Final Post

Crisis public relations plays an integral role in each and every corporation, organization and business. Every organization is vulnerable to crises. If you don't prepare, you will take more damage. Planning for the worst and expecting the backlash is what crisis PR is all about. Crisis public relations is a field which is rapidly expanding and becoming a well recognized field and career path.

Throughout the course of the semester, I have learned that a crisis is any situation that threatens the integrity or reputation of your company, usually brought on by adverse or negative media attention. These situations can be any kind of legal dispute, theft, accident, fire, flood or manmade disaster that could be attributed to your company. It can also be a situation where in the eyes of the media or general public your company did not react to one of the above situations in the appropriate manner. The basic causes of a business crisis are four in number:

1. Acts of God (storms, earthquakes, volcanic action, etc)
2. Mechanical problems (ruptured pipes, metal fatigue, etc.)
3. Human errors (the wrong valve was opened, miscommunication about what to do, etc.)
4. Management decisions/indecision (the problem is not serious, nobody will find out)

I have also learned that if handled correctly the damage can be minimized. The main point I have taken away from this blog is that if there’s one key rule is crisis management, it’s tell it all, tell it fast and tell the truth. Other main principles of crisis management that have been utilized by the subjects reviewed in my blog are:

• The first and foremost goal is protecting the integrity and reputation of the Company.
• Never try to lie, deny or hide your involvement.
• If you ignore the situation it will only get worse.
• Don't let the lawyers make the decisions. While they are good intentioned it may cause the crisis to escalate.
• The cause of almost all crises fall into two broad categories:
• Overt acts and acts of omission.
• Issues of competence or lack thereof in matters of public perception.

I have an interest in becoming a public relations specialist so this project has helped me learn how to prepare for my future. I want to pursue a career in public relations and throughout the course of this semester I have picked up a few pointers on a PR practitioner should deal with the media and the most effective strategies to use when facing a crisis. They include:

* Prepare "talking paper" on primary points you want to make when giving speeches to the media.
* Anticipate questions and prepare responses.
* Build bridges, network and make as many contacts as possible because you never know when you might need an ally.
* Use specifics, analogies, contrast and comparisons to help your audience understand the message you are trying to portray.
* Be enthusiastic/animated.
* Do be a listener.

After completing two months of blogging about crisis public relations I feel as though I have a better understanding of the field as a whole and the strategies employed in successful public relations campaigns. I have an increased interest in pursuing this field as a career as well. I have also learned the benefits of blogging as a medium for two-way communication. I feel that blogging is quickly becoming the future of the communication industry, bringing more interaction and engagement to consumers and organizations alike. Blogging helps create an environment that facilitates two-way communication and feedback from users which in turn helps organizations better meet the needs and wants of their consumers. Blogging also provides an opportunity to speak freely about topics and gives other users the chance to read a variety of opinions and perspectives.

Blogging is extremely important to the public relations departments of companies as the public image and awareness of a product or person is greatly affected by what appears on blogs. In terms of crisis public relations, I believe blogging will be a positive and a negative, both aiding in free publicity for a company but also serving as an outlet for unsatisfied customers to vent about their frustrations with your company. Keeping on top of what is being said about your company or organization throughout the blogosphere will be an important component of any crisis public relations strategy from now on.

PT ADYATMIKA SAKTI NUSANTARA
no.1 Communication Strategic Consultant

All Together Now

There have been countless public relations crises in the past and there are five steps that should be executed in order to properly manage a crisis. First, the corporation in crisis should be prompt, addressing the public immediately following the discovery of the crisis. Second, the corporation in question should maintain honesty because the public is more willing to forgive an honest mistake than a calculated lie. Third, it is important to be informative because the media as well as the public will create their own rumors if no information is given to them by the corporation in crisis. Rumors can cause significantly more damage to the corporation than the truth. Next, it is important to be concerned and show the public you care because people will be more forgiving if it is clear that the corporation cares about the victims of the crisis. Finally, maintain two-way relationships. This is important because the corporation can learn a lot about the status of public opinion by listening. These five steps are necessary in order to manage any crisis public relations situation.

With that having been said, each crisis situation is unique and, therefore, requires a tailored response. There are six types of responses and they range on a continuum from defensive to accommodative. First, corporations can attack the accuser attempting to eliminate the attacker’s credibility. Second, corporations can use denial claiming that no crisis exists. The third response is justification where the corporation claims no serious damage was done or that the victim was at fault. Fourth, the corporation can use ingratiation to appease the publics, such as giving away coupons. Next, corporations can use corrective action to right their wrongs. Finally, the corporation can give a full apology asking for forgiveness for their mistake. All six responses have been used in the past with varying results. If chosen properly, one of the six responses can help mitigate damage.

In March 2005, a woman bit into a finger while eating chili at Wendy’s. This crisis could have damaged Wendy’s image, but the corporation responded properly. They shut down the location, threw out the chili and had an investigation to discover the source of the finger. Wendy’s communicated with the public openly and honestly. As a result, very little damage was done to their image.

Other successful cases of crisis public relations include the well-known Diet Pepsi case and the Tylenol case. Diet Pepsi ran into trouble when consumers began “finding” foreign objects in cans of Diet Pepsi. A variety of different objects were found including a syringe, a bullet, and even a crack cocaine vial. The corporation knew that there was no possible way for these objects to be inserted during the bottling process. As a result, Diet Pepsi used a defensive strategy claiming its innocence. They communicated openly with the public, attacked the accusers, and allowed their bottling process to be shown on the news. Temporary damage had been done to Diet Pepsi, but they quickly rebounded from the situation. In a similar manner, Tylenol found itself in a crisis situation when people started dying from consuming cyanide laced Tylenol capsules. Tylenol acted quickly and pulled its product off the shelves without being forced to do so. They communicated openly and often with the public and had an investigation. Tylenol was found innocent at the conclusion of the investigation. Tylenol had a favorable brand image with the public because they pulled their product when they discovered the problem. Following the crisis, they even added safety seals to ensure the safety of its consumers.

While there are successful crisis public relations crises, there are a number of poor examples of crisis management. Ford and Firestone destroyed their images after mismanaging the crisis that occurred when many of their consumers died as a result of tire blowouts. Both companies claimed innocence and blamed the other. Ford and Firestone did not communicate openly or honestly with the public. Also, both corporations implied their lack of concern for their customers when they ignored the deaths and injuries of their customers to protect their bottom line. Ford’s and Firestone’s response to the crisis alienated their customers and caused significant damage to their image.

More recently, it seems the government has seen itself attempting to manage public relations crises, many of which could have been prevented. Dick Cheney found himself at the center of media attention when he shot his friend with a shot gun while hunting. He did not communicate with the public nor the administration in Washington about the incident until well after the incident had occurred. His actions made it appear to the public as though he were hiding something. When he finally addressed the public, it was too little too late. His mistake continues to be the foundation of many jokes to this day.

Additionally, the United Arab Emerites received the contract to protect many of America’s ports. This caused a crisis because many if not most Americans do not trust the UAE at this particular moment. In the eyes of many, Bush gave the job of protecting out ports to the enemy. Not to mention, he is perpetuating job outsourcing which makes Americans nervous. Protecting America’s ports should be America’s job. Also, Bush gave the UAE the contract at his discretion without consulting the public. He seems to have overstepped the system of checks and balances this country was founded on. Bush created an unnecessary crisis causing more negative public sentiment to be directed at his administration.

Other government flops have occurred in recent months, such as the failure to rescue Hurricane Katrina victims and Condoleezza Rice’s feud with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. These two crises caused more negative media attention on the Bush administration.

The Olympics always have their fair share of crises to handle. Athletes taking performance enhancing drugs has been an issue in recent times, not only in the Olympics, but major league baseball and other sports as well. During the Olympics in Torino, Austria’s ski team had their home raided by Italian police in an effort to discover drug use by the athletes. The police had probable cause to search because the team had been spending time with their ex-coach, Walter Mayer, who had been suspended for providing drugs to his athletes. Team Austria should have known that a visit from their ex-coach could have negative consequences such as this.

The most recent major pubic relations crisis involves Duke University and their lacrosse team. On March 13, the lacrosse team had a party with a stripper. Following the party, the stripper reported having been assaulted and raped. The fact that she was African American only made the school’s relationship with local residents, who are majority African American shakier than it already had been. Following the accusation, there is an ongoing investigation into the incident. 46 of the 47 players were forced to submit DNA and while no DNA was found on the stripper, the investigation continues. Days after the investigation began; one lacrosse player sent a horrible e-mail to team mates claiming that he would brutally kill the next stripper they had at a party. After the e-mail was discovered and released by the media, the lacrosse team’s head coach, Mike Pressler, resigned. The crisis is not over yet and continues to be discussed in the media.

