Diary of a PR Flack

Tears for Cheers

What do Hillary Clinton and Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens have in common? Not much you might say, other than both being famous. But alas, they both just improved their reputations tremendously with the general public by turning on the emotion in front of the cameras. And, it even seemed genuine in both cases.

Let’s face it, regardless of what side of the political fence you’re on, it’s no secret that Hillary has had a little bit of harsh reputation. Heck, she wouldn’t have gotten as far as she has through the years without it, that’s for sure. But, I’ve heard her referred to as “Ice Woman” and generally one that never exposes enough genuine emotion. And, to some voters (probably women) that translates into being too slick and polished for someone who is trying to be Ms. President. And, thus, lost votes.

But when the day before the New Hampshire Primary came, Hillary was at a coffee shop with a bunch of undecided voters, and was asked by an audience member how she keeps upbeat through this grueling primary process. She responded with comments about it being not political but personal and something she believed in etc. etc. (or blah, blah, blah, whatever you prefer) But then, get your tissues ready, as New Yorker magazine describes “By this point her voice had softened, taking on a never-before-heard quality of slightly mournful tenderness”

And that, my friends, is the key: “never-before-heard quality of slightly mournful tenderness” She was almost brought to tears. And what was the lead story in every paper across the nation as the primary was commencing in New Hampshire? That Hillary broke down. Well, you know what happened next. All the polls predicted Obama would come out front, but Hillary prevailed. Interesting that the audience she broke down in front of was all women. Coincidence?

Now we move to Terrell Owens. After the Dallas Cowboys were upset in the NFL Divisional Playoffs by the New York Giants, Mr. Owens, better known as “T.O.,” got in front of the cameras post-game to defend Tony Romo, the Cowboys quarterback.

Yes, Romo spent his bye week on vacation in Mexico with Jessica Simpson, his new girlfriend, who as of late is being blamed for Romo’s recent lackluster performances resulting in losses. Some fans in Dallas might argue that taking a vacation before the playoffs might take away from his focus of football. But lets not go down that road, as that’s a whole other argument.

T.O., while incredibly gifted athletically and arguably one of the best wide receivers in the NFL (maybe ever), also has the reputation of being a troublemaker with whatever team he’s playing on, and a showboat when success comes his way. Does the phrase “get some popcorn and enjoy the show” sound familiar? That’s the T.O. we’ve come to know and be irritated by.

So, nobody was more surprised than I when he literally broke down cyring in front of the press trying to defend his quarterback, saying that “This is not about Tony…” (aka, Tony AND Jessica), but that “we lost as a team, man.” His lips were quivering and everything.

I was genuinely moved.

And, of course, what made front page news? Yes, the fact that Dallas was upset by the Giants was high up there, but T.O.’s tears gained similar prominence, along with several football fans looking on in disbelief thinking – “was that really T.O. I just saw?”

So what’s the PR lesson from all of this? Did Hillary and T.O.’s PR advisors tell them to do that? Maybe not in so many words. And, maybe not at all. But the point is that the public likes it when you show that you’re human. It’s important do to this when the “product” that you’re publicizing, is a person. A living, breathing person that should possess some sort of likeable emotions.

There’s nothing worse when someone comes across as too slick, or is just too much into themselves that they convey hyper-arrogance. A little emotion never hurts anyone, and in this case it actually helped Hillary and T.O.’s PR reputation.

I wouldn’t advise my clients to turn on the waterworks just for PR gain, but for Hillary and T.O., it’s just what they needed to do. It got one several votes, and the other, a little integrity.

Too Little Too Late

While I’ve received my credit card statement that contained all of my purchases from my Christmas shopping, it seems like eons ago I was actually shopping.  But I’m glad it’s all over and those purchases are paid for.   

I’m especially glad that I didn’t happen to make any purchases at any TJX Corporation related retailers such as TJ Maxx, Marshalls, or HomeGoods.  And that’s just plain lucky, as these are stores I do visit periodically.

Unfortunately, for many consumers that did frequent these stores during the Christmas rush, and paid for their purchases with a Visa, Mastercard or debit card, they’re now spending their time having their banks or credit card companies re-issue them cards.

Yesterday, the Chairman of TJX Corporation issued a letter and video on the TJX Corporation website that explained that their was a “computer systems intrusion” that led many consumer's credit and/or debit cards becoming “compromised”. 

Translation: some bozos got a hold of some credit card numbers through the TJX system and had a spending spree.  And apparently it was widespread reaching within and outside the U.S.

Now here’s the good part.  As a PR professional, I must say I do like all the information that TJX came forth with in the spirit of good communication: the letter on the website, a full page ad of the letter in the Boston Globe and Boston Herald, a video from the Chairman available on the website, and a very extensive “frequently asked questions” link also on the website.  My advice in times of crisis is to always be as forthcoming as possible.

