The Dangers of Social Networking

The popular social networking site MySpace.com faces public scrutiny after a 13 year-old girl committed suicide last year. Apparently an ex-friend of the girl and her family created a fake profile of a boy named "josh" with which she had an online romance with for over a month. On November 15th, "Josh" sent her a message saying that they could no longer be friends because he had heard rumors about her and she would be better off dead. The girl, who had been suffering from depression for quite some time, hung herself in her bedroom the next day. 6 weeks after the incident, it was discovered that the profile was created by the mother of a girl who used to be friends with Meagan (the girl who committed suicide).

Upon trying to press charges against the woman who created the profile, Meagan's parents were told that there were no laws that this falls under. They are now trying to have new laws passed protecting children using the internet. Aside from the obvious mental instability of the grown adult who would participate in such a thing, Meagan was only 13 at the time and one is supposed to be a minimum of 14 years of age in order to create a MySpace profile. This brings up the issue of how to control who is using these sites and who is using false profiles.

A spokeswoman for MySpace failed to respond to calls seeking comment, but it is clear that something needs to be done in order to save their image. I am sure that this was not the first incident of its kind and I'm sure that it won't be the last. Any place where child predators and naive children have access to the same resources is not a safe one. If MySpace wants to avoid legal action as well as negative public opinion in the future, I would recommend that they institute some kind technology in which one's identity must first be proved in order to create a profile; maybe by entering a social security or driver's license number when registering. In any case, MySpace's failure to comment on this case demonstrates their lack of concern for the growing misuse of their services by minors.

Organ Transplant Ends Badly for Four Chicago Residents

Four organ transplant recipients in the Chicago area have been infected with HIV and Hepatitis C after receiving organs from an infected donor. One woman, after having a kidney transplant operation at the University of Chicago Medical Center was told that she had HIV and Hepatitis. Unknown to her, the donor was actually a high-risk gay man and according to CDC guidelines, sexually active gay men are not to be used as donors unless the patient is in an imminent life-threatening situation. Additionally, not only did the hospital not inform the patient of the status of the donor, but they failed to test the patient until another recipient of an organ from the same donor turned up positive for both HIV and hepatitis.

This being the first time since 1986 that HIV was transmitted via organ transplant, all of the area hospitals responsible face serious malpractice litigation. Plus, their reputations are greatly tarnished. Personally I don't know how good I would feel about receiving health care from a so-called professional that infected people with worse illnesses than they were already suffering from. It would be in the hospital's best interest to fire whoever was responsible for the incidents and immediately put into place guidelines and rules that would prevent such a thing from ever happening again. Oh and a public apology wouldn't hurt either.

More Toxic Toys Pulled From the Market

The toy industry really may really begin to suffer if things keep going as they have been recently. . . News surfaced on Wednesday with reports that the children's toy Bindeez (beads that sick together when sprayed with water) produced by Moose Enterprises, caused children to become seriously ill after swallowing them. The beads were found to contain a chemical that when metabolized, the body turns into gamma-hydroxy butyrate or GHB- a popular date rape drug. British stores immediately removed it from the shelves and the US has ordered a recall.

The Melbourne based manufacturing company issued a press release addressing the matter, albeit a little delayed, but what is troubling is that they did little to make up for, or even apologize for the incident. There have been no press conferences held or even statements given by the CEO, no attempts at saving their public image at all.

Even if Moose were to come up with the best explanation and apology for the situation, it is far too late to save their image. Public opinion is usually formed within the first 24 hours of a crisis and promptness matters more than anything else when dealing with damage control. The damage has been done and by thinking that they were invisible, this company may have effectively dug its own grave. Above all, if ever there were an example of what not to do in the event of a disaster, one need look no further than Moose Enterprises and their toxic bead fiasco.

A Vow of Silence is Not Always a Bad Thing. . .

If there is ever a question as to how to avoid putting your foot in your mouth, one need look no further than 1962 Nobel prize winner James Watson. Whilst casually browsing the CNN website, I found this little gem: 'Race Row' Nobel Winner Suspended. On October 14th, Watson was interviewed for a London newspaper and was quoted as saying he was "inherently gloomy about the prospect of Africa" because "all our social policies are based on the fact that their intelligence is the same as ours, whereas all the testing says not really." He went on to state that there was no reason to believe different races separated by geography should have evolved identically, and that while he hoped everyone was equal, "people who have to deal with black employees find this is not true." As a result of his comments, he was suspended from his post at a research laboratory and his British book tour was canceled.