No matter how much planning goes into preventing crises, there are always crisis situations that can not be planned for. Thankfully, Levick Communications exists to help corporations properly manage crisis situations. They have experience and success in the industry and were named crisis communications firm of the year by the Holmes Report. Richard Levick started the business in 1998 with the hope of helping people manage crises. Levick is a great company with great success. Maybe George Dubya could use some advice from Levick.

While Levick is experienced in crisis communication, technology is creating more ways for crises to occur. My Space.com got bad press when stories surfaced about young My Space users being stalked and harassed by sexual predators. This popular site is used by many young people and their safety has been a cause for concern. My Space is managing the situation well and plans to implement safety devices to prevent young people from being stalked by sexual predators. My Space is a new media and it is already managing crises.

Crisis public relations is changing. With new media, such as My Space and Facebook, crisis situations have occurred on the web. While products and services expand to new media, there are new ways for crises to emerge. At the same time, new media can be used to communicate with the public. Corporations no longer have to rely solely on tradition broadcast news or print advertising to properly manage a crisis. Corporations can now communicate with customers across the world using a number of different media such as e-mail, websites, podcasts, internet video, and more. With more ways to reach the public and the lower cost of reaching a higher number of people, crisis communications can communicate with the public in ways corporations never imagined during the 1980’s. While communication with the public is easier and cheaper than in the past, the original 5 steps to properly manage a crisis as well as the six types of responses continue to be at the foundation of any crisis public relations plan.

The Duke Lacrosse Coach Resigns After A Player Sends A Vulgar E-Mail

Duke University is still the center of attention as authorities continue to investigate the alleged rape of a stripper at one of the team's parties.

The team has remained relatively quiet about the incident since it took place. However, one Duke lacrosse player recently sent an e-mail to team mates saying that he would "kill" the strippers when they came for their next party and he would "cut their skin off". The e-mail was signed with the player's jersey number. The e-mail was released to the public and shortly after, lacrosse coach Mike Pressler resigned as head coach. In addition to the resignation, the team's season has been cancelled.

This e-mail has created more bad press for Duke and its lacrosse team. Students and residents have marched daily since the alleged rape took place. The lacrosse team is the focus of a lot of anger and many players have changed their residence in order to protect themselves from any attacks that may be directed at them.

Duke University is handling the situation to the best of their ability. While the e-mail perpetuates the recent negetive image of the school and the resignation of the coach raises questions to how much he knew about the incident, the school is taking steps to mitigate damage to their reputation and thei already shaky relationship with local residents.

Duke President, Richard Brodhead, says that the school will undertake a serious self-study of campus culture as well as a specific study analyzing the culture of the lacrosse team. Additionally, the player who sent the vulgar e-mail has been suspended and asked to leave campus for the moment.

Duke University has maintained contact with the media, keeping them updated on what is happening. Duke is using the crisis public relations approach of corrective action by stating that it will work to build better relationships with the local community. Duke's situation is very sensitive. It is difficult to win back public support when such horrible activities are taking place on campus. However, Duke has taken the appropriate steps to mitigate damage, at least for the moment.

http://www.forbes.com/business/feeds/ap/
2006/04/06/ap2651398.html

Wal-Mart's new PR perspective

Wal-Mart owner Sam Walton has never been an advocate for the practice of public relations. The now deceased business tycoon was said to detest public relations, preferring to let Wal-Mart products and services speak for themselves. Under the new regime, public relations has taken on a special role in the corporate life of Wal-Mart, with company officials locking into a political campaign-like mentality to respond to critics of its labor and big box store setting strategies.

Recently, there have been reports that the company is looking for "triage" and "emergency response" specialists in its next key hires. Michael Barbaro reported that the executive search firm Crowe-Innes & Associates has been engaged to help find a director of media relations who can manage a "crisis communications program" and "triage" such crises "in rapid response mode." Hours of work: up to "24/7" according to the posting, which was released to the Times by one of Wal-Mart's biggest critics, Wal-Mart Watch.

A second job posting seeks a candidate who can address "high profile political activities" and "operate successfully in a campaign mode." Wal-Mart does not seem to worry about getting a bargain when it comes to hiring high level public relations professionals. In November, 2005, the New York Times reported that the company had hired the Edelman public relations firm, including ex-advisers from the camps of Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and John Kerry.

Wal-Mart's new perspective on the importance of public relations, and more interestingly, crisis public relations further proves the point that no one is safe from a potential crisis, not even a business leader such as Wal-Mart. I find it hard to believe that public relations wasn't high on Wal-Mart's priority list prior to now seeing as they have been linked to so much negative publicity surrounding their labor relations and alleged discrimination in hiring. It will be interesting to see how an independent public relations firm will handle such a large and controversial account. I'd say, Edelman has their work cut out for them!

In other Wal-Mart news, CNN reported this morning that Wal-Mart plans to open 50 new stores in communities where crime and or unemployment rates are high. Critics say this plan is a superficial effort by the chain to create favorable publicity for the company. Wal-Mart claims the new stores will hundreds of thousands of dollars in state tax revenue and hundreds of new jobs to the communities where stores are being built.

New York Times: March 30, 2006

Duke Lacrosse Scandal

"The victim stated she tried to leave and the three males (Adam, Bret, and Matt) forcefully held her legs and arms and sexually assaulted her anally, vaginally and orally. The victim states she was hit, kicked and strangled during the assault and she attempted to defend herself, but was overpowered. The victim reported she was sexually assaulted for an approximate 30 minute time period by the three males. " This is the statement from police in Durham, North Carolina, where the Duke Lacrosse program is in the midst of a catastrophic controversy.

The allegation is that three white players from Duke's lacrosse team raped a black student from North Carolina Central University. The student, an exotic dancer, was hired to work at a party in an off-campus home, where the alleged rape occurred. So far, no one has been officially charged with a crime. Investigators are waiting on DNA tests performed on 46 of the 47 players.

Duke had the No. 2 lacrosse team in the country and was expected to win the national title this year. So far, members of the team have remained silent in solidarity, but officials vow to break the stalemate. It is not surprising that team is remaining so silent; the party was hosted in a house rented to the team's three captains.

This scandal will catapult Duke lacrosse into the nationalconsciousnesss negatively for a long time. This story is front page news: rape and gender, race, class, timing, and the team's foolhardy adherence to a code of silence are issues that make this crisis one of such great magnitude. The incident has sparked a series of protests on campus this week. Many of the protesters have said the case is the product of a culture of power and privilege at Duke that protects the wealthy and well-placed, especially athletes, at the expense of others.

Duke University staff are trying to keep positive and spin the negative aspects of the scandal. Duke vice president of communications John Burness says the school is trying to use the incident as a "teachable moment." (USAToday.com) "There are many topics to consider," he says. "The Fifth Amendment, race, privilege and the role athletics plays." After suspending the team from playing, Duke President ,Richard Brodhead said, "In this painful period of uncertainty, it is clear to me, as it was to the players, that it would be inappropriate to resume the normal schedule of play." (SI.Com) Brodhead met with students Wednesday morning to discuss the incident in a forum closed to reporters.

USAToday.com

SI.com

Tom Delay to resign in coming weeks

Former Majority Leader Tom Delay intends to resign from Congress within weeks. The conservative is known for his bare-knuckled political style. Delay was first elected in 1984 and his career will come to an end in the coming weeks. Republican officials expect Delay to quit his seat later this spring. "He has served our nation with integrity and honor," said Majority Leader John Boehner of Ohio, who succeeded DeLay in his leadership post earlier this year.

Tom DeLay's decision to leave Congress is just the latest piece of evidence that the Republican Party is a party in disarray, a party out of ideas and out of energy," said Bill Burton, a spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

DeLay is under indictment in Texas as part of an investigation into the allegedly illegal use of funds for state legislative races. He is accused of funneling corporate donations to Republican candidates for the Texas House in violation of state laws. A federal investigation also is pursuing DeLay's ties to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Delay's ties with lobbyist Jack Abramoff caused him to formally surrender his post as majority leader in January.

