Let’s Give Them Something to Talk About

by: Meghan Rodriguez

If you happened to be on Facebook or Twitter the night of September 5, you most likely saw status updates and tweets referring to Maryland football. But the posts had nothing to do with touchdowns or sacks, and everything to do with the University of Maryland’s uniforms. In its season opener against the Miami Hurricanes, the Terps debuted new Under Armour uniforms and helmets, featuring a never-before-seen design scheme inspired by the Maryland state flag.

Maryland defeated the Hurricanes that night in a surprising 34-24 win, but the team also won off the field. That night, and in the days after, everybody was talking about the hideousness of the uniforms; so much that the topic began trending on Twitter. The uniforms catapulted Maryland athletics into the national spotlight, a place it hadn’t been since its basketball team won the national championship in 2002.

The next day on ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption, hosts Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser devoted a majority of the show to the uniform discussion.

“There’s no other story; Maryland’s winning doesn’t matter jack to people outside where we live,” Wilbon said. “These uniforms are so ugly, they’re brilliantly ugly, because this is going to set the agenda for what every school in America is going to do with their uniforms. They’re hideous, brilliantly hideous.”

Even CNN, which usually doesn’t cover college football, was stirring up conversation when it interviewed Monte Durham, fashion director, stylist and host of TLC’s Say Yes to the Dress. Durham, who normally wouldn’t have any commentary on sports, was actually impressed by the uniforms and commented on their fashionable design elements: “I think while this is totally out of the box, it is fun to see it’s happening in a sports arena.”

The uniforms were in fact hideous, but all the buzz circulating around them and the Maryland football program raised the question: is there such a thing as bad publicity?

Maryland isn’t the first team to wear nontraditional uniforms on the football field. Every Saturday, college football fans tune in to see which of its more than 500 uniform combinations The University of Oregon Ducks will run out of the tunnel wearing. Perhaps that’s what Maryland is attempting with its athletics program.

Just a few years ago, Oregon was irrelevant in the world of college football. Competing in the Pac-10 conference against a prominent University of Southern California team, Oregon needed a way to create its own identity.

The athletic department looked to Phil Knight, CEO of Nike — who just so happens to be an Oregon alum — to re-brand the team’s image. The result was unconventional uniforms featuring unique patterns and duck feathers on the shoulders. People began to take notice and Oregon’s fan base grew. The Oregon duck mascot was even featured in an ESPN Sportscenter commercial. The team started playing better, eventually winning a Pac-10 Championship and competing against Auburn in the 2010 BCS National Championship.

So it seems in the end, everybody’s happy. In a September 7th New York Post article, Lenn Robbins wrote that the uniforms were “exactly what the marketing folks at Under Armour were hoping would happen. They created something really repulsive and let the media provide billions of dollars in free advertising.”

Maryland certainly was happy. Not only did they win the game, but they made news headlines from coast to coast.

Will crazy, unconventional uniforms have the same effect for Maryland as they did for Oregon? The Terps can only hope.

Mastering Crisis Management – On and Off the Course

We all love to get caught up in Hollywood drama. Even if we don’t actually purchase a tabloid, we’re all guilty of glancing at them while waiting in the supermarket check-out line. It’s as if we feel a personal relationship with the celebrities whose faces fill the pages. We want to know what they’re doing, what they’re wearing and every other detail of their daily lives. Americans center their lives around what celebrities say and do while the media follow their every move. But what happens when the publicity turns negative and the glow these stars shine in is nothing short of bad lighting?

It’s been a few months now since we first heard of Tiger Woods crashing his car outside of his home; since then Woods has been trying to play it low on the radar. It wasn’t until Feb. 19, a whole two months after the world learned the news of his infidelity, that Woods finally made a public apology. There was only one problem — the public didn’t really accept it.

From a publicity point of view, Woods tried to stay out of the public eye in hopes that the media would quiet down. From a public relations point of view, Woods made the biggest mistake in crisis management.

As public relations students, we all learn that telling the truth is the most important principle in crisis management. It’s always best to tell the whole truth and to tell it quickly. Hiding from the public only makes you seem suspicious and guilty. It also allows the media to make any speculations they want.

According to an article in People, John Eckel, CEO of the sports and entertainment company Alliance, said the hardest thing to do when there is a crisis is to address the media.

I agree. The last thing any person wants to do is voluntarily throw themselves into a sea of news-hungry reporters. Everything blows over with time, and sooner than later the media will move on to someone or something else, right?