My beef?  The timing.  They found out about the breach in mid-December, but chose to wait a month to make an announcement. 

But, alas, the FAQ page addresses this head on: “First and foremost, we were concerned that there would be an expansion of our systems breach. By not making a public announcement in December, and with the help of top security experts, we were able to contain the problem and strengthen our computer network to prevent the possibility of further intrusion and of future attacks by the intruder or others like him.”

OK, whatever.  Although I’m sure some of this is very true, I can’t help but wonder how much the fact that there were still precious shopping days left until Christmas came into the decision to delay the announcement.  Bad press before the holidays does not make the cash register ring. I can see delaying the announcement a few days, but a month?  Too little, too late.

Spin it like Beckham

OK, I know it’s NOT “spin it”.  I know like the movie title named after it, “Bend it like Beckham” refers to the unnatural and highly effective curve a soccer ball experiences once David Beckham administers his foot onto it, resulting in the ball eluding the soccer goalie and hitting the corner of the soccer net with a swish.  It’s true poetry in motion. 

And, no matter how many times you see him do it, it always leaves you wondering how in the world a human being can make a soccer ball sing such a sweet song that leaves the goalie looking like a complete oaf. 

Beckham has agreed this week to play for the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer in the U.S. by signing a $250 million five-year contract. 

Beckham’s not only a soccer genius on the field, he’s Hollywood-star attractive, still in his prime soccer-wise, and can bring to the U.S. what no other soccer player or team has been able to effectively accomplish: to get America to truly love and support the game of soccer. 

The Associated Press puts it best: “His soccer skills are only part of the equation. He’s David Beckham Inc., a multi-national corporation with links to Pepsi, Gillette, Motorola and Adidas.” 

Aside from the Women’s Olympic Gold Medal Soccer Team and Mia Hamm of yesteryear, the game of soccer right NOW in the U.S. needs a shot in the arm big time, and Beckham is the medicine that can help to deliver the cure.

So he’s getting $50 million a year for the next 5 years.  And yes, that’s a hefty if not the heftiest salary for one single athlete on a team sport.   But think about it.  Beckham’s reputation and celebrity will help Major League Soccer build a big following.  Tried and true soccer fans will have a renewed interest.  You’ll also get the on the fence soccer fans that now have a better reason to watch.  Women young and old who are infatuated with Beckhams good looks will watch games.  But most importantly, you’ll get the youth that are soccer players (and thus their parents) who want to be just like Beckham and now have more opportunity to see him now that he’s here.  That’s the future of soccer in the U.S.

So when I say “Spin it like Beckham”, I mean that his being here is better than 100 top PR spin-masters who try through words and fancy PR campaigns to create interest in soccer.  Like rats to the Pied Piper, sports fans will be lured into the sport of soccer through Beckham’s magic. 

A Time Of Infamy

December 7, 2006, buried among the stories in this morning’s news on the Iraq war, the Gates appointment, and Brittney Spears divorce, appeared a headline “Pearl Harbor Survivors Meet for the Last Time.” Today was the day that FDR proclaimed “The day that would live in infamy.” On this exact day, 65 years ago, the world was catapulted into a secession of events that led to the first (and so far only) use of atomic weaponry. Changing this world forever. This day deserves more recognition than a page three story about how so few of those who were there are still alive to commemorate the 65th anniversary.

65 years ago, this country was such a different place. There was a respect for elders that is no longer apparent in younger generations. There was imagination and enthusiasm. There was no such thing as “bandwith” or “staying connected.” People actually spoke to each other face-to-face and sent handwritten letters. There were no 24/7 news outlets that filled space with horrific stories about mother’s murdering their children, gang rapes, crystal meth addicted teens, and our nations vulnerability to arsenic in our water supply.

Our entertainment was pure, our song lyrics clean and inspirational. There weren’t places for haters to meet up in cyber-space and plot to commit mass murder at our high schools. There wasn’t a cyber-space. There wasn’t voyeuristic television programming, allowing us to sit at home and be thankful that our lives aren’t a messed up as “those peoples.” There was more sympathy, more compassion, and less cynicism. At least, that’s what my grandmother’s tell me.

Is there a finger to point? Is there one defining moment that we can turn to as that moment in time that led to the deterioration of our society? Perhaps it is the proliferation of media. Now, not to bite the hand that feeds me, I happen to think that media is a phenomenal vehicle and if used properly can do more good than harm. It’s just that we as a society don’t seem to be there yet. We’re a Fear Factor Society where we’d rather watch people eat molded, warm, maggot infested ground beef and wash it down with a 100 year-old egg milkshake, then watch a ceremony to honor those servicemen who withstood the first direct attack on the United States in modern times.