Neither Rudy, Abramoff nor anyone else connected with the investigation has publicly accused DeLay of breaking the law. DeLay has consistently denied all wrongdoing. Delay told Time magazine he was to announce on Tuesday that he was not running for re-election. "I'm very much at peace with it," he said.

On Friday, March 31, DeLay's former chief of staff pleaded guilty to conspiracy and promised to help with a federal investigation of bribery and lobbying fraud relating to Abramoff. Tony Rudy admitted conspiring with Abramoff, both while Rudy worked for Delay and after he left the lawmaker's staff to become a lobbyist himself. He is the second former DeLay staffer to plead guilty to federal charges in connection with the lobbying probe. The plea agreement makes no allegation that DeLay did anything wrong.

Delay has had a successful career filled with legislation, lobbying, political campaigns and money. And while he was a conservative, he raised millions of dollars for the campaigns of fellow House Republicans regardless of their ideology. He supported tax cuts, limits on abortions, looser government regulation of business and other items on the conservative agenda, and he rarely backed down. DeLay was the driving force behind
President Clinton' impeachment in 1999.

NewYorkTimes.com
CBSNews.com

PT ADYATMIKA SAKTI NUSANTARA
no.1 Communication Strategic Consultant

Duke Lacrosse Team Is At The Center Of Attention After A Team Party Goes Wrong


The Duke University Lacrosse team has had its season suspended indefinitely after the rape accusation of a local stripper following a Duke Lacrosse team party.

On March 13, the lacrosse team had a party that involved having strippers dance for them. However, the night ended with a rape accusation from one of the strippers who also happened to be African American.

Duke University has a poor relationship with the town and its residents. In fact, last yer, the Princton Review reported that Duke had the country's fifth worst 'town-gown relationship'. Additionally, the university, which is predominantly white, is surrounded by a town largely full of blue collar workers. Also, the majority of the local residents are African American, which brings racial issues to the forefront.

The rape accusation in addition to the race issue is creating a great deal of bad PR for Duke University forcing them to re-establish control of student partying as well as their relationship with local residents.

Following the incident, 46 of the 47 Duke Lacrosse players were asked to give samples of DNA to authorities in order to facilitate the investigation. The school has already lost a portion of its reputation as the media focus has shifted from its fine academics to the rape of a stripper. However, the lacrosse players stand to lose a lot as well. The guilty individual or individuals could receive anywhere from 16 to 20 years in prison.

With such a horrible event taking place, it is strange that the Duke University lacrosse coach, Mike Pressler, has had nothing to say of the incident. Since his players were the ones involved, he should have spoken openly at a press conference saying that the team is cooperating with the authorities. Speaking openly with the media would prevent rumors and heresay from spreading.

The school has suffered irreparable damage to its reputation. The players (and I'm talking about the ones not involved with the incident) have had their reputations injured even more.

The school has taken some positive steps to mitigate the damage caused by the incident, but, at the same time, has made some mistakes. First of all, Duke is already making changes in order to create a better relationship with its local residents. Many of the off-campus houses leased by the Duke students will be sold after the lease runs out this year in order to prevent loud parties from occuring off-campus and prevent students from disturbing local residents. Also, the school is speaking openly about the incident. However, the lacrosse coach, Mike Pressler, has not spoken about the incident. The school is handling the situation well, but the administration needs to get Mike Pressler in front of the camera in order to end any suspicion that he is hiding information.

Only time will tell if anyone on the team is guilty, but much of the damage has already been done. For the past week, the public has been talking about the incident that occurred at Duke. Their reputation has been damaged and they have taken steps to prevent further damage, but Duke will have to work hard to fix the damage caused by the incident and the rumors surrounding it.

http://www.thestate.com/mld/charlotte/news/14244805.htm?source=rss&channel=charlotte_news

How baseball should deal with the steroid scandal

Baseball's image at stake as commissioner mulls response to most recent steroid abuse allegations. Selig said he would rather have root-canal surgery than deal with the controversy stirred by Game of Shadows, the new book about Barry Bonds reportedly using steroids. Experts are saying that Selig has no choice now but to be proactive and aggressive in dealing with Bonds. These experts say"One of the first things to do is talk to Bonds. Will he cooperate? If he doesn't, I think that leads to disaster for Bonds,"

steroids were, in fact, banned from baseball as early as 1991, when Fay Vincent, as commissioner, circulated a document titled "Baseball's Drug Policy and Prevention Program," detailing the prohibition of "all illegal drugs and controlled substances, including steroids." ESPN The Magazine has reported on the little-known policy's existence, and also reported that Selig sent out a similar memo in 1997. The players' union refused to submit to a testing program. But that didn't mean steroids were legal.

Bonds wasn't the only one breaking the rules. There's no telling how many players used illegal performance-enhancing substances to better themselves and their games. That's one reason Bonds' supporters say he shouldn't be singled out.

The debate is over what Selig should do in response to this scandal. The easy response would be to do nothing and Selig would love to do that, despite his professed concern for ridding baseball of steroids. However, taking on Bonds could lead to trouble with the players union, complaints from Bonds' team, the San Francisco Giants and maybe even a lawsuit from Bonds himself. Vincent suggests furthering the story and gathering information grounded in fact, not rumor. The public relations lesson to be learned is that you have to act, respond, take chances.The one thing you can't do is, nothing.

www.baltimoresun.com

Conflict Management Process

Strategic conflict management is the function where the public relations professional must develop communication strategies and processes to influence the course of conflicts to the benefit of the organization and when possible, to the benefit of the organization's any constituents.Theh PR practitioner can use the following four step process to do so.

Proactive phase - includes activities and thought processes that can prevent a conflict from arising or from getting out of hand.

* Environmental scanning - constant reading, listening and watching of current affairs with an eyes to the organization's interests
* Issues tracking - more focused and systematic through processes such as the daily clipping of news stores
* Issues management -occurs when the organization makes behavioral changes or creates strategic plans in ways that address the emerging issue
* crisis plan -first step in preparing for the worst-an issue or an event that has escalated to crisis proportions

Strategic phase - an issue that has become an emerging conflict is identified as needed concerted action by the public relations professional

· Risk communication - dangers or threats to people or organizations are conveyed to forestall personal injury, health problems, and environmental damage. Continues so long as the risk exists or until the risk escalates into a crisis
· Conflict-positioning - enable the organization to position itself favorably in anticipation of actions such as litigation, boycott, adverse legislation, elections or similar events that will play out in the "court of public opinion"
· Crisis management -a plan is developed when an issue resists risk communication efforts and becomes a conflict of crisis proportions

Reactive phase -once the issue or imminent conflict reach a critical level of impact on the organization, the public relations professional must react to events in the external communication environment as they unfold

* Crisis communications -includes the implementation of the crisis management plan as well as 24/7 efforts to meet the needs of publics such as disaster victims, employees, government officials and media
* Conflict resolution -used when conflict has emerged but is not careening out of control. Techniques are used to bring a heated conflict to a favorable resolution using negotiation or arbitration efforts to resolve conflict
* Litigation public relations - employs communication strategies and publicity efforts in supports of legal actions or trials

Recovery phase - in the aftermath of a crisis or a high profile, heated conflict with a public, the organization should employ strategies either to bolster or repair its reputation in the eyes of key publics

* Reputation management - includes systematic research to learn the state of the organization's reputation and then taking steps to improve it
Wilcox, Dennis. Public Relations: Strategies and Tactics. Boston, MA: Pearson Education INC. 2006

PT ADYATMIKA SAKTI NUSANTARA
no.1 Communication Strategic Consultant

Controversial drug supported by Ketchum PR

Four years ago, almost no one had heard of Herceptin. Today, the drug is a household name, and British women with early-stage breast cancer are going to court for the right to get it. Despite the fact that Herceptin is not actually licensed for use in early-stage cancer, and clinical tests have yet to prove it will ever save lives, it is in high demand. Ketchum PR firm helped promote the drug for Roche Pharmaceuticals through support for patient groups such as CancerBACUP, which gets a significant chunk of its funding from Roche and other drug companies.

