams ready to go at a moment’s notice. The report also stresses the importance of analytics. A company needs to be able to understand its customers instead of just responding when a crisis occurs. Analytics tools help companies be able to prevent a crisis before it even happens.

ConAgra could have had a much smaller disaster on their hands if they had only known how to handle a social media crisis. Understanding how to respond to a social media crisis can often be the best weapon in a company’s arsenal, and it is sad that it doesn’t get used more. Companies like Zappos and Apple are popular in part because they understand their customers and how their customers think, and they manage to provide excellent customer service both on and offscreen. Many companies should make social media a priority and attempt to adapt to the ever increasing Internet world. Those companies that won’t change will be left behind, and they won’t be remembered fondly.

4460 Blog 2: ConAgra's big mistake

For this blog, I wanted to write about the recent ConAgra mistake. The story is here for those who don’t know about it. In this blog, I wanted to cover the PR aspects of this bait-and-switch crisis and, if I can, offer some solutions to rectify these mistakes. ConAgra is a processed food monopoly. They own, among other things, Banquet frozen meals, Hunt’s tomato products, and Marie Callendar’s frozen entrees and desserts.

The first PR mistake that ConAgra makes is a lack of foresight. Even first semester PR students are taught the value of knowing your audience. This can be done through focus groups or using demographics to select their unwitting eaters. Selecting bloggers is a great way to encourage word-of-mouth, but again, knowing the audience is crucial. A light sprinkling of foodies would have worked, but not a room full of organic eaters with dietary restrictions. ConAgra could have done their homework, but since the damage is done, the next step is a sincere and direct apology. They messed up, period, and they need to take responsibility for it.

The next mistake that was made involves the nature of the bait-and-switch. These people thought that they were attending a speech on food trends and then eating a delicious meal. They were questioned on their dietary restrictions, if any, but it doesn’t seem like a lot of them were listened to. These bloggers are foodies. They come in expecting quality and, instead of being pleasantly surprised at the reveal, they feel duped. It makes them understandably angry, and it fails the whole experiment. ConAgra could have gone with a different angle. They could have placed their frozen dinners inside a fancy restaurant as a replacement for lasagnas that were already ordered. It’s been done before, sure, but it works.

There is some to be said in ConAgra’s favor, however. They cancelled the final evening after the outcry began, and they have since apologized. It was a pretty large error on their part, and it’s even more egregious because it could have been fixed with a little foresight and thought. ConAgra forgot the number one rule of all PR pros: know your audience, and represent them to the best of your ability. In trying to push its products onto the wrong audience, ConAgra made themselves look like a company who doesn’t care enough about its publics to give them the appropriate food. In today’s world of blogging, word gets around fast and the internet’s memory is a long one. Any misstep can result in a tarnished public image and such a reputation can be almost impossible to shake.

4470: Why PR Needs Ethics

The field of public relations is, sadly, seen by the public as being shifty and untruthful. They believe that we lie for our own gain and our client’s benefit. They think of us as "spin doctors" who are only out for profit. The general public tends to be wary of PR practitioners and public relations as a whole. These public impressions work against the goal that public relations pros seek to accomplish. Some PR firms probably do breach ethics boundaries, but the majority stick to the ideals set out in the PRSA Code of Ethics. In an industry like public relations, ethics are necessary. They ensure that we do not cheat our client or our public and they allow PR practitioners to hold their heads up, secure in the knowledge that they have done the right thing. Practical and sensible use of ethics are a PR pro's best weapon in the professional field.

In the PR industry, there is really no choice that can be made that does not have some sort of ethical decision within it, and often the choice that is made can be the wrong one. Many times, an unethical choice is made simply because it is the easiest. Many PR practitioners have also taken the code of ethics and twisted it to suit their own needs. Companies like PR firm Hill and Knowlton ignore ethics in favor of profit. When companies like this fall, the resulting press coverage causes the public to believe that all PR companies are like this; the rest just haven’t been caught yet. This is, obviously, not the image that PR companies want to project. Therefore, many companies require their employees to take an ethics course and get certified every few years. This helps to ensure that ethics are at the forefront of a PR pro’s mind when he or she faces a tough decision. It also helps to ensure that PR professionals don’t get rusty when making ethical choices.

Codes of ethics are not put in place to patronize or belittle PR professionals and their decision-making skills. No one is perfect and each ethical decision is never black and white. Even in class, the importance of “going with your gut” was stressed when facing an ethical dilemma. The important thing to remember is that if there is ever a problem that may be unethical, there are guidelines to follow. The codes of ethics are in place to ensure that PR professionals will act the same way across the board when faced with a difficult decision. Doing the right thing can seem obvious to some, but there are many cases in the public relations field where the right thing is not so apparent. Ethics definitely get easier with practice, and any PR pro worth their salt should be able to use ethical decision-making without having to think twice. Ethics are essential to public relations; not only that, but they should be inherent in public relations as well.

4460 first post

I read this article at PR Daily today. The article states that 92 percent of journalists are using LinkedIn; more than any other social network. This is interesting to me because we were required to have a whole slew of accounts set up in prep for 4460. LinkedIn was one of those accounts, and at the time I couldn't understand why I needed such a visible online presence. I'm of an earlier generation, and while my peers have embraced social networking, I just haven't quite gotten on that bandwagon yet. This article helped me to realize just how necessary these social media sites are. I may not trust them, but I have to utilize them in the professional world, and I ought to start learning now.

It is reassuring to know that my professor actually understands the changing media landscape, however. I like the thought that we are getting as updated an education as possible. The article provides a lot of food for thought, stating that 24 percent of journalists were on Twitter in 2009, compared to 84 percent today. These statistics are not entirely surprising, but they are intriguing to see. I wonder what the percentage will be next year, or the year after, and what will be the next step in connecting to each other. Sites like LinkedIn have a good practical value; they allow people to make those personal and professional connections that are so valuable these days. For the PR professional, networking is a valuable currency, which is one of the reasons that social media sites have become so popular in the PR community. It makes networking so much more current and successful, and really enables people to connect worldwide.

The article doesn’t really describe anything that is earth shattering information, but this news is important to know. It is necessary to gauge how much we as professionals rely on social networking websites and how much we use them, especially for students about to go into the workforce. It’s one thing to have your teacher tell you how much you’ll need these tools; it’s another thing entirely to see proof of those words. It makes the lessons tangible and practical in the real world.

The article also says that the sites are used for more than connecting to other people. Social media sites help journalists gain story ideas from industry sources, and the scope of sources is much greater with the help of social media. Use of websites like LinkedIn and Twitter enable industry professionals to expand their reach and experience in an industry where being a jack-of-all-trades is a requirement and not an option. These websites are changing the shape of communications and journalism and journalists are changing with the times, whether they like it or not. I’m still not quite used to it, but I imagine that there were journalists grumbling when computers began to replace typewriters. Times change, and the requirements of the job are that we change with them.