Brett Banter

The cruise industry got another black eye this week when a Carnival liner limped into port after not having power for three days. That follows the many lurid tales that the media has found in the past few years about diseases on such boats, people vanishing mysteriously and accidents.


It would seem the industry is cursed in the media, which got us to talking about how the various cruise companies can handle this in a public relations matter. They are making their efforts known somewhat. They offered all 3,300 passengers free travel home, comped their tickets for the failed voyage and offered them vouchers for a free cruise at any time in the future. It's a good idea on assuaging the public relations disaster, but it did split the Brett team. Half of said the people should take the tickets because in reality they aren't going to face a problem like this again. The others said no way. People won't want to get back on a cruise ship after what happened.


The other question we bounced around was how bad was it actually? They weren't forced into life rafts for three days in shark infested waters. They weren't trapped in a mine. They were not on a battle front somewhere. They were in the relatively peaceful environments off a boat at sea drinking luke-warm beer and eating cold sandwiches. That is a good day for many people. Yet, some of the passengers made it sound like they were in a prison camp broiling under the Mississippi sun.

Will there be lawsuits? Most likely. Should there be? That is a tougher question. The one clear thing is the cruise industry faces a crisis?

If you follow the NFL, the last few weeks have been heavy with redemption stories featuring Michael Vick, who was famously the NFL superstar who went to jail for animal cruelty. His return to the game last summer gathered some interest, but since he spent the year relatively stuck to the bench for the Philadelphia Eagles his redemption story sort of petered out. The lesson learned is that no one cares if a back-up learned anything.

Eddie Fisher died yesterday. Eddie Fisher was once one of the world's biggest entertainers. Eddie Fisher is almost solely remembered for his ugly divorces from Debbie Reynolds, America's sweetheart, and Elizabeth Taylor, America's, um, what is she? The other woman.

Seriously, years of hard work and playing shows, and Fisher's obit in the New York Times starts with the divorce scandals. It is a public relations nightmare for any celebrity (or company, politician, fill in the blank) to be remembered for you worst moments and not your best.

Fisher's career never recovered after his messy late divorces, but of course the change in America's music tastes aided and abetted that downfall. Yet, he never got the elder statesmen accolades appointed to the likes of Tony Bennett, Dean Martin and Clay Aiken. He was left a drift. It's a bad p.r. story.

He lived his life with the Scarlett Letter.

I noticed an interesting little public relations piece in this morning's New York Times. It appears that several Democratic Party congressmen and women are distancing themselves from their own party in election ads. Ok, maybe distancing is not the right word. They are downright not mentioning it.

Ouch.

That is not a dig at the Democrats per se, but an alarming look at the current state of political affairs. It's a smart public relations move right now, but what does it say about America? Elected officials are fearing their own party name when it comes to people heading to the ballot box this fall. It underlies a major problem with our government. It is more and more being run by parties and not leaders. Leaders would stand up to the bullies in the parties who demand loyalty to them and not America.

I remember as a kid being fascinated by movies about famed outlaw, Billy the Kid. Not that these movies were good (though, the one with Dracula is pretty funny), but they intrigued me by how glorified the Kid was in these films. He was a hero. A legend. An honest man.

I knew it was a load of crud.

Billy the Kid was a murderer, horse thief and a jerk of the highest order. He was Atilla the Hun without an armed horde. He was Al Capone without a Tommy Gun. He was Charlie Sheen without the anglicized name. (Second movie reference today, can you guess it?)

However, somewhere along the way he became a folk hero. Now, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson wants to hold a hearing to see if he should pardon Billy the Kid. It's meant to be fun, but some people are rightly insulted.

Billy the Kid got one of the biggest public relations makeovers in history. It's somewhat of a mystery, but somewhere along the line his story changed. It makes you wonder what bad guys of the modern era will one day emerge with better reputations?

No the headline was not a reference to Fast Times at Ridgemont High, but the latest public relations brain freeze by British Petroleum. In the wake of one of the world's messiest semi-natural disasters since the Red Seas crushed down on the Egyptian Army, everyone's favorite oil producer had another boo-boo. Big boo-boo, actually. According to the New York Times, a vital piece of equipment at a Texas refinery broke down. Instead of shutting down the plant and trying to fix the problem, BP staff decided to reroute the chemicals and burn them off. For 40 days, the plant continued releasing thousands of pounds of deadly chemicals into the local environment.

Now, true the company was kind of busy making up excuses about the oil spill, but no one on staff said "hey, maybe we should tell people to be careful." Or maybe they did, and someone higher up the BP foodchain said "eh, who cares? Maybe it will blow over."