Ketchum describes the benefits of the product on inewswire.com. "Herceptin is a humanized antibody, designed to target and block the function of HER2, a protein produced by a specific gene with cancer-causing potential. Herceptin has demonstrated improved survival in the advanced setting, where its addition to chemotherapy allows patients to live up to one-third longer than chemotherapy alone. Herceptin received approval in the European Union in 2000 for use in patients with metastatic breast cancer, whose tumors overexpress the HER2 protein, as first-line therapy in combination with paclitaxel where anthracyclines are unsuitable, and as a single agent in second- and third-line therapy. In 2004, it also received approval for use in combination with docetaxel as a first-line therapy in HER2-positive patients who have not received chemotherapy for their metastatic disease. Herceptin is marketed in the United States by Genentech, in Japan by Chugai and internationally by Roche. Since 1998, Herceptin has been used to treat over 230,000 HER2-positive breast cancer patients worldwide."

"It is not just the patient groups that drug companies hope to get support from," PR executive Sarah Bosely writes. "They also want 'opinion leaders' - people with credibility who can be quoted in the papers and on TV. ... But patient groups are the most rewarding target and there is an obvious risk that they could be influenced by companies with turnovers as large as the GDP of small nations. (PRWatch.com)

Ketchum's web-site had this to say about it's relationship with the controversial drug company.

"Roche UK has appointed Ketchum to provide UK public relations support for its portfolio of oncology products, including Herceptin (trastuzumab) for breast cancer, MabThera (rituximab) for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and Xeloda (capecitabine) indicated for colorectal cancer and under investigation for other forms of cancer.
Ketchum's appointment follows a competitive proposal process conducted during January and February 2001.
"We're thrilled to be working in the UK on such an exciting group of products," said David Gallagher, Managing Director/Healthcare. "We're pleased to be expanding our relationship with a great company dedicated to providing innovative cancer treatments for patients worldwide and in the UK."

PT ADYATMIKA SAKTI NUSANTARA
no.1 Communication Strategic Consultant

Firestone: An Example Of The Stories And Visuals Tied To A Crisis

While writing the last entry for the Ford/Firestone crisis, I stumbled upon this webpage showing an example of one of the accidents caused by a Firestone tire blowout. I was compelled to enter the story and pictures into my blog so you can see stories and visuals that exist relating to the crisis.

It has been about six years since the crisis and pictures and stories about the crisis are still easily obtainable. It is important to understand that people are involved with crisis situations. The following story is about a man who suffered injuries when his tire blew out. The picture above is his explorer after the accident.


I was hoping you would post what happened to me and my explorer. I hate to see what is happening also.
-(victim's name)

I was coming home after visiting my fiance on Father's day 2000. I had been driving for 2 and half hours in 90 degree heat. I was traveling about 75 mph and I was cornering around a ramp and was slowing down from 55mph to 45 mph when i went off the ramp slightly. I tried to correct my position on the road but was suddenly unable to do so.

My 1996 Eddie Bauer Explorer with 16" Firestone wilderness tires on it rolled 8 times and flipped 1 1/2 times in the air as it went carreening off the interstate. I suffered severe back injuries from the accident caused by the defective seatbelts which are also on this model of the Explorer. If my pregnant fiance or my future daughter were riding with me they would have most certainly been killed as evident by the photos.

I had to sell my house and have my credit destroyed by the coverup and seemingly illegal actions of Ford and the Firestone corporation. It took a few months to realize why the vehicle went out of control. Both the front and rear tires on the left side were ripped off from the rim. I used to buy Firestone all the time and have been a lifelong owner of Ford vehicles, guess not anymore.
Please anyone who has the same situation be careful.


Think about this man's story when deciding how to handle a public relations crisis.

http://www.firestone-tire-recall.com/pages/accident_reports/11_2_ford_Explorer.html


PT ADYATMIKA SAKTI NUSANTARA
no.1 Communication Strategic Consultant

History Lesson Part III: Firestone

There have been several examples of public relations crises that were handled properly and did not have an overall negative effect on the company in question. At the same time, there are even more instances where companies have failed to properly manage crisis situations. The Ford/ Firestone case is an example of such a situation.

In 2000, several instances were reported in which Ford owners with Firestone tires were experiencing tire blowouts ultimately causing around 150 deaths and over 500 serious injuries. Most of the accidents involved Ford Explorers, which had a tendency to flip when their tires blew out. Not all tires were defective. Only the 15’’ ATX, ATXII, and Wilderness AT model had proven to be defective. However, Firestone suffered significant damage to its brand name as a result of the defects.

The defects were the source of the crisis, but Firestone essentially poured salt on its open wounds by managing the crisis poorly. Ford and Firestone both denied responsibility for the accidents. Ford claimed that the accidents were caused by the defective tires while Firestone claimed Ford was at fault for installing the tires improperly. Both companies essentially put the public and media in the middle of their battle. It was clear to the public that there was a problem in terms of the communications between the two companies. Additionally, Ford and Firestone implied their lack of concern for their customers when they ignored the countless deaths and injuries of their customers in order to protect their bottom line. The two companies destroyed the trust of the public by their childish bickering.

Ford and Firestone should have apologized to the public up front about the injuries and deaths sustained from the accidents claiming that an investigation would be launched in order to find the real source of the problem. Both companies should have worked together as a team to fix the problem. Ford and Firestone put their bottom line ahead of the trust and safety of their customers causing the customers to become alienated from the companies they once trusted.

While Ford and Firestone made it through the crisis, they did not do so without sustaining significant monetary and brand damage. Cooperation, concern for the publics involved, and open communication are three keys to successful crisis management. Ford and Firestone failed on all three counts.

http://www.firestone-tire-recall.com/pages/overview.html

RESPONDING TO A CRISIS - PR STRATEGIES TIPS

Options when Responding to a Crisis

According to the textbook titled Public Relations: Strategies and Tactics, there are various ways organizations can respond to a crisis situation. W. Timothy Coombs argues that an organization’s response to a crisis can vary from defensive to accommodative.

The response continuum, starts on the defensive side and ends on the accommodative side.

First, organizations can attack the accuser. This response involves attacking the accusing individuals by claiming that their facts are faulty and illogical. The organization aims to take away the credibility of the attacker. Often times a lawsuit is threatened.

Second, organizations can respond using denial. This response is quite simple. Essentially, the organization claims that no crisis exists.

The third response is justification. Using this response, organizations claim that no serious damage was caused or that the victims were at fault. Firestone used this response when people died using their tires. They claimed that the victims were at fault because the tires had been used improperly.

Next, organizations have the option to use ingratiation. This response involves taking steps to appease the publics involved with the situation. Examples include giving coupons to angry customers or donating money to another organization (Wilcox).

Organizations can use corrective action to right their wrongs. This response shows that the company realizes they were wrong and are taking an active role in fixing the problem as well as making sure the problem never occurs again.

The last response on the continuum is a full apology. This means exactly what one would think. The organization takes responsibility for the crisis and asks for forgiveness. Often times, money or some other type of compensation is involved.

All responses have been used by organizations at one point or another. Additionally, all responses have resulted in both successful and unsuccessful outcomes. Each crisis situation is unique and in no way can be solved by a single response.

In order to get the appropriate results, it is important for a trained crisis communications professional to analyze the situation immediately and prescribe the appropriate response.

Wilcox, Dennis. (2006). Public Relations: Strategies and Tactics. Boston, MA. 8th Edition. Pg. 261.

PT ADYATMIKA SAKTI NUSANTARA
no.1 Communication Strategic Consultant

True or False - 2005 was the year of lies | PR STRATEGY IN HISTORY

It's an event that's anticipated all year long. An honor that will make the winners infamous. These awards are as exciting as the Oscars, Grammy's or Emmy's. Each year the Center for Media and Democracy gives out their coveted Falsies Awards for those public relations campaigns that have outperformed and out-spun all other flack campaigns.

The year of 2005 seemed to be the year of fake news. Over the past twelve months, the ideal of accurate, reliable, accountable news media faced nearly constant attack. Artificial news ranging from Pentagon-planted stories in Iraqi newspapers to corporate- and government-funded VNR's aired by U.S. newsrooms.
Then there were the public relations campaigns that sought to redefine reality itself. The oil and nuclear industries are big award winners. As are rights abusing governments and labor abusing companies. Junk food companies made the list as did genetically modified foods.

The coveted Gold Falsies Award of 2005 goes to the video news release industry with a supporting role from the newsrooms that aired them. In March, the New York Times reported, "At least 20 federal agencies, including the Defense Department and the Census Bureau, have made and distributed hundreds of television news segments in the past four years. Many were subsequently broadcast on local stations across the country without any acknowledgment of the government's role."