This is a place where I can potentially make a change as a PR practitioner. I can make the decision to usurp a story that breeds disrespect, or touts ugly behavior, or promotes foul language. I can commit to pitching positive, newsworthy stories that are inspirational, thought provoking, and respectable. I think that if we, as a united professional front, stand against the negative, brain-draining media that is so prevalent, then perhaps, on the 75th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, stories of bravery, heroism and patriotism won’t take second fiddle to the Brittney of the day’s divorce.

All I want for Christmas is enhanced graphics…

Apparently Santa and his elves will have to cut back on the dolls, board games, Etch-a-Sketches, bicycles and the like at their North Pole workshop and ramp up on the game consoles.  According to toy industry Market analyst Anita Frazier "It definitely looks like the industry might be down again this year." 

Why?  The major culprit seems to be game consoles like the much anticipated PlayStation 3 (PS3) and Nintendo Wii.  Game consoles such as these are robbing the appeal of “regular” toys normally more popular this time of year.

I couldn’t believe the amount of stories and related publicity that surrounded the much hyped U.S. release of the PS3 and Nintendo Wii.  Lines and lines of people who endured cold and sometimes wet weather, and sleepless nights, all waited for the doors to open at the Best Buys and Walmarts across the country. 

Some were just anxious to experience the enhanced graphics and other bells and whistles that this new device had to offer.  Others were looking to profit from this endeavor by taking their beloved purchase to sell on eBay. 

According to Terapeak, an eBay market research tool for eBay sellers, it was reported that in late November, PS3s were sold on eBay at an average price of $1,276.  Compare that to the Microsoft Xbox 360 a year ago that sold for an average price of $718 on eBay. 

And today, it was reported that the Japan release of the Nintendo Wii was sold out.

This all got me thinking to the amount of media attention and interest in all of this really is indicative of a significant cultural shift.  Kids these days have so much to keep them busy, so many electronic devices.  What ever happened to the days when they didn’t have these distractions and they had to use more imagination? They probably got outside more to play as well so they got more exercise.

Ever wonder why childhood obesity is higher than ever?  Face it, you sit behind a game console, there’s not a lot of movement or exercise going on (OK, maybe not with the new Wii’s features where your controller can act like a tennis racket or whatever, but you get the idea.)

Call me old fashioned, but kids need to be more like the kids of yesteryear where they go outside more, ride their bikes, and use toys that demand using their attention.  But to be realistic, they want these nifty electronics, so my feeling is that there IS a place for these game consoles, heck, they're fun, but parents need to put a limit on these devices. Don’t give them free reign. Simple as that.

You’d probably see kids that are more physically fit, and while they might give their parents a hard time now, some day they’ll see the wisdom of such limits.

Target Magically Rings Salvation Army Back In

Back in 2004 right before the holidays, Target decided to ban all solicitors outside its doors, even the Salvation Army, who had had exclusive rights to this privilege for years. 

Target’s no-solicitation policy did not hold well with many holiday shoppers who felt that the Salvation Army, who does so much good for those that need it most in our communities, should maintain its exclusive status.  After all, we can all take comfort in the fact that the money that we put into those famous red kettles will be used to help those who need it most, and will not be misappropriated. 

Many Christmas shoppers decided to ban Target to protest its new policy.  At this point in time, it was the worst possible PR disaster that could have happened to Target.  On the one hand, they were trying to not be discriminatory to  charities, but in the process of trying to be equitable, they alienated valuable shopping consumers.  Negative publicity prevailed over this situation for many days.

Fast-forward to today, and Target has managed to maintain its no-solicitation policy and also embrace the Salvation Army. 

Yesterday, Magician David Blaine began another death-defying stunt in Times Square where he has until early Friday morning to escape a spinning gyroscope hoisted five stories above the street.  On Friday morning if and when (or not) he escapes the device, he then joins 100 children and their families, chosen by the Salvation Army, on a Target shopping spree at 5 a.m., an hour before the store opens for Target's 2-Day Sale. Each family gets a $500 Target Gift Card.

Target’s VP-Marketing John Remington says "This is a great way to kick off the Target 2-Day Sale and also continue our important partnership with The Salvation Army."

Ok, let’s admit it, this is just a similar way of using celebrities as in the past couple of years (remember Target’s Wake Up Call with the likes of Ice-T, Darth Vader and Heidi Klum?) to drive shoppers to Target’s doors on Black Friday. 

But, it’s also a step in the right direction from a PR point of view to make amends with the Salvation Army, even if they can’t have their kettles at Target’s doors.  It communicates to shoppers that they’ve made nicey-nice with the Army and will probably continue to include them on similar charitable efforts.