It did blow over. Into houses and neighborhoods. And when kids started getting hacking up their four-year old lungs long enough to end up in a hospital, Texas environmental authorities found the source. Now instead of having to deal with the media glare of just a refinery leak, BP lawyers get to deal with a $10 billion class-action lawsuit.

Somewhere, the BP public relation staff should be slapping its collective head.

The New York Times painted a gloom and doom picture of the housing market this morning. Their not-so-new news is that the era of Americans turning mortgages into personal money machines is over. It's a sad tale that was fueled by greed and a lack of common sense. People bought houses they couldn't afford thinking they would double in value within a few years. What were they thinking? They were thinking they had seen it happen elsewhere? They read national stories about it. They watched television "reality" shows that promoted this idea.

It was a fallacy. A bad public relations move that has only gotten worse. One of the little talked about tales in the housing debacle is that the real estate market is not national. What plays in Peoria doesn't always play in Kalamazoo.

The Times again trumpeted this fallacy by talking about expected national housing numbers would not be up to par. Of course they won't people. There was too much housing construction in places that didn't need it. The glut is there. Not everywhere.

A good friend asked me during lunch last week what I thought about the local newspaper decision to charge for online content. They like many in the community have not been thrilled with the idea even though they already get the newspaper. They think the newspaper is being hurt by losing all of those free readers.

I look at it a different way. If a real estate company owned a prime piece of property that was vacant, would they let someone work there for free? What if that person brought their friends in and started spray painting stuff on the walls? What if when someone came by to actually look at the building to rent, the freeloader hollered out the window to head down the street for a better purchase? The same goes for restaurants, retail stores, barbershops and the like. No smart businessperson would agree to such nonsense.

But that is what free newspaper websites have become. People would go on there using an assumed name (and not really a clever one), write horribly spelled and vile comments and often complain about a newspaper's coverage. The comments section have almost dried up in the local newspaper because the freeloaders have gone, but what good were they doing?

The paper still faces a public relations battle, but this was a good step.

Kyle Parker will play another season of Clemson Tiger football -- ending months of speculation as to whether the talented signal caller would be back at Death Valley or trying to make his way through the minor-league valleys of the Colorado Rockies.

How did we hear about it? Through friends on Facebook posting how happy they were. No links. No news trucks. Just word of mouth as it spread like wildfire amongst Clemson fans. Welcome to the ever-changing world of breaking news coverage. The old days of waiting for a newspaper to drop a story off on the porch step are gone, but not quite obsolete. Newspapers, magazines, television stations and radio still serve an amazing purpose in the world of news gathering. But social media has found a platform...delivering news fast and quickly. Not always accurately, but always quickly. This changes how we see and seek media. As a media relations firm, Brett is constantly finding ways to fine tune the media message.

It's the fast world of euphoria now.

Remember Alvin Greene? Sure you do. He was the guy you never heard from the place you've never been who somehow won the U.S. Senate nomination from the Democratic Party. There were cries of voter fraud and he being a Republican decoy, but those soon fell aside after it was proven Greene used his own money to file for his candidacy and there was no vote tampering. There also is those pesky criminal charges out there, but that hasn't stopped anyone else's campaign in the past decade.

Greene soon became a human soundbite with his somewhat non-sensical ramblings punctuated with "ums" all the time. He was often shown wearing a T-shirt and jeans and not in the way that Republican candidates like to wear T-shirts and jeans to events to show they are the common man. Greene really is the common man. Or was the common man.

The new Greene was unveiled this weekend at his first political rally. Speaking at the Manning chapter of the NAACP, Greene wore a crisp blue suit, shook hands, signed autographs and refused to speak to the press. He was ushered away with a police escort after the event. It seems like someone has gotten serious about Alvin Greene's candidacy. He is now acting like a regular candidate with an entourage. It appears South Carolina's opportunity to support the common man has been corrupted.

The big question about this Senate race is would anyone being paying attention in there was no Greene? This is a great lesson in the fundamentals of media and public relations.

Via PR Blogger:

When he gives his highly anticipated State of the Union address to an eager and circumspectly observant America tonight, President Obama will also give kudos to an Indianapolis-based public relations firm called TrendyMinds (a company that also just so happens to be a certified gay-owned business by the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce).

We wrote a post not too long ago about how the issue that just won't go away in our state -- the Confederate flag -- continues to command attention from both sides ten years after the flag was removed from the dome of the South Carolina Statehouse. Though the flag was taken down from the Capitol and placed on a 30-foot pole on the Statehouse lawn, the NAACP and others continue to protest the flag's presence on state property. The issue that just won't die in South Carolina has positioned our state on a perilous ledge until it is fully resolved. The ongoing ferocity potentially jeopardizes not only our own internal political and social relations, but has the opportunity to also directly impact the state's economy by causing businesses to shy away from bringing industry to such a cutthroat political climate.

