myPRfeed

Tears of a Bride: Priscilla of Boston brand faces major PR crisis

rmshepard — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 05:28:54 +0000

David’s Bridal, parent company of the swanky Priscilla of Boston bridal boutique, announced in September 2011 that it would close all of its Priscilla stores nationwide. While closing the stores, though, the company found itself in a major PR crisis after employees were caught destroying perfectly good wedding gowns. Employees in a Minnesota store, for instance, were seen spray painting dresses and throwing them into dumpsters. Many critics pointed out that the dresses could have been donated to charity. When called out on the unnecessary destruction of the gowns, David’s Bridal stated:

” Like many of you, we were disheartened by imagery of a small number of unsold bridal gowns being destroyed following a Priscilla of Boston salon closure in the Midwest. As the parent company of Priscilla of Boston, we fully understand the anger and frustration that many people are feeling about this occurrence. While it has been Priscilla of Boston’s policy not to make donations of sample dresses that are in poor condition, we recognize that some of these dresses could possibly have gone to worthy causes. David’s Bridal has already begun bringing together all of the remaining Priscilla of Boston gowns to evaluate them and ensure that they are donated to our charitable partners wherever possible. From all of us at David’s Bridal, we truly appreciate hearing your sentiments. We believe that every bride deserves a beautiful gown, and we will continue to honor that commitment.”

For more on this story, see the news report from the following site:

http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpps/news/priscilla-of-boston-wedding-dresses-spray-paint-jan-2-2012_16755380

Discussion Questions:

1. Why might have David’s Bridal ordered the destruction of the gowns not sold by closing Priscilla’s stores?

2. Why was this destruction so offensive to consumers?

3. Was the response to the crisis by David’s Bridal sufficient in repairing its image?

PepsiCo’s defense in Mountain Dew mouse trial backfires when story goes viral

rmshepard — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 05:16:56 +0000

In response to a 2009 lawsuit alleging that a man drank a can of Mountain Dew containing a dead mouse, lawyers for parent company PepsiCo argued that if true then the acid from the soda would have transformed the rodent into a “jelly-like substance.” The claim disputes the man’s observation that the mouse was fresh looking. PepsiCo’s lawyers elaborated that after just seven days the mouse “would have no calcium in its bones and bony structures” and that its “abdominal structure will rupture.” Additionally, the lawyers noted, “its cranial is also likely to rupture within that time period,” meaning that the mouse would have been unrecognizable since the complainant downed a can bottled 74 days before it was opened.

While the defense was based on interesting scientific studies, its disgusting imagery has made the story go viral, thus perhaps doing more damage to the Mountain Dew brand.

For more on the story, watch the first part of the following video:

Discussion Questions:

1. Is PepsiCo’s defense convincing? Why, or why not?

2. How does PepsiCo’s defense simultaneously hurt the Mountain Dew brand?

3. How should PepsiCo respond now that the story of the lawsuit has gone viral?

Strong4Life anti-obesity ad shocks, backfires, and…succeeds?

rmshepard — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 04:58:31 +0000

An ad for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s Strong4Life campaign created major buzz in January 2012. Running billboards and ads with statements like “being fat takes the fun out of being a kid” and “it’s hard to be a little girl if you’re not,” the campaign is being criticized for being insensitive to overweight Americans. Some critics are claiming that the the strategy makes overweight children feel even guiltier than they already do, and that the campaign does little more than produce shame. Despite the criticism, some proponents of the campaign are saying that the significant amount of attention given to the campaign proves that it has succeeded. As one health blogger for The Washington Post noted, the campaign’s strategy to shock audiences was probably the only thing it could have done to force people to pay attention.

For an example of an ad from the campaign, watch the following video:

Discussion Questions:

1. What is it about the Strong4Life ads that is shocking so many people?

2. Are the Strong4Life ads inappropriate? If so, then how?

3. How does the Strong4Life campaign demonstrate the advantages and disadvantages of the persuasive strategy of shocking audiences?

Herman Cain jumps back into spotlight with “Solutions Revolution”

rmshepard — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 04:42:07 +0000

Long after he resigned from the presidential race, Republican Herman Cain is entering the public light once again. Appearing on Fox News with a “very big announcement” in early January, Cain announced that he would continue his public mission to push for the 999 economic plan. Suggesting that he would be the leader of a new movement called the “Solutions Revolution,” Cain announced a new website that would put pressure on Congress to support the 999 plan. The move was covered in the media, but it didn’t have the appreciate audience which Cain had desired. According to many critics, his decision to jump back into the fray at this moment seemed odd, and his intention to talk about policy despite his own shortcomings during the campaign was poorly timed at best.

For a (harsh) review of Cain’s announcement, see the following video:

Discussion Questions:

1. Why was Cain’s announcement so poorly received?

2. What alternative motives might Cain have in entering the public light once again?

3. How might Cain’s future trajectory follow that of Sarah Palin?

Top viral ads of 2011

rmshepard — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 05:44:32 +0000

When 2011 came to a close, many of the same companies, as well as the advertising agencies they worked with, appearing in the previous year’s top viral ads reappeared as top performers. According to Ad Age, Old Spice and Nike executed successful viral ad campaigns in 2011, and benefited from many of their older campaigns as well. The Old Spice Guy from 2010′s ads, for instance, starred in additional ads in 2011 alongside Fabio. Volkswagon was missing from 2010′s list, but got second place in 2011 with its “The Force” ads depicting a 6 year old imitating Darth Vader.

