What would you do?

It’s been awhile since I last posted on here – and I wanted to get back into posting more often. As my main focus on here has been crisis communication, I still cannot stress the importance of crisis preparation and communication for a company. In the case of the sunken ferry – a communications officer repeatedly told the passengers to “stay inside and wait.”

South Korean Ferry | Source: PR News

What would you do in a case like this? There were floatation devices that were available but apparently not used. Of the 475 people that were on the ferry, only 179 have been accounted for as surviving the incident.

This just goes to show the importance of having a crisis communication plan. I had mentioned in my earlier post what you needed to know or include in a communication plan – it’s simple and clear. Nothing too specific because no incident will be flawless where you would be able to follow the book step-by-step.

What do you think of this? What would you have done differently? I would love to hear your thoughts.

Target Chief Information Officer Resigns

Some may be wondering, what was the result of the Target Breach? It has affected Target tremendously and consumers are still trying to regain their trust again. Last January I wrote a post about Target’s largest breach to have ever happened and about their crisis communication (or lack there of), which you can read here.

Source: Forbes

Target’s Chief Information Officer Beth Jacob has also resigned. Coincidental? Who knows. CEO Gregg Steinhafel released a statement in regards to Beth’s resignation:

“While we are still in the process of an ongoing investigation, we recognize that the information security environment is evolving rapidly. To ensure that Target is well positioned following the data breach we suffered last year, we are undertaking an overhaul of our information security and compliance structure and practices at Target. As a first step in this effort, Target will be conducting an external search for an interim CIO who can help guide Target through this transformation.

We will also be elevating the role of the Chief Information Security Officer and hiring externally for this position. Additionally, we will be initiating an external search for a Chief Compliance Officer. We are also working with an external advisor, Promontory Financial Group, to help us evaluate our technology, structure, processes and talent as a part of this transformation.”

Source: Target

Beth originally came from Minneapolis as an assistant buyer for the departments store division  in 1984. She later returned in 2002 as the director of guest contract centers before becoming CIO.

Target has suffered greatly from the breach. While their stock is creeping back up, Target’s fourth-quarter profit dropped by 46 percent and their revenue declined by 5.3 percent compared to Target’s fourth-quarter profit in 2013. Customers have considered Jacob to be partially responsible for the breach over the holidays in 2013.

Do you think Target will ever be able to recover themselves? I would love to hear your thoughts!

Can you ban someone from reselling a product?

If you’ve ever shopped at Lululemon, you’ll know how outrageous their prices are on their clothing. Yet, people will continue to buy their products. Like most products you buy, mainly clothes, you’ll get sick of them or they’ll go in the back of your closet to never be worn again. Now, if you are like most girls, instead of just throwing them away you could at least take them to a Plato’s Closet or Buffalo Exchange before taking them to Goodwill to make a few extra bucks. I mean, after all you did spend your hard-earned money for those cute yoga pants that fit perfectly in all the right places. Lululemon recently made a statement to the public and their customers, banning them from reselling their product online through sites such as eBay or Amazon. Customers have been contacted by Lululemon representatives to stop the reselling of their products. 

Apparently, once you purchase an item from Lululemon, there is no turning back and it is yours for eternity. On top of that – it is perfectly legal for Lululemon to ban this type of behavior from their customers. Lululemon recently updated their FAQ to shed some light on any questions customers may have about this issue.

This isn’t the first time Lululemon has been under the spotlight for outrageous things like this policy. Earlier in 2013, Lululemon customers began to complain about how their yoga pants were basically see through pants. When approached, the retailer would not accept a refund or exchange without full proof that the leggings were sheer.

How did Lululemon resolve this? To prove that their customers weren’t lying, Lululemon had customers bend over to see if the yoga pants that customers had purchased were part of the “bad batch.” What make this an even larger outrage is that Lululemon founder Chip Wilson, made a comment blaming customers for their issue, their thighs.

Lululemon tweeted out the link to the video where Chip made a statement:

Needless to say, customers were not satisfied or happy with his comments.

If you are really curious as to what exactly he said, here it is:

Besides this mayhap, what are your thoughts on Lululemon’s return/reselling policy? Do you think it is a right for a business to not allow that? I would love hear what you think and if you have had any experiences with Lululemon!

Is Under Armour to blame?