The Silver Falsies Award goes to the mainstream media and the Bush administration, for "Not Counting the Dead." Its no surprise at this point that many media outlets self-censored their reporting on Iraq, often out of fear of offending their audience. The U.S. media downplayed, in an October 2004 medical study that estimated nearly 100,000 Iraqi civilians had died since the U.S. invasion. In response to a question at a December talk, President Bush broke his silence on civilian casualties and admitted that "30,000 Iraqis, more or less, have died as a result of the initial incursion and the ongoing violence.

The Bronze Falsies Award goes to the U.S. military and their public relations contractors, for "Spinning Wars and PsyOps." In January, the Pentagon increased media training for forces going to Iraq, making briefings by public-affairs specialists mandatory for Army troops. Soldiers were also given wallet-sized "talking point" cards, one of which said, "We are not an occupying force" Also, in June, the Pentagon awarded up to $300 million over five years to SYColeman, Inc., Lincoln Group and Science Applications International Corporation, to "inject more creativity into efforts to improve foreign public opinion about the United States, particularly the military," reported the Washington Post.

PRWatch.com

PT ADYATMIKA SAKTI NUSANTARAno.1 Communication Strategic Consultant

DIET PEPSI PR CASE

History Lesson Part II: Diet Pepsi


In 1993, Pepsi-Cola found itself in a crisis situation when a man in Tacoma, Washington claimed he had found a syringe inside a can of Diet Pepsi. Soon after the story hit the news, claims surfaced all over the country. People claimed to find objects from bullets to crack cocaine vials. Pepsi-Cola knew that the foreign objects had been inserted by people outside the company who had tampered with the product.

Pepsi-Cola decided to use a defensive strategy, claiming its innocence in the matter. Proving the company’s innocence would be pivotal in protecting further damage to Pepsi-Cola’s brand name. Pepsi employed a variety of strategies to deal with the problem.

First, Pepsi attacked the accuser claiming that the objects had been inserted after having been opened and that many people do this in order to earn money from a settlement. The company openly declared that it would “pursue legal action against anyone making false claims”.

Second, Pepsi used a denial strategy saying that there was no crisis. Pepsi President Craig Weatherup made appearances on television and gave interviews to radio stations and newspapers saying that Pepsi’s bottling line was secure. Pepsi even brought video cameras into their bottling factories to show the bottling process and the impossibility of inserting a foreign object into a can of Pepsi before it is sealed.

The Pepsi crisis turned out to be a hoax. Individuals who had purposely inserted foreign objects into cans were brought to court. Pepsi was able to rebound from the hoax using an effective crisis public relations campaign which combined various strategies.

Pepsi-Cola handled the situation exquisitely. The company communicated with the public across virtually all media. Investigations took place in order verify the integrity of Pepsi-Cola’s bottling plants. When it became clear that there was no possible way that there could have been foreign objects inserted before being sealed, the crisis had ended.

In this case, there was no substance to the crisis. This can occur when false claims are made, such as the ones made in this situation. While there might not even be an actual crisis, the perception of a crisis can stir enough negative sentiment from the public to significantly damage the company’s image. The Pepsi case study shows that the perception of a crisis is as important to manage as an actual crisis.

In order to show that a perceived crisis does not actually exist, it is important to communicate with the public and show them that no crisis actually exists. Honesty and open communication facilitates the management of a public relations crisis. Additionally, communication must occur during the early stages of the crisis and communication must occur often. A crisis, whether real or perceived, requires the implementation of a crisis public relations plan.

Wilcox, Dennis. (2006). Public Relations: Strategies and Tactics. Boston, MA. 8th Edition. Pg. 262-263.

PT ADYATMIKA SAKTI NUSANTARAno.1 Communication Strategic Consultant

Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina and the events following the hurricane have created crisis situations for the United States government and more specifically George W. Bush. When Hurricane Katrina hit the U.S. coast it destroyed the gulf region leaving thousands dead. Thousand more were left homeless. It took the U.S. government over five days to rescue many of the survivors.

The government did not prepare adequately for the hurricane and did not respond quickly enough after the storm had passed. The government received negative comments from the media and the public about its lackadaisical rescue response. Officials began pointing fingers and blaming others for the lack of preparedness.

Initially, Michael Brown took the majority of the heat. He supposedly knew about the coming hurricane and did not plan appropriately for it. However, recently, a tape surfaced of a video-conference where Michael Brown told the White House “This is, to put it mildly, the big one”.

This new evidence shows that the White House had been notified in advance of the severity of the hurricane and the damage that would be sustained. The government seemingly ignored Michael Brown’s cry for help.

The White House is taking the hot seat as the media and public take aim. The White House withheld information when they were first questioned about the Hurricane Katrina response, or lack thereof. They have not communicated openly with the public hoping to skirt the real issue. Unfortunately for the government, information has surfaced which contradicts their version of the story. The government has been hiding information and the public knows this. President Bush has lost a great deal of support by trying to ruse the American public.

Feldman, Linda. (2006, March 3) Why Bush Team Is In A Rough Patch. The Christian Science Monitor. Boston, MA. Pg. 03.

The Fake News Cycle | PUBLIC RELATIONS CASE

The public relations industry has been fighting an uphill battle for the past few years concerning the ethical use of video news releases. Video news releases are typically 90 seconds in length and utilized by large organizations seeking enhanced recognition for their names, products, services and causes are the primary clients. Organizations prepare VNR's and send them to news stations in hope that the VNR will receive coverage and gain publicity for the organization. The problem arises when stations use the VNRs without saying who created them and portraying them as actual news. Over 90% of VNRs aren't correctly identified.

Typically a VNR includes tools for "customization" that allow and encourage news stations to pass the story off as their very own product. This is considered unethical but has become common practice for journalists. PR Watch sites the 5 following steps as the process by which a VNR comes from the drawing board to the six o'clock news.
1) Conception - client has a message they want to get out to the public. They hire media consultants to find the best way to turn their product, service or agenda into a newsworthy item.
2) Creation - the client employs a VNR production company to shoot a fully-polished 1-2 minute "news" feature. Although the VNR typically comes with scripted narration, the "reporter" never appears on screen
3) Delivery - the VNR is distributed to hundreds of newsrooms by satellite, hard copy, or network news feeds. Producers in top markets are often pitched individually by the publicists who created the VNR
4) Assimilation - At each TV station, a producer decides if the VNR is interesting, relevant, and journalistic, enough to be included in their broadcast. If so, they'll typically customize the VNR by adding or removing soundbites, inserting station-branded text overlays, and replacing the narration with the familiar voice of their own reporter
5) Showtime - The VNR is seamlessly blended into the newscast without attributing the original source of the story. Countless viewers are duped into believing they're watching an investigative news report when in reality they're getting a subtle dose of corporate or government propaganda.

PT ADYATMIKA SAKTI NUSANTARAno.1 Communication Strategic Consultant

PETA vs. Ringling Brothers

Years of legal maneuvering culminated last week in the kickoff of a sensational trial pitting the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals against the man who heads the parent company of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

According to Ringling's latest ad campaign, All our newborns come with a lifetime guarantee. The Ringling ad goes on to claim that its captive-breeding program is helping endangered Asian elephants. However, PETA has evidence that the ads are false. Government documents show that Ringling's elephants suffer abuse and die prematurely, that the circus has been cited for more than 100 deficiencies in animal care, and that most of its elephants were captured in the wild. PETA is asking the Federal Trade Commission to pull the bogus ads.

A former Ringling employee has even come forward to describe her experience with animal cruelty. Professional dancer Jodey Eliseo toured with Ringling Bros. for two years. When she saw coverage of the trial of Ringling CEO Kenneth Feld, she wanted to share her horrific recollections of the abuse of elephants by Ringling handlers. Eliseo told PETA how she saw an elephant forced to perform with a huge infected boil that covered half her leg. She also noted that Ringling handlers beat an elephant for stumbling during a performance. Eliseo added that teenage elephant Sophie was covered with bullhook wounds from constant beatings and a baby elephant was severely beaten as punishment for running wild and smashing through a wall at a civic center (Circuses.com).

PETA launchedched a major campaign painting Ringling Brothers as unethical. They have come out with statements which say, "Parents should not bring their children to a Ringling Bros. circus because kids pick up on things we don't think they see. They see the animals getting whipped. They see the ringmaster hitting them. It teaches a very dangerous lesson, that it's OK to abuse animals; OK to exploit them for entertainment" (AR.net). This type of negative publicity will surely cause a decline in attendance and a growthdistrustrsut for Ringling Brothers.