To see an example from the top ads produced for Old Spice, watch the following clip:

Discussion Questions:

1. What makes an advertisement go viral?

2. What was so catchy about Old Spice’s popular ads in 2011?

3. Why do viral ads benefit companies over the long run? In other words, why do viral videos have a longer life than more traditional ads?

Careless delivery man creates headache for FedEx

rmshepard — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 05:22:18 +0000

A FedEx deliveryman was captured on camera tossing a computer monitor over a security fence during one of his stops. After the video was posted to YouTube, the company found itself confronted with what one writer for Forbes called the “most brand damaging viral video of the year.” The company responded almost immediately. Senior vice president Matthew Thornton, for example, stated: “I want you to know that I was upset, embarrassed, and very sorry for our customer’s poor experience. We have met with the customer face to face and they already have a replacement monitor at no cost to them. They have accepted our apology and say they are fully satisfied with what we’ve done in response to this unacceptable delivery.”

To see the devastating video yourself, watch the following clip:

Discussion Questions:

1. How does the case of the careless delivery man for FedEx demonstrate the need for PR departments to be ready for anything?

2. What did FedEx need to do in response to the story to repair its reputation with consumers? Did it satisfy those needs?

Anti-drinking ad in Pennsylvania yanked after complaints by rape victims

rmshepard — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 04:07:25 +0000

Pennsylvania’s Liquor Control Board was under fire for a controversial ad it chose to run linking heavy drinking to rape. The ad, which eventually got yanked, featured an image of a woman’s legs with her underwear pulled down to her ankles as she lay on a bathroom floor. The ad’s writing stated, “She didn’t want to do it, but she couldn’t say no.” Critics complained that the ad suggested that victims were to blame for rape. As one writer for the feminist blog Jezebel.com wrote, “the scenario of ‘drinking causes you and your friends to get raped’ was chosen from a field that included alternate, less dumb scenarios that might actually do something to control negative consequences of intoxication rather than point fingers.” Critics won the debate about the ad’s meaning, especially once many rape victims spoke out against the image.

For more on the controversial ad by PA’s Liquor Control Board, see the following video:

Discussion Questions:

1. Was the ad offensive? Why, or why not?

2. What does the ad demonstrate about the risks of advertising strategies intended to shock audiences?

Juice producers put on defensive due to traces of arsenic discovered in products

rmshepard — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 03:57:25 +0000

Although the Food and Drug Administration has promised that juices in America are safe from arsenic contamination, reports were widespread in 2011 that levels of the poison are much higher than previously thought. Consumer advocates supported the earlier findings of TV’s Dr. Oz, suggesting that arsenic – whether organic or inorganic – was prevalent especially in samples of apple juice and posed a threat to young children who gulp the substance daily. The stories were especially damaging to the industry, which already faced criticism for its use of flavor packs in “pasteurized” juices.

For more on the crisis for juice producers, see the following videos:

Discussion Questions:

1. Why is arsenic, whether in its natural or inorganic state, so scary to parents even when it’s simply at trace levels in foods?

2. How should juice producers response to this ongoing crisis?

How to promote your own self-published books

rmshepard — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:50:19 +0000

Darcy Chan made the best-seller list in summer 2011 with her The Mill River Recluse, but her path was very different from that taken by most authors. Having been rejected countless times, Chan self-published her novel, bought her own ads to promote it, and paid for her own book review. After pricing the book at 99 cents, Chan now has hundreds of thousands of readers, bids from movie studios, and offers for her to create an audio-book. Her move was not traditional, but many others are attempting her approach. Self-published titles in America doubled in the last five years, and over thirty authors have sold more than 100,000 copies through Amazon’s Kindle.

As a growing trend, self-publishing is getting easier. There are many places for aspiring authors to publish now, and the process is quite simple.

For more, see the following segment from PBS’s MediaShift on the rise of self-publishing:

Discussion Questions:

1. Why are so many authors resorting to self-publishing rather than the conventional path for publishing books?

2. Is anything lost in self-publishing? In other words, what are the disadvantages of self-publishing?

3. What impact will self-publishing have on the publishing industry?

The consequences of being frank: Ron Paul confronted with his racist past

rmshepard — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:25:59 +0000

There was an era just before the rise of the internet when right-wing political figures would publish their own newsletters filled with fringe rhetoric. Ron Paul engaged in this practice long before he ran for the presidency, and published titles like Ron Paul’s Freedom Report, Ron Paul Political Report, The Ron Paul Survival Report, and The Ron Paul Investment Letter. Such letters have come back to haunt Paul. Comments made in the letters especially about African Americans have triggered accusations that Paul is a racist, or at least held racist beliefs not so long ago. Paul has claimed that he didn’t write the letters himself and rarely even read them. However, the scandal exhibits a larger problem for Paul: his frankness over the years means he may never be the national candidate he wishes he could be. In addition to his comments about race, Paul has bashed Ronald Reagan, called Medicare and Medicaid unconstitutional, and blamed the United States for 9/11.

To see how Ron Paul has responded to the newsletter scandal, watch the following video:

Discussion Questions:

1. What describes Ron Paul’s appeal?

2. Will Paul’s previous comments about race hurt his reputation with centrist Americans?

3, Was Paul’s response to the scandal effective in repairing his reputation? Why, or why not?