Now that the Sochi Olympics has wrapped up, some have made comments about how Under Armour is to blame for the USA’s poor performance this winter. In response to an article about how Under Armour’s damage control to comments made about them. USA’s speedskating team underperformed than their normal selves. Who is to blame? Under Armour.

Source: PRNewser

The vents on the back of the suit are designed to allow heat to escape. Although, it has been claimed that it is also allowing air to enter the suite which creates a drag that keeps skates from allowing them to achieve maximum speed.

Senior Vice President of Innovation for Under Armour Kevin Haley noted that he was confident the suits were fast, but not necessarily in medal-winnine performances. Two-time gold medalist Shani Davis, said to never blame the suit – and rather blame himself. It has been a controversy as to whether it is the suit and Under Armour to blame for Team USA, underachieving in speedskating.

CEO Kevin Plank of Under Armour assured the public that they would keep tweaking the design until it was perfect for the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea that would help the US speedskating team. Plank noted, “We will not stick our heads in the sand. We want people to know that when we get knocked down, we get back up bigger, better and stronger.”

Eventually, after the first six events, the US team switched to an older suit that was worn last month. One other theory that has not gotten much attention is the fact that the team had practiced in previous months in a higher altitude where the ice was much harder whereas in Sochi, they were at sea level and and has softer ice.

What are your thoughts on Under Armour’s new design for the speedskating team? Do you think they are to blame for not medaling this year? I would love to hear your thoughts!

How To: Infographic

This summer, I began working for the University of Oregon’s Parent and Family Programs as a student coordinator where I assist in the recruitment of membership for the Parent and Family Association, communications and event planning. I thought it would be a great idea to create an infographic that would not only be used for our program to present to parents of incoming UO students at IntroDUCKtion (orientation) where most parents attend with their student but also a way to display our accomplishments as an organization. A large issue that we have come to realize that parents are unaware of the benefits of joining the PFA as well as exactly what/who we are. We are a resource for parents of UO students that creates the connection between parents and the University. Often times, parents are out of the loop of what is going on around campus and because students are treated as adults where they are the ones responsible for their education, a learning curve for parents to let go and more responsibility for students.

Click on the photo to see in full screen.

The research that was collected for the data was primary research that I had collected since June of 2013. As part of the Parent and Family Programs, we keep a list of all of our memberships and contact information. From this, I was able to collect data of where our members reside. After each event that we host for our parents and families, we conduct a survey and send them to all of our attendees, from there is where I was able to find information on the best tactics/ways to communicate with them. Finding and collecting this data wasn’t as easy, here are a few tips to help you effectively create an infographic:

1. Create a theme/topic/issue – Once you are able to establish a topic and have a clear idea of what you want your main message to be, everything else should fall into place.
2. Find the facts – Before you even open InDesign, Piktochart, or whatever design method you choose – find all the facts. This will not only make your infographic easier to make, but you also will have an idea of how you will want the design to look. This may take the longest to do, but it will be well worth it and make it easier for you in the end.
3. Map it out – Take out a piece of paper and create a draft or an outline of what you want your design to look like. This can simply be boxes to show where certain images or text will be – you don’t have to be an artist, but this will help you have a clear idea of how your final infographic will look like.
4. Stick to a color scheme – Keeping it about three colors is probably best. Don’t have too many colors or it just looks like a rainbow that threw up on your paper. By choosing a few colors that go together helps the eye, as well as making it simple and easy for the reader.
5. Keep it short – Try to keep it short, concise and to the point. Nothing is worst then looking at an infographic and having to read every single fact on there. The point of an infographic is to pull out the important facts and get your point across to the audience.

Using Celebrities to Promote a Company

In response to this weeks blog post, Valentino, the well-known fashion how released a promotional email to consumers of actress, Amy Adams showing off one of their $2,500 bags. Little did the company know that this image was captured at the wake of actor, Philip Seymour Hoffman, who was found dead on Sunday, February 2 of an apparent heroin overdose.

In the promotional email it stated, ““We are pleased to announce Amy Adams carrying the Valentino Garavani Rockstud Duble bag from the Spring/Summer 2014 collection on Feb. 6 in New York.”

Source: New York Daily News

Valentino apologized to the public about the mishap:

We regret releasing a photo of Amy Adams with a Valentino bag. Unaware of the circumstances it was a mistake and we apologize to Ms. Adams.