In response to these kinds of statements, Ringling Bros. spokesman Darin Johnson tells newspapers that PETA's web site attacking the circus is filled with misinformation. For example, Johnson says video footage there distorts the events surrounding the birth of an elephant at the circus. Johnson also says that the online video at PETA's site purports to showing elephants being whipped by Ringling Bros. employees, but that the video is in fact not of Ringling Bros. elephants or employees. Johnson is quoted as saying, "They took footage from every zoo and animal park in the world and spliced it together" (AR.net).

This battle, which has just gone to court in Fairfax, Virginia is being named "Elephantgate".

PT ADYATMIKA SAKTI NUSANTARAno.1 Communication Strategic Consultant

Working to spin negative publicity after Katrina

After such PR crisises as hotel price gouging, slow response by the President and racial discrimination following Hurrican Katrina, work is being done to try and change the public's image of the largest natural diasaster in history. The Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA) Support Foundation has hired Ketchum Public Affairs, and its subsidiary The Washington Group, to help communicate the "progress of recovery efforts in New Orleans, demonstrate accountability for funds already allocated and make clear the need for additional federal resources" (PR Week).

Established by Louisiana Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, and authorized by the Louisiana State Legislature, the LRA is responsible for overseeing all recovery activities in the state of Louisiana following hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the collapse of the New Orleans levee system – the greatest natural disaster in U.S. history (Kethcum.com). Ketchum will advise the LRA on all communications activities to execute a national public relations and public affairs campaign on behalf of the state of Louisiana. The Washington Group will develop and implement a government relations strategy in Washington. All funding for this initiative will come from private sources. No federal, state or local government funds will be spent on this program (Ketchum.com).

How the Government uses PR to gain support for the war

In a country where media and politics have gone hand in hand for centuries, it is no surprise that the government and business influenced the way media is produced and distributed. While the government promoted communication networks, the press, education, and innovation in the past three centuries, government has also had negative effects on how media is created. Journalist I.F. Stone went as far to say "all governments lie". I believe that governmental influences contribute to the deceptive and misleading nature of media today.

For instance, in covering the story of Jessica Lynch, an American soldier in Iraq, American news programs lied when reporting that Lynch was captured by Iraqi troops, sustained bullet and stab wounds, and had been taken to an Iraqi hospital where Iraqi doctors abused her, psychically and mentally. When Jessica Lynch told her story, it was revealed that Lynch had no wounds, was treated with kindness by Iraqi doctors for broken bones and other injuries, and that several attempts were made to return Lynch to U.S. troops (NYT, 5/11/03, NP). The story the news media reported was false and meant to portray American soldiers as heroes and Iraqi soldiers and doctors as inhumane. This story elevated patriotism in the United States as well as increased contempt Iraq. The story helped to rally support for the United StateÂ’s efforts in Iraq. This type of media propaganda, which could also be viewed as public relations, proves that the government lies in order to promote government actions and policies.

More recently, declaring it "within our authorities and responsibilities," the top U.S. general in Iraq, George Casey, announced that the Lincoln Group program that places stories written by United States troops in Iraqi newspapers will continue. The Lincoln group, whose program was recently accepted by the Pentagon, "is working to boost economic development in Pakistan" (PR Daily). Lincoln aims to increase "investments in the country's textile, energy, technology and telecom" industries. Lincoln has showed interest in helping the U.S. Army Reserve communicate its "vision of the future." The contract includes "speech writing, research, development of a comprehensive communications plan, and support for national outreach programs (PR Daily).

How Blogs can become PR nightmares

A blog is an interactive site where the owner can update information by creating new posts. Blogs are easy and inexpensive to set-up. Blogs often focus on a particular subject, such as food, politics, or local news. Some blogs function as a users personal diary or journal. A typical blog combines images, text, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic. Since its appearance in 1995, blogging has emerged as a popular means of communication, affecting public opinion and mass media around the world (Wikipedia.com)

All of this seems great, but the interactive nature of blogs not only allows for the spread of information, they also serve as a means for consumers to vent about products and build hostility toward organizations. Blogs have become a new way for customers to log complaints but with a national or even international scope. Blogs are dangerous in terms of public relations because they allow users to post responses to an owner's site which allows controversies to gather steam and gain a following from hostile consumers. Because blogs are often based on opinion, the real danger comes when other users build upon that opinion and create a chain reaction of complaints and dissatisfaction. One blogger can affect the opinions of thousands.

In response to negative blogging, organizations need to stay abreast of what their customers needs and wants are as well as consumers are saying about their product, service or organization. Following the steps of crisis public relations management, it is better to own up to any mistakes and work to correct them. Organizations should also try to counter negative publicity on blogs by posting positive stories about their product or industry. Organizations should also use blogs as an opportunity to foster two-way communication with customers and use the web to interact with customers to stay current with their needs and wants.

Wal-Mart "began working with bloggers in late 2005. Heading the program is Marshall Manson, of the PR firm Edelman. Manson contacted bloggers who wrote postings that either endorsed the retailer or challenged its critics.

A History Lesson: Part I

Remember when your mother used to give you Tylenol curing virtually any ill from a headache to the common cold? Well, the spectacular drug still exists today for two reasons. First, Tylenol is a great product. Second, Tylenol and its parent company Johnson & Johnson have successfully managed two separate public relations crises.

In 1982, seven people died in the Chicago area from consuming poisoned Tylenol. Johnson & Johnson, Tylenol's parent company, reacted quickly maintaining open and honest communication with the public throughout the investigation into the alleged poisoned pills. Johnson & Johnson immediately pulled Tylenol off the shelves in the area and looked into what could have gone wrong. At the same time, Johnson & Johnson immediately created television advertisements and aired them within days to assist in communication with the public. While Johnson & Johnson maintained its innocence, their actions spoke to their character. After the incident occurred, Tylenol sales dropped by a third. However, within months, the product's sales had reached the level they were at before the crisis took place.

Again, in 1986, a woman in Yonkers died from consuming a Tylenol capsule laced with cyanide. Johnson & Johnson reacted as it did in the previous incident. The company pulled all Tylenol capsules from the shelves and initiated an investigation claiming, once again, that they were innocent. Five months after the poisioning Tylenol is selling 96% of what it sold before the incident. Effective management of the public relations crises allowed Tylenol to survive the two poisioning incidents.

Johnson & Johnson did exactly what they should have done to manage the crisis situations. They employed the fundamental requirements of a successful crisis public relations campaign. The way a crisis is managed will determine the future of the company.

Tylenol communicated openly and often with the public. Additionally, communication was not simply through the press. Tylenol went above and beyond spending advertising money to create advertisements that would communicate the company's message to the public. Communicating often and openly with the public is one of the foundations of a great crisis public relations camapaign.

Tylenol's actions created support for the company. There's the old saying "actions speak louder than words". Tylenol acted quickly, pulling the capsules from the shelves immediately after learning about the incidents. There action showed the public that Tylenol was willing to lose millions in potential sales in order to ensure the safety of its customers. The public had a favorable image of the company and felt safe returning to the product after the incident because the public knew that Johnson & Johnson put the safety of their customers ahead of everything else.

The Tylenol case study continues to be used as a model for successful crisis public relations. On two separate occasions, people died from consuming poisoned capsules. However, the customers returned. Effective crisis public relations allowed Tylenol to weather the storms.


Stevenson, Richard. (1986; July 5). Johnson & Johnson's Recovery. New York Times. New York, NY. Pg. 1.33.

Security From Our Enemy?

Well, eh........jeez. I suppose it can't be helped. Our president has created another public relations crisis. Bush made a deal with the United Arab Emerites in which the United Arab Emerites were granted the contract of manning several of America's ports. This deal strikes the nerves of many, or most, Americans who are concerned that having non-Americans protecting the ports will create holes in our border, through which terrorists can strike.

At the same time, President Bush declared that he would "veto any congressional action against the port deal". More shocking than handing the protection of our shores over to foreigners is the fact that Bush is openly disregarding the democracy of our nation. His statement shows that he thinks he can make decisions for our country without consulting the country (Nixon, anyone?).

President Bush needs to stop flexing his arms and let the country have a say. Bush will gain popularity if he asks the public for their opinions instead of basing national decisions on his own opinion.

http://www.enidnews.com/opinion/local_story_066005110.html?keyword=topstory

Cheney Can't Escape

A couple of weeks ago, Cheney shot his friend while hunting. He managed the situation poorly and he is suffering the consequences. His error is still the center of media attention.