Wrong.

This was Woods’ first mistake. In fact, the longer he hid from the public, the more he allowed the media to speculate and bash him.

PR practitioners must always get in front of the story when dealing with a crisis. It’s impossible to predict when something negative may put your client in a bad light, but it’s not impossible to steer the public back to your side. Of course, every situation is different and calls for different measures, but there are two things that every successful crisis plan shares: truth and immediate response.

Sometimes brands in crisis get so caught up in avoiding the media that they also avoid their more important audience, the public. After all, our job as public relations practitioners is to build our brand’s reputation. Hiding the truth, even if the truth makes our brand look bad, only severs the ties we have with our audience.

For Woods, eventually the truth came out – as it always does. The media’s speculations were right, but Woods didn’t let this throw him off course. He is scheduled to play in the 2010 Masters April 5 through 11. After all, golf wouldn’t be half as interesting without Tiger.

by Kassandra Hannay

Did he just say the s-word?

If you follow Jonathan Cheban or Simon Huck on Twitter, you’re no stranger to the new E! reality show “The SPINdustry,” which takes viewers behind the scenes of NYC firm Command PR.

As a PR student, I had negative feelings towards the show before it even aired. I’ve learned throughout college that “spin” is a curse word in the PR dictionary. However, since I’m a TV addict, I decided to watch the show. It was hard for me to only think of it as entertainment, because it’s about the industry I will soon be a part of.

According to the show, you don’t need to know how to write a communication plan or press release, but to get your boss’ sandwich order right instead. Actually, I take that back. I think press release was mentioned once.

My issue is not really with the show because I understand it’s for entertainment. I only hate the way it makes the PR industry look. The women working for Command PR don’t seem educated at all (it could be the editing, but who knows).

When someone asks me what my major is, they look confused when I say “PR.”
Then I usually get a comment like, “what’s that?” or “what can you do with that?”
I get upset thinking about how the show will affect the perception of the PR industry.

Command PR seems to focus on the publicity of celebrities, which is completely different from PR. According to a dictionary definition, publicity is “extensive mention in the news media or by word of mouth or other means of communication,” whereas, PR focuses on building relationships with target publics.

Since the show aired last Sunday night, it has become a trending topic on blogs and Twitter.

In her blog, “Little Pink Book PR,” Sasha H. Muradali wrote “I know the show is for entertainment, but I don’t appreciate how it makes my industry, my degree and the field I work in look to people on the outside.”

Muradali also had an interesting conversation with Cheban and Huck via Twitter. Cheban replied with some not-so-nice words, which is not good PR (I might add).

Just a few negative tweets about the show:

MRiley2 : “It was painful to watch…RT @ashgin116: #SPINdustry is an embarrassment to PR professionals everywhere. ugh, lame…”

JennaGlynn: “Chatter in my office about #spindustry. Did E! Turn PR pros everywhere upside down last night?”

samhowsare: “#SPINdustry is going to make people think #PR is all about planning events and dealing w/ celebs.”

Cheban hasn’t hesitated to respond to the negative comments. If he is a big-time PR professional, why would he even waste his time responding negatively? He’s definitely not building relationships by rudely responding to tweets.

I’m not taking anything away from Cheban and Huck for their company or show. Good for them if their show is a success. In fact, I think it probably will be successful, because people thrive off the so-called “reality TV” show.

I think the show does nothing for the PR industry, and using the s-word makes it harder to legitimize PR.

by Haley Barr

Think Twice

Most people would be content for six months with a $100,000 salary and lying on an island in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.  With this job, you will only have to feed several hundred fish, clean the pool and check the mail.  Other days may consist of trying out the latest spas or snorkeling through coral communities.  Also offered with the position is a fully furnished three bedroom, two-bath house with no utilities to be paid.  The only real duty is to regularly blog about the island with pictures and video posts.

Tourism Queensland  is the sponsor of the latest public relations stunt to hit the Internet.  The campaign was created in hopes that the increased attention would encourage travelers to vacation to the island. Measurable tourism numbers can not be seen until later years, but interest in the “Best Job in the World” may remind tourists where they can vacation next.  The Internet was the best medium to gain attention but such a stunt may not be the best decision for all.

Publicity/PR stunts are “planned events made to gain exposure and get public’s attention”.  A celebrity’s recent romantic rendezvous, a company’s product giveaway or outrageous leaks to generate excitement about a brand are all examples of PR stunts in the recent years. 