A few days after the fact, Watson issued a public apology saying:

"I cannot understand how I could have said what I am quoted as having said. . . .I can certainly understand why people, reading those words, have reacted in the ways that they have."

"To all those who have drawn the inference from my words that Africa, as a continent, is somehow genetically inferior, I can only apologize unreservedly. That is not what I meant. More importantly from my point of view, there is no scientific basis for such a belief."

As much as he apologizes, it is clear that he meant what he said, and while I truly believe that he did not mean it quite the way that it sounds. . . he should know better by now that if one is in the public eye, they cannot just speak about controversial matters that are not first well thought out. He had to know that these comments would not be received well no matter what his intentions were. This is not the first time Watson has been under fire. He won the prize for discovering the double-helix structure of DNA in 1962 and has been known for making controversial public statements ever since.

In 1997, Watson was quoted as saying that if a gene for homosexuality were isolated, women who find that their unborn child has the gene should be allowed to have an abortion. In 2000, he suggested there might be links between skin color and sexual prowess and between a person's weight and their level of ambition. In a British documentary aired in 2003, Watson suggested that stupidity was a genetic disease that should be treated.

Most of the outlandish things this man has said are not really that far-fetched if they are closely analyzed. Therefore, it is clear to me that he means well, but is just really bad at getting his point across. So. . . I guess my point is that if you are not known for being the most articulate person, the best way to avoid negative media attention is to not speak at all.

Ithaca College Issued RIAA Legal Notices, Violates Student Privacy

In this week's issue of The Ithacan, an article was featured about the issuance of even more RIAA legal notices. This is not the first time, nor the first school that has been targeted. In March, the IP addresses of multiple students were identified and the students were issued legal documents giving the choice of the following: an outrageous fine or an even more outrageous and costly trial. In the case of the RIAA who has been suing everyone they can get their hands on including children as young as 14, not much can be done to improve public opinion of them until they stop stomping on the little to get money. The RIAA needs to realize that suing innocent people for hundreds of thousands is not the answer, but rather promoting legal file sharing instead of illegitimately attacking young students.

That being said, the focus of my rant is not the RIAA, but rather Ithaca College. You see, many colleges and universities across the nation have been supplied with a lengthy list of IP addresses involved in illegal file sharing. After receiving these notices, the school is asked to forward the letters to the students owning the IP addresses. Otherwise, there is no way that the RIAA can link the IP address to a person. However, the schools are not obligated legally or otherwise to actually do so and in fact many institutions have refused in order to protect the privacy of their students. Two such universities are Boston College and MIT, who recently won a court case with the RIAA alleging that the subpoenas violate privacy policy.

Ithaca College on the other hand, not only eagerly released the names of the students to the RIAA, but they actually judicially referred the students themselves! As if a totally unlawful, outrageous, and unfair fine is not enough, an involved student must bear a black mark on their judicial record. Regardless of how one feels about piracy or file sharing, it is clear that if IC does not want to make a bad name for itself, it ought to start protecting the privacy rights of its students and they can begin by telling the RIAA to take their subpoenas and shove them up their money hungry asses.

China Bans Crude Birth Control Slogans

So I just happened to stumble upon this article when I googled a completely unrelated topic, but since I got a bit of a laugh out of it, I figured I would share. The article, China Family Planning Slogans, is about the Chinese government's recent decision to revise their campaign to encourage people to have fewer children.

In 1979, in order to slow the rapid growth of the already enormous population, China implemented the "one child" law. In addition, ads featuring slogans discouraging large families have been displayed throughout the country ever since. Such slogans included "Raise fewer babies but more piggies" and "One more baby means one more tomb."

Believe it or not,these ads were considered to be "poorly worded" and "full of strong language" by the Chinese people and they felt as if the government were "simply forcing people to give up having more babies." In light of this, China has decided to "give a friendlier face" to the family planning campaign stop using these slogans, replacing them with "warm" and "humanistic" slogans to promote birth control and encourage people to have less children rather than frightening them into not having more. Some of these new slogans include emphasis on the 'equality of boys and girls' due to the still widespread preference of having boys over girls.

I was just amused by this because I would think that anyone who was at all concerned about possible public outcry and societal opinion would never force citizens to get abortions and sterilizations and issue slogans such as those promising to "topple houses and confiscate cows" if the demands of population control are not met.