My only beef with Target is: Why didn’t you think of this 2 years ago BEFORE you made this decision to alienate the Army and countless shoppers?  You could have saved yourself a lot of negative publicity, had your registers ring more often, and gained the respect of consumers.

PR Plan By Madonna

Prior to mid-October, no-one I knew could have told me where Malawi is.  Not that I would have asked because I didn’t even know it existed.  Today, anyone who reads their daily dose of publications ranging from Us Weekly to The New York Times to People Magazine can tell you that it is a small country in Northern Africa.  Oh, and that Madonna adopted her son David there.

Madonna, as we all well know, is the master of trend setting and if she attaches her name to something; a product, an album, a cause, it is bound to take off.  From a public relations perspective, she has got to be one of the most powerful motivating forces in marketing and, love her or hate her, she gets ink, (and footage and air time).

She has single handedly alerted the world to the plight of Malawian children.  The horrific poverty and disease that encompasses the small nation.  The infant mortality rate, the number of children rendered orphans as a result of the AIDS epidemic, the limited amount of existing institutional education, all of these issues have come into the spotlight as Madonna’s adoption of David has stirred controversy.

It is completely amazing that one woman can wield so much power.  It would not come as a surprise if we see celebrities in the future adopting babies from Malawi.  And, whether they adopt or not, Madonna’s charity, Raising Malawi, is sure to benefit from all of the press attention and her high profile connections.

It doesn’t matter if you agree with her politics, or support all of her “artistic” decisions.  It doesn’t matter if you agree with her adoption, or think she received preferential treatment from the tiny African nation.  It doesn’t matter if you buy her albums, or children’s books.  Madonna has raised global awareness for Malawi in a way that no public relations tactical plan ever could.

Flack Attack #4 Jessica Simpson Fires Publicist and Hires Jessica Simpson

What happens when a pop star decides to become her own publicist?  Listen as Tracy and Michelle discuss Jessica Simpson’s decision to do her own PR after some bad publicity made her fire her publicist. Why must the publicist become the fall guy in this situation?  Shouldn’t pop stars expect the media hounds to dig up dirt about them? How long will it be before Jessica hires another publicist? And then, listen as Tracy and Michelle discuss being an in-house PR person versus a PR person at an agency.  Which PR person can ultimately do a better job?

Brought to you by Aloft Group, Inc.

Don't forget to listen to Aloft Group's Advertising and Marketing podcast at www.podtini.com

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Flack Attack # 3 Hey wait a minute, what about me?

Today is the day when you are going to launch a big PR announcement for your client. But what happens when a breaking news story supersedes it completely and your important announcement is not so important anymore?  Join Tracy and Michelle as they discuss how to manage client expectations when uncontrollable situations occur and has your PR clients saying “hey wait a minute, what about me?”

Brought to you by Aloft Group, Inc.

Don't forget to listen to Aloft Group's Advertising and Marketing podcast at www.podtini.com

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“Nice” move Jessica…

Why is it that when a negative or inaccurate story appears about a star, they are quick to jettison their publicist?  Granted, the publicist’s job is to go big on the positive and favorable stories, and fight to keep these bad stories out of the media, yet the reality is, it’s sometimes hard to prevent.  Especially when it comes to tabloids. 

This week, pop star Jessica Simpson decided to take over her own public relations duties after an article appeared in People magazine about her relationship with John Mayer.  There was a media fallout that ensued, and Miss Simpson was none too happy.

Of course she made her daddy do the dirty work.  Joe Simpson, her father, fired her former publicist Rob Shuter.  Now I know nothing about Mr. Shuter, but I do know that when you’re dealing with a pop star that the public just yearns to know more about, the tabloid stories are going to happen. 

The best publicists in the world will have a hard time preventing certain stories. Let’s look at this a little closer: A pop star dates another pop star.  That’s just crying to be written about. And, speculation and sketchy details are bound to prevail.   Oh, you’re not in love with Mr. Mayer?  Whoops.  But, please, what else did you expect?

I admire that Miss Simpson took the bull by the horns and she called all the tabloid editors herself “to repair her damaged relationship with the press.”  That’s certainly Media Relations 101 stuff, for sure.  She’s trying to “move past all her bitter feelings towards them.” 

I have news for you, Miss Simpson.  Get a thick skin.  Because in your position, this type of stuff will happen again no matter what you do with these editors.

In referring to the fact that she knows who is leaking the information to the tabloids, my favorite quote from her is: "I know who they are, and none are my friends. Trust me, if inside sources were my friends, the magazines would have a lot juicier info!"

With that type of quote, Miss Simpson, you now just put a big red target on your back. I wonder how long it will be before she hires her next publicist.  Not long, is my guess….