So is a PR stunt really the best way to get the public’s attention?

No one has compiled a list of the best and worst publicity stunts. Each year brings new attention grabbers for the public to take in.

Some bloggers say Twitter is just a PR stunt for celebrities. Twitter has created followings from celebrities like Ellen DeGeneres, Dave Matthews and John Mayer. Current updates from celebs instantly alert followers of daily activities. Generating buzz and advertising upcoming performances, Twitter is another medium for celebrities to be talked about in the media.

Everything can go wrong, even the best laid plans.   In the news lately, the Octomom has graced every entertainment blog and has seen her way on the 24-hour news channels.  The public backlash has been one of disbelief and questioning of reproductive technology physicians.   Perhaps she hoped to gain notoriety in the entertainment business, but bad news will stay with someone forever now thanks to the Internet.

Another recent PR stunt that may have not been one of the best thought-out plans was the Denny’s Grand Slam breakfast on Feb. 3, 2009.  Anyone could get a free grand slam breakfast from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. The only catch . . . lines were an average of three hours long.  Denny’s spent millions in advertising during the Super Bowl and the following days, along with several millions more of free food across the country.  Denny’s hoped this PR stunt would generate increased business, but their plan did not work that well.  People will still eat at Waffle House and IHOP, as one free breakfast won’t change a devoted customer’s mind. 

Some public relations practitioners have debated whether or not PR stunts are a good way to build relationships with target publics.  PR stunts generate attention to the sponsoring organization but that soon dies with time.  The public may look further into the company’s products or goals, but most of the time, stunts will not garner lasting attention.

If a PR stunt is in your organization’s future, there are a few things to help ensure success as quoted by a PRWeek article:

      Do:

•  Think about how the event will reflect on the brand identity and the message it will send to consumers.    
• Create fun and engaging visuals for the media that will look good on camera.
• Make sure you give the media a very clear idea of what those visuals will be in advance of the event.

       Don’t:

• Let bad timing steal coverage. Make sure you check for conflicting news stories.
• Aim for publicity for publicity’s sake. Be certain your event is appropriate for the client’s product or service.
• Don’t underestimate the problems that can occur. Being prepared for the worst-case scenario is essential.

Movie production companies, restaurants and tourism boards all implement PR stunts to get people talking, but PR stunts can put your organization in the worst hall of fame.  The best advice . . . think twice.

-Julie Brown

Marketing God

My grandmother takes the Great Commission to heart and even though she is ninety years old, she asks everyone who comes to her house one question, “If you died tonight, where would you be going and how do you know?”

Evangelism. It is a fundamental part of Christianity. Many denominations take it to the extreme, “selling” God in a prepackaged box complete with your own Bible. But is all that really effective?

TV evangelists, megachurches and all the life-changing books have one purpose—-reaching others for Christ. All of these are different outlets that some Christian groups have tried to get to average people to catch their interest and let them hear the testimony that will captivate and help them discover Christ. But with many books left on the shelves and people skipping over religious channels faster than if they were commercials, Christianity is branching out and looking for newer outreach tactics. As Christians seek out these new tactics, the question on their minds is, how do you market God to reach more people?

Sharing with the World

The world has entered a new era of technology in which podcasts, blogs and twitter are everyday words. Christians need to tap into this resource. Many churches have already established themselves online with their own Web sites, but how about utilizing Facebook as a social media network, recording a sermon and putting it online as a podcast or even sending out an e-mail newsletter or invitation to church events? Part of reaching people is meeting them where they spend most of their time, which, in this day and age, is increasingly the Internet, the final frontier. The world is globalized, and as society is more interconnected, why not reach more people by using a tool anyone anywhere can access?

Reaching a Target Audience

Another public relations must is building relationships, keeping in mind the target audience. As Christians try to reach people, they need to meet people where they are, and not just technologically. While inspirational books are inspiring to those who read them, is the average non-believer going to pay twenty bucks to learn how to turn their life around? Instead, there are many groups subtly encouraging people to be open to the message and a lifestyle of faith without charging them for it. For instance, Chick-Fil-A is closed on Sundays, emphasizing church as an important part of a lifestyle. Also, many Christian bands share God in their songs, having the opportunity to reach people as they listen to the music more willingly than a sermon. Furthermore, Christians should impact people. A religious organization on the UA campus this year provided pancakes at one in the morning to an area known for bar-hopping. By keeping the target audience in mind, christians realize they should go to the world instead of letting the world come to them.