Spears' New Album Hoping For Pity Sales

Britney Spears is certainly no stranger to public relations crises. Recently she has been all over the news and most presently, she has had custody of her children taken away due to her highly irresponsible lifestyle. Jive, Spears' record label, has stated that they are doing everything they can to help Britney get through this rough time in her life and that they will stand by her no matter what. They have also called out the media as cause to many of Britney's personal problems saying that the paparazzi are exploiting her troubles therefore making it more difficult for her to cope.

The reason I bring this up is because it is indicative of the often true saying "There is no such thing as bad publicity." By supporting Spears, Jive makes themselves look good, while Britney has titled her latest album "Blackout" (out November 13). She claims that the title "refers to blocking out negativity and embracing life fully," but I think we can all see past that for what it really is: a publicity stunt. Clearly she is trying to capitalize on her recent misfortunes, and props to Miss Spears because it seems to be working. Everyone wants to know what's going on with her and what's more people will be buying her album, if for no other reason, to be privy to the train wreck that is Britney Spears. Beyond this factor, she has demonstrated that she is only human and the public will now find her much more relate-able. The bottom line is that every one involved will come out smelling like roses.

Anti Wal-Mart Commercials May be a Waste of Money

Wal-Mart is under fire yet again. A group whose goal is pretty much to make Wal-Mart's life as difficult as possible has created a new ad campaign in attempt to discourage shoppers for the upcoming holiday season. Their website, www.wakeupwalmart.com, provides a pretty comprehensive list of reasons not to shop at or otherwise support Wal-Mart but their most recent attack concerns the widely publicized Chinese toy recall. A large portion of Wal-Mart's consumer products are made in China; and the group, funded by the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, claims that conglomerates like Wal-Mart are responsible for the recent safety issues. This is due to the fact that the Chinese suppliers are constantly pressured to cut costs, which in turn, causes them to cut corners and often safety measures are the first to go. The commercials are currently airing across the Southern and Midwest regions of the country. (A recent article from an Arkansas news source highlights the story)

Wal-Mart has already responded to the toy crisis by assuring consumers that harsher safety measures will be enforced in addition to their own personal testing of all products coming from Chinese markets in the future. Spokesman Dave Tovar recently responded to the anti-Wal-Mart ad spots by saying, "Our commitment to low prices is never at the cost of safety. Product safety has always been and will continue to be a top priority at Wal-Mart."

Personally, if Wal-Mart plays their cards right, I don't really see these negative ads becoming a problem. There seems to be a continental divide on this issue: those who shop at Wal-Mart and those whose goal is to destroy them and neither side is easily swayed. The most probable result of the anti-Wal-Mart campaign is that shoppers will look at labels more closely and stray away from purchasing any products with the "Made in China" label rather than avoiding Wal-Mart altogether.

Blog Backlash

These days, blogging is no longer just for lonely housewives and teens to narrate every dull detail of their daily lives: the voices of serious bloggers are certainly heard on a much larger scale. I was recently browsing the Bernstein Crisis Management website when I stumbled across an article that I found to be ironic as well as relevant. Blog Storm discusses how one individual who is unsatisfied with a company can cause major issues due to this age of technology. Most people who keep blogs do so because they want to make their opinions heard, therefore their experiences provide information for any other person who is researching the topic being blogged about. If one Google's your company's name and the second item on the list is XYZCorporationSucks.com . . . that person might form an opinion based on the publicized opinions of others. Even more detrimental are those that rank highly on the blogosphere, making them a highly trusted source of information whether or not the information provided is fact.

Beyond the obvious immediate effect of bloggers and web domain administrators who have nothing but bad things to say, any item posted to the internet has potential to become part of your history. Years later, people might still be reading the negative comments written by an angry consumer.

Aside from maintaining a perfect reputation, there is not really much that can be done to stop bloggers from bashing your business. The Blog Storm article offers some tips on how to deal with a sticky situation like this. Posting a well-thought comment on the blog or starting a new blog that depicts your company in a positive light may be possible solutions, but we must come up with a more comprehensive list of ways to deal. Blogging is becoming a serious issue because we all know that word of mouth from fellow consumers is far more trusted and bears much more weight than anything a CEO or the media can ever say in a business' defense.

The Every Man's PR Firm?