Hundreds of thousands (or more) of people pass by this billboard in Times Square in New York City every day, but we're betting far more than that will see this advertisement for the Weatherproof Garment Company simply via media, internet and viral rounds.

If you've made the decision to hire a PR firm, or you have been working with a PR firm for some time, you recognize that you are investing in your organization's reputation. Public relations and publicity rarely come cheap, especially if you seek quality and cogent results.

So, are you maximizing your potential with your PR firm? Like any two-way relationship, both parties must be willing to work together to make the operation run smoothly. To ensure you are reaping the full benefits of your public relations team, you should strive to be the best ...that's right... client that you can be. Take the time to assess how your company interacts with those who hold your account. Are you available to them? Do you communicate clearly? Offer them feedback on the jobs they've completed? This article from Sys-Con Media entitled Top 10 Things That Make You a Good PR Client is well-worth a read.

Michael Steele, the RNC chairman notorious for his proverbial rhetoric and oft-controversial statements, is the focus of a new website that has surfaced called "Keeping It Real With Michael Steele". Users have the opportunity to "pose for the ultimate profile picture" by amalgamating their own photos with a likeness of the Republican leader.

In terms of personal strife, our own Governor Mark Sanford has certainly seen his share. Over the past six months the married governor has endured ongoing criticism and public relations fiascos stemming from his actions related to his relationship with an Argentinian woman.

When it comes to the most unpopular governors currently in office across the nation, one might think Sanford would be a star in the topmost tier. But according to a poll released today by Public Policy Polling, Sanford doesn't even make the top 8 in terms of unpopularity. If the poll is correct, Sanford has a better approval rating than California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Budget and financial issues appear to be the root reason of the unpopularity of the eight most unpopular governors, says PPP. They include:

John Baldacci (D) of Maine
Jan Brewer (R) of Arizona
Jim Doyle (D) of Wisconsin
Jim Gibbons (R) of Nevada
David Paterson (R) of New York
Bev Perdue (D) of North Carolina
Ed Rendell (D) of Pennsylvania
Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) of California

Takeaway from this poll? Even in an age when scandals like the Mark Sanford affair rock the country, more obscure, less flashy issues may ultimately have a truer impact on a governor's overall perceived image.

VIEW THE FULL POLL RESULTS

We found a great blog post on Twitter from The Publicity Hound. Free publicity is a goldmine in today's business and political world. With our communities on a nonstop spinning axis of dialogue, communications and interaction, any and every possible opportunity for visibility for your business or organization should be immediately seized upon.

Public speaking opportunities not only put your business in the spotlight, but position you as an expert in your field. By bringing your ideas and your perspective to audiences, you in turn become a key influencer and your audience is more likely to be persuaded to your opinion. Positive experiences can lead to more speaking events, and thus your network of free publicity will continue to grow.

Speaking engagements don't need to be limited to solo gigs with you alone in front of a podium, staring out into a sea of faces. Volunteer for panels through local colleges or local political or non-profit organizations, participate in a speakers bureau; even offer to emcee the local talent show. Each and every opportunity will offer visibility and networking that help you ascend that ladder one more rung.

Read the post for great tips on using public speaking as a way to earn more money and free publicity.

Anyone who loves a crispy, classic McDonald's Filet-o-Fish may have been just as horrified as many other Americans were to read in a September issue of the New York Times that hoki, the somewhat generic fish used in that fried McD's goodness, are dangerously near depletion. Hoki farmers in New Zealand, who harvest hoki fish in mass quantities to keep up with demand, were of course none too happy with the story.

So what did the New Zealand Seafood Industry Council do on behalf of its hoki farmers? They bought Google Adwords that people who might be fishing for more online information about the story might search for, such as new york times and hoki. And those Google ads that, as a result, online searchers saw pop up? They were, of course, blatantly critical of the New York Times piece.

The reporter, too, found himself caught up in the ensuing stir - his name was one of the Google AdWords purchased. If someone Googled "William Broad", they would see ads pop up denouncing his New York Times hoki story.

We won't re-hash the entire story written by Harvard's Nieman Journalism Lab, but this one is a must-read. See more.

Undeniably, reporters and PR people have to work together. In a sublime world, public relations staff and reporters would offer one another easy, fluid transfer of information, but let's get real. Reporters seek facts and instant access to experts that will validate their stories, while PR folks usually have a solid idea of precisely how they think a story should be told. And rightfully so, as their job is to craft a positive image for the person or entity for whom they work. While the need for information can at times create a bit of a love-hate relationship, quality public relations people will ultimately establish and maintain good media relationships.