Last week on The Late Show, Bruce Willis, a guest, dressed as Cheney's victim. He wore hunting clothes and had a fake gunshot wound. In the program immdeiately following, the host discussed Cheney's accident during his monologue. More recently, Cheney was the subject of one of Jon Stewart's jokes during the Oscars.

The purpose of citing this list is simply to provide evidence that crisis public relations makes or breaks a person's reputation. Maybe Cheney's reputation was already sub-par, but the way he dealt with the hunting accident didn't help. He mishandled the situation and, in doing so, he ignited a fire that has yet to die out.

If Cheney had communicated openly and honestly with the public initially, the attention given to him by the media would have subsided shortly after. However, Cheney avoided communicating with the public at first, causing rumors and stories to spread far and wide. Unfortunately for Cheney, the memory of his mistake may last forever, in the form of a law, Cheney's Law.

The Late Show
The Late Late Show
The Oscars

Enron: The Aftermath

Prior to its bankruptcy in late 2001, Enron employed around 21,000 people and was one of the world's leading electricity, natural gas, and communications companies, with claimed revenues of $101 billion in 2000. Fortune Magazine named Enron "America's Most Innovative Company" for six consecutive years. It became most famous at the end of 2001 when it was revealed that it was sustained mostly by institutionalized, systematic, and well-planned accounting fruad. After what is now known as one of the biggest scandals not to metion crisis PR sitautions of all time, Enron is working to re-estalbish themselves in the aftermath of the scandal.



According to Enron's website, "Enron is in the midst of restructuring various businesses for distribution as ongoing companies to its creditors and liquidating its remaining operations. " This statement while encouraging will be hard to maintain because when there's a public relations crisis the magnitude of Enron's it is almost impossible to regain customer confidence.

Ronald McDonald: Slave Owner?

Slavery under the golder arches? It was discovered in January that fast food giant, McDonald's buys its tomatoes through at least one convicted slaver. This has become a crisis PR fiasco because McDonalds has been avoiding dealing with severe human rights abuses that may be hidden within its supply chain.

The Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) is a community group from Southern Florida representing thousands of farmworkers which in the past 9 years has uncovered, investigated and helped to prosecute six separate slavery cases. Last November, CIW asked McDonald's to partner with them in confronting the violence and subpoverty wages of modern-day farm labor. McDonald's made a smart public relations decision when they decided to join forces with CIW and start working to end the extreme injustice in farm labor. It appeared to consumers that McDonald's was being socially aware and working towards improving the standards of farm labor.

So everything seemed to be going well but a PR crisis was brewing behind the scenes. In 1999, farm labor contractor Abel Cuello was sentenced to only 33 months in prison for enslaving 27 people in trailers on his property. Cuello was employeed by Ag-Mart farms at the time which just happens to be the company where McDonalds buys it tomatoes. Although it would occur to any practical person that McDonald's should stop purchasing tomatoes from a convicted slaver, they didn't. According to Florida state law, a farm contractor can return to the fields just 5 years after being convicted, and thats just what Cuello did.

McDonald's continued to buy their tomatoes from Ag-Mart even after Cuello was convicted. Also, last year Ag-Mart received notice of 457 pesticide violations from North Carolina and Florida agricultural officials . The investigation included the pesticides causing severe birth defects in three babies born to its farmworkers. Despite that McDonalds continues to buy tomatoes through Ag-Mart. Even the notoriously anti-labor Wal-Mart has reacted by terminating its tomato purchases from Ag-Mart.

The main public relations portion of this case revolves around McDona'ds civil duty to use its market power, as a fast food giant, to work against injustices such as those found in farm labor. According to Alternet.com, farmworkers must pick two tons of tomatoes, literally 4,000 pounds , to earn just $50 in a day. They regularly work 10- to 12-hour days with no overtime pay, no right to organize, no sick days and no benefits whatsoever.

Instead of not buying from Ag-Mart, McDonalds now supports an initiative controlled by growers called Socially Accountable Farm Employers, deceptively abbreviated "SAFE".

My Space: Home To Teenagers And...Sexual Predators


With over 11.6 billion page views in October 2005, its no wonder that stalkers and sexual predators have made their way on to the scene.

Recently, there have been several incidents involving teenagers and sexual predators. The recent proliferation of these types of incidents has tarnished My Space's image.

While most communication through My Space is harmless, these incidents have alarmed parents, creating negative publicity for the website. While My Space is currently on top of the proverbial mountain, it is neccessary to ease the concerns of the public.

My Space, now owned by media mogul Rupert Murdoch, responded quickly explaining that it is going to implement safety features that will protect users from stalkers and sexual predators. My Space is developing a campaign to not only offer protection online, but to educate parents and teenage students about the dangers of communicating over the internet with strangers.

First, My Space will appoint a "safety czar" to oversee the site and ensure protection to users. Second, students will be taught not to reveal contact information. Third, parents will be educated about blocking search terms predators could use to locate a child and encouraging young teens to keep their profiles private.

My Space dealt with the public relations crisis well. The company admitted that the incidents took place and created a strategy to prevent similar incidents from occurring again. My Space effectively eased the concerns of nervous users and parents of children who have My Space accounts.

http://www.searchenginejournal.com/?p=2969

Thanks for the lead Denice!

Condoleezza Rice VS President Hugo Chavez

It should come to surprise that the United States has managed to create another public relations crisis for itself. Recently, the U.S and Venezuela have experienced increased tensions in their already shaky relationship.

During a Senate Foreign Relations meeting, Condoleezza Rice referred to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez as a "negative force" in Latin America. Her frustration with the Venezuelan president sparks from Chavez's promise to create a socialist revolution in his country. To make matters worse, Chavez allegedly has been building relationships with many enemies of the United States, such as Iran and Cuba.

President Chavez responded to Rice's remarks saying "Don't mess with me Condoleezza, don't mess with me girl." Chavez, president of the world's number five oil exporter, is in a powerful position, considering the United States heavy reliance on the commodity. President Chavez plans to create reform which will "promote regional integration Latin America" rolling back U.S.-supported economic reforms. Rice has grounds for frustration because President Chavez's alleged plans conflict with the Democracy Charter signed by the country.

While Condoleezza Rice may be correct in her statement, she has created another crisis situation for the U.S. government. The government has a knack of building tension with oil exporting countries. The public will not fail to notice the important resources Venezuela posesses. It is important for the government to clearly illustrate that the increased tension is not based on oil. The Iraqi War started with disagreements over oil. Locally and globally, the government needs to communicate with the public in order to ease concerns over another war brewing. Communication with the public is essential in swaying public opinion to agree with Rice's position.

http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news.php?newsno=1470

Venezuela's Chavez Warns Rice 'Don't Mess With Me'. Yahoo News. January 19, 2006.

Wait...McDonald's isn't healthy for you?

Much to the surprise and dismay of french fry lovers around the world, McDonalds has announced in 2001, that their french fries aren't healthy for you. Wow...what a shock. In repsone to the filing of a class-action lawsuit by angry vegetarians, McDonald's confirmed that its French fries are prepared with beef extract, a disclosure the company said is not new.

Since 1990, McDonalds has been telling consumer that their fries are cooked in pure vegetable oil,. However, company spokesman Walt Riker said that McDonald's never said its fries were "appropriate for vegetarians and always told customers that their flavor comes partly from beef".

A class action suit has been filed for ''emotional distress'' caused to vegetarians, some of them vegetarian for religious reasons, who thought McDonald's fries were in line with their strong feelings about not eating meat.
The list of French-fry ingredients that McDonald's offers at its franchises and on its Web site includes potatoes, partially hydrogenated soybean oil and ''natural flavor.'' The list does not mention that the ''natural flavor'' comes from beef.

Harish Bharti, the Seattle lawyer who filed the suit against McDonald's Tuesday, said the confirmation that the company uses beef extract to flavor its fries validates his case. Bharti argues that a reasonable person who heard that McDonald's fries are prepared in ''100 percent vegetable oil'' and read the list of ingredients would assume the food is suitable for vegetarians. When asked why the company simply did not write ''beef extract'' on its list of ingredients, he replied, ''It's a good question. We're sensitive to all our customers' needs and concerns. We try to be as forthcoming and user-friendly as possible. We'll review it. We'll take a look at it.''

Bharti said McDonald's contention that the information was available to people if they had only asked is insulting. "Not only did they deceive these people,'' he said. ''Now they are claiming that all these people were deceived because they were stupid. This adds insult to injury.''