Public Relations is not just for multi-million dollar corporations and celebrities anymore. More and more these days private parties such as individuals that are suddenly thrust under public scrutiny have been hiring professionals to handle their images. I recently read an article from the Scottish press about a couple whose young daughter suddenly went missing. After many results free searches along with some circumstantial evidence along the way, suspicion turned towards the parents. So, the couple turned to a PR executive who they hired full-time to become their spokesman. Since the arrival of said spokesman, many articles in local papers have been published depicting the parents as innocent victims going through a rough time as opposed to the negative criminal image the press had promoted before.

This is not a new idea by any stretch- celebrities have been hiring personal publicists for years, however I think in the future it may become an issue of ethics. It's kind of a scary thought that any individual who is say. . . in a bit of legal trouble can just hire a publicist and totally change public opinion regarding their innocence. And clearly this could in turn influence a jury. We don't know whether or not this couple actually had anything to do with their daughter's disappearance, but what if they did? Convincing the public at large that one is innocent bodes well for them obviously, but how much justice is served if we don't let the evidence decide? How long before we start providing image control in addition to representation for those charged with serious crimes?

Ronald McDonald: Not Your Typical Genius

It only takes a glance at our diets and exercise habits to see that it is no wonder that obesity has become an American epidemic. Still, always ones quick to lay the blame on someone else, the American public put McDonald's under the microscope. Time and time again, McDonald's has shown us how they are the masters at turning a sticky situation into a larger profit margin. Never ones to ignore public outcry and social issues, most recently Mickey D's has managed to recreate their poor image among health enthusiasts.

After being the subject of much scrutiny by society at large, McDonald's began using trans fat-free vegetable oil to fry their food, underwent a complete menu overhaul- doing away with the super size option and adding healthy choices such as salads and fruit, and restructuring their ad campaign in order to promote healthier lifestyles and eating habits. Their most recent ads and even the product packaging depict people participating in sports or other forms of exercise. The salads have been around for a while (since the mid eighties), but were taken off then menu until recently most likely due to lack of demand. Even their new and improved website has two new sections: Sports and Food, nutrition, & fitness.

Not only has McDonald's managed to end their steadily declining sales, but they have actually experienced an 8.1% rise in sales worldwide in the month of August alone. Better yet, they have completely changed the general public opinion about themselves while keeping in tune with their long-time brand image. This is made even more astonishing by the fact that the company's reputation has been completely slain by a recent slew of books, movies, etc. such as "Super Size Me," "Fast Food Nation," and "Chew on This." Even more surprising is that McDonald's is now seen by many as a healthier fast food alternative while their main business is still driven by the sale of greasy burgers and fries. These changes by no means indicate that McDonald's actually IS healthier, they have just marketed themselves in a way to make people believe it. It just goes to show that Americans don't actually want to eat healthy, they just want to feel as if they are.

Overall, the golden arches have proven to be invincible to every crisis, even the ones that strike at the core of the company, and I think I would like to shake the hand of whoever is in charge of their PR department.

Find out more: McDonald's Weathers Public Criticism

Risk of Losing Market Share May Not be Mattel's Alone

If you haven't heard about Mattel Inc.'s recall of millions of Chinese-made toys due to lead contamination, you probably live in a closet. In case you are trapped in said closet, this recent article from the Chicago Tribune should fill you in. Thus far, Mattel has been striving to save their brand image, however they may not be the only ones in danger. I recently read an article on eMediaWire that indicates other corporations whose name and characters have been licensed by Mattel are also at risk for negative publicity. Many companies, namely Walt Disney and Nickelodeon have issued statements regarding their intentions to require safety testing of all branded products in the future before release.

Additionally, the stores that sell the products also face possible turmoil, and Wal-Mart and Toys 'R' Us among others have stated that in the future they will perform testing themselves on toys that will be sold in their stores. It doesn't end there either. Any other toy manufacturing company (or really any company at all) may be scrutinized for outsourcing labor. Due to these recent events, the use of foreign labor has become much more than an economic issue, crossing over to a safety and health issue. They can blame the Chinese for not carrying out proper protocol until they are blue in the face, but the bottom line is that these companies are still responsible for what goes on under their watch and that is the risk you take by overseeing production from afar. Anyone interested in the continuing use of factories in alien territory would be wise to inform the public of their intentions to be more involved in and set stricter rules for overseas production.