Bringing the Message

One of the most important ideas of public relations is offering a consistent message, being open and honest, looking for two-way communication. Christianity is known not only for its televangelists, but also unfortunately for its hypocritical followers. If Christians are striving to reach people, they need to bring a consistent message to the table. St. Francis of Assisi once said, “It is no use walking anywhere to preach unless our walking is our preaching.” It all comes down to living intentionally the life of love Christians profess. Christians can establish relationships by investing time in people so they know they aren’t a mere number on the list of believers. Christians shouldn’t be afraid to listen to what others have to say. Public relations assures us that two-way communication is a necessity. Christians aren’t going to make any progress if they just tell others what to believe. Every testimony and person is unique, and so is his or her reaction. Christians can instead show that there’s something more to live for, and reaching others through love will reap its rewards.

by Molly M

Celebrities Fight For a Cause

Celebrities define our culture. You buy a certain style of dress, brand of jeans, type of video game or cup of coffee because the celebrity you admire the most purchases that same kind. They serve not only as entertainers, but also as opinion leaders. Whether you agree with their views or not, chances are that you know what your favorite celebrities stand for and what they want to see accomplished. But their influence extends far past the realms of fashion, entertainment and politics.

In recent years, a new trend has emerged among celebrities: philanthropy. Celebrities have started using their wealth, influence and resources to fight for a cause. By channeling their energy toward a certain issue and supporting that cause, celebrities give the organization they stand for free publicity and PR. Their influence makes the cause they believe in popular within our culture, and thus they raise awareness and support just by joining the fight.

Over the past ten years, the following non-profit organizations and campaigns have emerged as some of the most popular among teenagers and young adults. And part of the reason for their popularity is celebrity endorsements and involvement.

TOMS shoes
This organization abides by the one for one idea. That is, for each pair of shoes that you purchase, TOMS will donate a pair to a child in need. Started by Blake Mycoskie in May 2006, TOMS has given 10,000 pairs of shoes to children in Argentina and 50,000 pairs of shoes to children in South Africa. And helping Mycoskie to spur on this cause and complete its mission is the band, Hanson. They realized that their music, vision and a willingness to get involved could help promote TOMS. Hanson informed their fans about TOMS shoes and encouraged them to get involved.

Other celebrities such as Scarlett Johansson, Jessica Biel, Tobey Maguire, Lindsay Lohan and Brittany Murphy have been spotted wearing TOMS. By wearing these shoes, celebrities raise awareness for the cause and drive up demand for the product. These shoes, made of rubber and canvas, look like the opposite of what our culture considers high fashion. But because celebrities sport these shoes, TOMS have become the new look.

LiveStrong

In 1997 after he was diagnosed with testicular cancer, Lance Armstrong founded the Lance Armstrong Foundation to equip cancer patients with the knowledge and confidence to become cancer survivors, not cancer victims. In 2005, Armstrong launched his famous LiveStrong wristband campaign to raise money and awareness for his foundation. The phrase “LiveStrong” is inscribed on a yellow wristband and sold all over the world. These wristbands have become widely-used for supporting other organizations and non-profits as well a new fashion trend among young adults. His innovation has encouraged cancer patients to keep on fighting and created new ways for other groups to promote their mission and raise money.

We All Have AIDS…If One of Us Does.

This slogan was coined to unite the plethora of HIV/AIDS organizations into a community with a single message. The We All Have AIDS campaign calls for an end to the HIV/AIDS stigma. “It is a powerful display of the unity and solidarity we all share with the 40 million men, women, and children living with HIV/AIDS around the world.”

This campaign, launched on World AIDS Day in 2005 by Kenneth Cole, featured t-shirts (as worn by actor T.R. Knight) and advertisements appearing in over 200 magazines and newspapers including The New York Times, The Boston Globe and Chicago Tribune. The campaign features celebrities such as Richard Gere, Whoopi Goldberg, Tom Hanks, Alicia Keys, Will Smith and Rosie O’Donnell. Without Cole’s connections and influence, this campaign might not have been possible.

Celebrities have always provided our society with gossip, laughter, fashion, style, music, movies, television, speeches and award shows. And now we can add service to the list. Celebrities serve our culture by being a driving force behind non-profit organizations and campaigns. Celebrities first entertained our world, and now they are changing our world.

Kristin Mc.