— Valentino (@MaisonValentino) February 7, 2014

Unlike my last article, Valentino quickly responded to Amy Adam’s representative who said she did not know that the photo was being taken and Adams was appalled by the fact that they would use it as a promotional email. Valentino’s spokeswoman Mona Swanson, apologized, noting that they were unaware that the photo was taken was from the wake of Philip Seymour Hoffman and that it was an honest mistake.

Honestly, I think Valentino’s quick reaction to the incident cleared them of any misunderstandings and saved their reputation. Everyone makes mistakes – incidents happen and it is bound to happen. No one is perfect. Valentino saved their reputation by clearing up any confusion or mistakes that they made. Not only did they do it in a timely manner but they also did it with grace and sensitivity to the subject.

I commend Valentino for stepping up and taking responsibility to their actions. This brings me to the question, where are the boundaries of photographers and journalists of celebrities?

Crisis Communication Fail: Asiana Airline

I took a short work trip to LA last week and while sitting on the plan there was some turbulence and all I could wonder, what would happen if something horrible were to occur while in mid-air or a flight? Heaven forbid that this would ever happen, but it always crosses my mind when boarding on a plane. This brought me to one of the biggest crises of 2013 in the airline industry.

A plane from Asiana Airlines, a Korean airline, crashed in San Francisco last July, marking it as the first major airline fatality in more than four years. What makes matters worst is that since Asiana’s headquarters is half world away, in the wee mornings in Korea. In result of that, it took hours for the company to issue a statement, which only confirmed the number of passengers on the flight and the crew that were on the aircraft.

Now that we are in a world where technology is key and most get their news sources from the internet or some sort of social media – news can travel quickly. Samsung Executive David Eun tweeted photos of the aircraft as soon as he escaped and captioned, “I just crashed landed at SFO.  Tail ripped off.  Most everyone seems fine.  I’m ok.  Surreal…” Eun’s tweet went viral and caused an uproar.

Over 50,000 tweets had surfaced before Asiana made its first statement on Twitter, which in turn, back fired for not issuing a statement sooner. Even though the tweet was sympathetic and heartfelt, it didn’t brief the situation or status of the incident. Finally, nine hours after the crash, Asiana released its first news release. If only Asiana didn’t take so long to respond, their reputation wouldn’t have been so bad.

It doesn’t just stop there – somehow the news team managed to release the names of the pilots. What made this unusual was, first, releasing those names and second, they weren’t accurate. Read these aloud and you’ll understand.

 

How do you think Asiana should have handled this situation?

Top Three Crisis Communications Tips

What does a company do during a crisis? Is there an implemented plan? This term I joined the University’s student-run firm, Allen Hall Public Relations (AHPR) as an account executive. This week, we had the Chief Communications Officer of Symantec, Colleen Lacter, join us for our meeting to give us some insight on what it is like to do PR in a corporate setting. She recently joined Symantec this past July from Waggener Edstrom, where she worked there for 26 years.  She also told us what it was like to work in an agency setting, working with Waggener Edstrom’s largest client, Microsoft, where she launched key products such as Windows 95, Internet Explorer, MSN and Bing.

Colleen told us the difference between working for an agency to jumping into corporate life. She gave us tips on her best practice for crisis communication. A quick story that she told us when she first joined Symantec; Colleen was handed Symantec’s one-hundred page crisis communication plan that was compiled by the company and took one look at it – didn’t even open the packet and trashed it. There is no way anyone in a crisis situation would sift through that whole thing to know what to do in an incident. She in turn, created a one-page crisis communication plan.

Source: Communique PR

This brought me to the top three things that I thought were important to remember when it comes to dealing with crisis communication. I wouldn’t say I know the best practices, but here are a few of things that I learned from Colleen and collected through some research:

1. Identify and Train Spokespersons – This is essential to any company or organization; to have a voice, to have the right skills, position and training in an event that someone needs to make any communication for the company to the publics. It’s also important for the spokesperson to know what they are talking about. This may be a crisis communication team that is already set it place in case such as, the chief public relations officer, the CEO of the organization, a senior manager, or a corporate attorney.
2. Create a communication plan – While it may not be necessary to create a hundred-page crisis communications plan, it is necessary to have a plan.  There also will never be one crisis communications plan that will fit every situation you may face. Keep your crisis communication plan simple; names and contact information of the crisis team/spokespeople, first response, alert/notification procedures, contact list (executive team, media outlets, journalists, etc.), and stakeholder communication.
3. Acknowledge the problem, be the news breaker and be accountable – In my opinion, while these three things are separate entities, they all go together and becomes one of the most important aspects during a crisis – don’t let someone else (a competitor, a journalist, the media, etc.) be the ones who deliver the news first to the public or try to brush it under the rug. And most importantly, be accountable – as a company, or an agency representing a company it is crucial to communicate to customers and the public. By being honest, open and transparent, the public and customers will be respected by you more.

