September 19, 2007
Each day companies, organizations, governments and individuals make decisions that affect their reputation, credibility and key stakeholders.
Read Hyde Park's assessment of recent examples of PR prowess and pitfalls...
THE GOOD
Mickey Mouse Just Says ‘No' to Smoking
More than 400,000 Americans die each year from smoking. Thanks to vigorous anti-smoking campaigns, public smoking bans and other social efforts, smoking has begun to decline -- except in Hollywood. According to a study by the American Legacy Foundation, tobacco is featured in three-quarters of G, PG and PG-13 rated movies and 90 percent of R-rated movies. To curb this harmful habit, the Walt Disney, Co., recently announced that there would be no more smoking in its family-oriented, Disney-branded films and would "discourage" it in the films produced by its more mature movie labels including Touchstone and Miramax. And, the studio said it would run public service announcements on DVDs of any films that contain smoking. While this move will not solve the problem of teen smoking, the fewer on-camera, smoking role models, the better.
THE BAD
The Internet Shouldn't be so Anonymous...
...at least for P.R. purposes. How many times does it actually have to happen before we learn? First it was lonelygirl15's video blog that turned out to feature an actress - not a real person. Then a pro-Wal-Mart blog written by its public relations firm. Next, Whole Food CEO John Mackey used a pseudonym to comment about his company and competitors. At no time did Mackey reveal his true identity to the Web community. In today's environment of instant messaging, blogging and online communities, it is important to monitor what's being said about your company and the influence those comments have on your audiences and the mainstream media. However, if you decide to engage in those conversations, it is imperative that you are transparent, revealing your identity and, in the case of a public relations firm, for whom you are working. The Internet is anonymous, but any good P.R. you might get from "anonymously" touting your company will be eliminated when the blogosphere finds out your true identity.
THE UGLY
Unsportsman-like Conduct - Bad News for Professional Sports
You'd be hard pressed to find a sport that isn't undergoing some kind of scandal: the NBA's gambling scandal, MLB's steroid scandal, apparent doping among all the best riders in the Tour de France, the bad boys of the NFL (Pacman Jones and Michael Vick, just to name two), and now an NFL spying scandal with New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick. The sports leagues find themselves in a very difficult situation - how to keep the actions of a few from tainting professional sports. The NFL is trying by banning Jones for the season, suspending Vick indefinitely and implementing much tougher penalties than in past years. The NBA has done the same and even instituted a dress code for its players in order to promote a more professional image. These are good starts and certainly send a message to players and coaches, but more needs to be done, including denouncing immediately and emphatically the dirty deeds of their sports stars.