Brian Dobson, an expert in crisis control, has stated, "Brand managers unprepared for crisis are preparing for failure. The elements of crisis preparedness are similar one industry to the next. Preparing for crisis can help prevent it in some cases and it always helps to manage a crisis more effectively." The companies that have already created a buffer for this incident are thinking ahead, as they should be in order to cover their ass, and anyone who hasn't would be wise to follow suit.

Getting to Know the Generation Y Consumer

With so many differing demo- and psycho-graphics marketers are attempting to reach, plus new target audiences emerging all the time, it is essential to discover new and innovative ways to learn about them. The article Portrait of the New Media Consumer discusses how consumers are keeping up with and using all the latest technologies. . . all at once. The introduction of the iPhone itself just goes to show that we are multi-tasking more than ever. Who would have ever thought that you could check your e-mail, send photos to Grandma, download the latest pop song, and call your boss with one device small enough to fit into your pocket? These tech-savvy consumers certainly know about us, so we should absolutely know about them, and with all this technology, we certainly have the means to go beyond the traditional mall-intercepts and focus groups that we have all grown so accustomed to.

"Americans spend 9.5 hours in a day with media. . . the most time spent on any daily activity." Not surprising considering the billions of dollars spent on the latest ways of consuming this media every year, but we should be able to infiltrate that media on all fronts in order to saturate the audience with our brand image. This simultaneous consumption of various types of media bodes well for advertisers because they can solidify their messages without the public even realizing it, therefore not seeming too pushy. Also, the messages are more likely to be absorbed due to the switching back and forth that keeps the "exposee" actively involved rather than sitting in front of the tube like a vegetable.

Beyond the advertising edge this constant media exposure provides, we can use this new media to find out more about our target audiences. The "Portrait of the New Media Consumer" article claims that it is more difficult to find people with all of the media options, but I disagree. With the widespread popularity of social-networking sites like Facebook and MySpace, programs and hardware where personal information information is registered (ipods, itunes, etc.), and the rampant use of all-in-one devices like blackberrys and pdas, it is much easier for advertisers to track the preferences and habits of the consumer.

The trick is getting to know your target and providing things that fit into their lifestyle. For instance, in the article Targeting Young Males, it is highlighted that young males are into video games and not so much television. Therefore this should tell us that if advertising to young men, TV is out, advertainment is in. In-game ads such as product placement and interactive ads would be the correct route. In addition, young males like to feel as if they have discovered something, which is why Scion's approach worked. They learned what the young males were interested in and then attracted their attention rather than bombarding them with ads full of scantily clad women, which it seems is the favorite approach of marketing toward men.

All in all, the new age of technology should be seen as an opportunity rather than a threat to connecting with the consumer.

Podcasts as a source of industry news

I had never before thought of podcasts as a medium to turn to for industry information until I was asked to listen as a class assignment. After listening to each of the podcasts Across the Sound by Joe Jaffe and Marketing Edge by Albert Maruggi, I have decided that I was right in not thinking of them as must have sources. The audio only format, while it is ideal for people on the run who only have time to listen on i-pods in order to get the latest news, is unappealing in many more ways than it is beneficial.

Firstly, there is no visual stimulation, therefore making it difficult to keep one's interest for long. And maybe I'm just being nit-picky here, but people generally have a difficult time trusting or taking advice from someone whom they cannot or never have seen. In addition, many of the speakers, try as they might, have nothing but the most monotone of dialogues to offer. Personally I found myself zoning in and out of consciousness straining to hang on every word, which makes me think listening would be especially difficult if I happened to be multi-tasking at the time.

Secondly, though the 'pod-caster' may think that everything he or she has to say is nothing short of philosophical or at the very least valuable information, much of it is unnecessary clutter when trying to pick out the highlights. I would much rather have a printout of the cast so that I can skim through and select the pieces I find to be of most value. Additionally it would give one unlimited time in which to process the new information without missing important bits. I know, I know, we are in the age of technology and everything is digital these days, but I guess I am old-fashioned in believing that nothing beats a hard copy.

Thirdly, the comments incorporated into the pod-casts seem to be pretty subjective. Don't get me wrong, I certainly value the opinions of others who may have a different take on the field, but if I want someone's opinion, I will seek it. If I am seeking industry information however, I want just the facts. Aside from the other issues I mentioned, these podcasts would be a good source for some news annotated with personal opinion, but other than that, I wouldn't bother.

So are podcasts really the way of the future for getting information in the marketing industry? I certainly hope not because I will most likely be tuning out.