PR Fail: Is Your Water Safe?

In response to this weeks crisis communication, I had to choose one  our of five of the worst video media disasters of January and then talk about how I would manage the fallout. I have to say, all of these disasters were pretty bad, this one stood out to me the most.

You never realize how dependent we are on one thing, until you really have to go without it. This was a similar case for West Virginians, except on another level. The West Virginia Chemical Leak awoke about 300,000 people in Charleston woke up to learn that their tap water was unsafe to brush their teeth, shower, wash dishes or to drink out of due to 5,000 gallons of industrial chemical used in coal seeped into the Elk River. This caused schools and restaurants to close, and didn’t allow hotels to make reservations. You can imagine the chaos that it brought to the citizens. Bottled water at stores were quickly gone and traffic occurred when drivers waited in line for jugs of water to be filled by the National Guard.

The biggest issue? Major Danny Jones of Charleston said that no one in authority would know how long it would be before the water supply was safe to drink again.

Source: Mr. Media Training

And what makes things worse? West Virginia’s Freedom Industries, the company responsible for the chemical spill, Gary Southern, the president of Freedom Industries, drank a bottled water during a press conference regarding the issue that was a disaster along a brief statement.

You might think, why is drinking a bottled water such a big deal? During the press conference, there were still 300,000 people without potable water. This was like a slap in the face for community members. Not only that, five minutes into the interview, Southern got frustrated, stated that the press conference was over and walked away.

Originally, Gary Southern refused to hold a press conference, if I had to manage this disaster, I would remind Gary the importance of telling the public and community what is going on and how they are going to fix it. Although, they may not have had a solution right away, Southern could have at least eased the public by apologizing and confirming that they would continue to fix the issue and let them know when it would be safe to use or consume the water again.

As far as, abruptly ending the press conference, I would have answered some more questions that reporters had even if I didn’t know the answers to some of them. It should be expected that questions from reports are going to be hard and demanding, but instead of getting frustrated and leaving I would have calmly answered questions to the best of my ability or to the extent of which the public should know. It is interesting to see how opinion leaders or those in the publics eye respond to criticism and how they deal with crises, not everyone can stay as calm and collective as they think.

Decked out in Red, White and Blue

Source: Ralph Lauren

The opening and closing ceremony is always one of my favorite parts of the Olympics. I love seeing the different uniforms and outfits that each country comes up with that incorporate their country and their colors. The USA olympic team has always been prideful of representing our country. These outfits may take it to another level. Ralph Lauren created these outfits for the opening ceremony during the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia which begin Friday, February 7. 

The outfits from the 2012 Olympic Games were outsourced and manufactured completely in China. This quickly become a public relations crisis because some members of congress did not take it lightly and were angered at Ralph Lauren for not making it in the United States. In lieu of that, Ralph Lauren made sure to have every inch of these outfits made from the USA featuring stars, stripes, the american flag and the olympic rings throughout in turtleneck sweaters, white fleece pants, black leather boots and ear flapped wool reindeer hats.

Source: Ralph Lauren

Ralph Lauren emphasized on the idea of using homegrown resources, in which they partnered with 40 different domestic partners. This included wool carted from Oregon, where it was spun in Pennsylvania and North Carolina, and then  knit in California. The collection is ranged from a $75 belt to a $598 “symbol-showered sweater,” which is all available online at RalphLauren.com and TeamUSAShop.org.

Some love the uniforms for the Olympics this year, Julie Chu, women’s hockey forward noted that she loves the patriotic spirit and, “when everyone’s wearing ti together, it makes a bold statement.” On the other hand, some believe that it better belongs at an ugly sweater party.

The public relations strategy made a complete turn-around from 2012 which were made in China to successfully making outfits made entirely in the United States.