Although this incident happened 5 years ago, McDonalds is in the news again for decieving consumers. Debra Moffat, a mother of four in her mid-forties is suing the fast-food chain for failing to disclose that their french fires contain gluten. Moffat is gluten intolerant, a condition called celiac disease that affects one out of every 133 Americans. Moffat is not the first person to sue a fast food chain for not warning about gluten in their fries. Two other people in California and Florida are also suing McDonald's for similar reasons. A local judge is expected to decide next week whether to accept the case as a class-action suit, which would allow hundreds or perhaps thousands of people to join the lawsuit as plaintiffs. No spokesperson for McDonald's was available for comments late Monday.

Price gouging after Katrina

Hurricane Katrina was the nation's costliesr natural disater in history. It will be months, or even years , before the cost of Hurricane Katrina is fully known, estimates agree losses will far exceed $100 billion. While the total costs of the tradegy aren't known, recent reports have found that the government might be paying more than needed.

After the hurricane, there were hundreds of thousands of Katrina evacuees living in temporary shelters and/or trailer parks set up by FEMA and other relief organizations in the first months after the disaster hit. Other evacuees were put up in hotels all around the country. Recent reports show there may have been fraudulent behavior on the behalf of several hotels which became a second home to evacuees.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency paid hotels around the country to house evacuees. FEMA paid anywhere from $375-$438 a night in cities such as New York City and Chicago, only to later find that those were not the going rates for the hotel rooms. All in all, FEMA rented 773 rooms for more than $150 a night at a total cost of $147, 935. Congressional committee testimony that luxury hotels billed the federal government up to $438 a night for evacuees raised the prospect of a potential price-gouging investigation.

Official from the hotels involved claim that the rates were accurate because the hotels were high season and they didn't know how long the evacuees would be staying. Several hotels didn't return calls seeking comments on the issue. In terms of public relations, this story is negative PR for all of the hotels involved because they will be viewed as taking advantage of an emergency situation involving innocent victims.

Team Austria

While there are issues between the IOC and the Italian authorities, the Austrian Olmypic athletes whose home was raided, are scrambling to prevent further damage to their image.

While it is currently unknown whether or not the athletes tested positive, their image has been tainted by new stories of the raid. When I hear about a drug raid, I immediately assume the party involved is guilty. It's very easy to read a story and say "hmm...they have to be guilty". I think that majority of the world's population follows the same process. Therefore, in the eyes of many, the Austrian team is guilty of drug use.

To further implicate the team, they were visited by coach Walter Mayer who had been banned from the Olympics until after 2010. Mayer had been found guilty of blood doping athletes at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Games. His visit with the team raises questions and makes it even more difficult for the Austrian team to defend their innocence.

The Austrian team needs to engage in crisis PR to defend their image. It would be intelligent to share their side of the story and speak openly with the media about the raid. Invertviews give the Austrian team a face, a personality, and it is much more difficult to criticize a face than it is a name printed in a newspaper. Open communications will allow the public to get to know the athletes involved and see what they are really all about.

Silence = Guilty in the eyes of the public.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060220/sp_nm/olympics_doping_dc_2

DOPING CASE | PT ADYATMIKA SAKTI NUSANTARA no.1 Communication Strategic Consultant

Italian Police Raid The Homes Of Austrian Athletes

The Italian police and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) perpetuate their shaking relationship after Italian police raid the home of Austrian athletes in order to check for drug use.

At first, nothing seems wrong, but this event took place after Italian authorities and the IOC disagreed who should be in control of drug testing for athletes. In addition to past disagreements, the two organizations told reporters conflicting stories. The Italians said that they had receiveed the information about possible drug use from the IOC and was working in conjunction with them. The IOC, on the other hand, denied having a hand in the raid saying that the Italian authorities acted alone. Both of the organizations' images have been hurt as a result of the incident and lack of congruency in stories.

The two groups need to communicate with the public and speak openly about the incident and the events that took place. The two organizations need to engage in crisis PR to protect their images. Conflicting stories imply a lack of communication and togetherness between the two authorities which should be working together. Italy's image has been damaged in the eyes of the public as well as the IOC. From the news story, it seems as though the Italian police act on their own will with no organization in the chain of command. Additionally, the stories makes the IOC appear to be weak, lacking authority and the ability to work with Italian authorities. This can raise questions about the validity of either body's authority.

While strict doping laws are essential in the Olympics, their must be a clear body of authority to deal with the drug testing and searches. It should have been made clear very early on in the planning stages of the Olympics who was in charge of regulating drug use.

This event is an example of a crisis PR stituation that could have been avoided with proper planning. The miscommunication between authorities should have never occurred. Preventing preventable crises is an important preemptive step in crisis public relations.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060220/sp_nm/olympics_doping_dc_2

PT ADYATMIKA SAKTI NUSANTARAno.1 Communication Strategic Consultant

Priceline - name your price and you'll "pay"

Nothing is more frustrating than dealing with a customer service hotline. Just ask concert pianist Ronnie Segev. Last summer he was charged $953 by Priceline for a plane ticket he claims he didn't buy. He said that he would be willing to pay only $500 but when his search for the tickets came back, the only tickets avaliable were over $900. He claims that he didn't purchases them but http://www.priceline.com/ claim that he did. When Segev called the company up and asked for his money back and they refused, he called and asked again. And then again. And again. And again. Segev called 215 times to be exact because he was unable to reach an actual operator. After the 215th time, Priceline reported Segev to the NYPD for 215 counts of harassment.

The company even went so far as to claim in court that they had to switch to an automated customer-service system in response to Segev's 215 calls. A judge did later dismiss the charges, but the public relations damage was done. Segev had already spent 40 hours in holding cell and is now ready to sue Priceline. Segev still hasn't gotten his money back, though he has just filed suit against Priceline for malicious prosecution.

In terms of crisis public relations, Gothamist.com had this to say about the incident, "Priceline needs to get their priorities in order though, as this is just the kind of story a company like that should be perfectly happy to pay to shut up. Because if they don't, you get consumers like us who are now pretty sure we're not going to be using Priceline again anytime soon..."

The Aftermath

The shooting incident involving Cheney was blown out of proportion. While he may have had his reasons for remaining quiet about the incident for as long as he did, he should have addressed the issue immediately. Cheney is a public figure and needs to understand that every action he takes is subject to public scrutiny.

While the hunting incident appears to be a genuine accident, Cheney has extensive experience as a public figure and should have known that the best way to deal with the issue would have been to publicly address it as soon after the incident as possible. The media attention would not be there if he had simply dealt with the situation professionally.

I’m sure if I shot my friend, it would be the “worst day of my life.” However, avoiding an issue only makes the situation worse. Children have the ability to avoid doing things that they don’t want to do. However, grown men, and especially vice presidents, can not avoid issues like children. Sometimes you must do what you don’t want to do.

CNN The Situation Room 7pm Weds 2/15/06

Crisis Public Relations in Action

When I was young, my parents made it clear to me that if I spilled something I needed to clean it up. While Dick Cheney is cleaning up his mess, it is too little too late. The damage has already been done.

Vice president Dick Cheney finally gave an interview today to answer questions about the hunting incident. His single appearance with Fox News occurred four days after the incident took place. Communicating with the public is an important aspect of crisis public relations. However, there were several mistakes made that should never occur during crisis management.

First, Cheney didn’t ask for help from Bush aids. He dealt with the situation on his own causing him to manage the situation poorly. Second, there was a 20 hour delay before news explaining that Cheney had actually shot his friend Harry Whittington. Third, Cheney did not speak publicly about the incident until four days after the incident.

When managing a crisis it is essential to speak with one voice. This did not occur. Because Dick Cheney was stonewalling the media, Bush aids made statements that lacked the coherence of a single voice. The White House blamed Whittington, said there was no drinking, and explained that Whittington was only hit by ten pellets. When he finally spoke about the incident, Cheney accepted responsibility, said drinking was involved (although he only had one beer three hours before), and news surfaced showing that Whittington was hit by over 150 pellets.

Dick Cheney’s image has been damaged as a result of his failure to properly deal with the incident. His stonewalling tactics and the lack of unified voice is causing a stir among the public. Since Cheney waited so long before giving an interview, the interview seems more like a political tactic than an actually apology. If Cheney had been open about the incident from the start, the newsworthiness of this story would be significantly less than it is now.

Cheney Incident