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Scoop.it!
2016 saw its fair share of corporate public-relations mishaps, but some were more cringeworthy than others. To be sure, the PR crises in certain cases weren't all that bad compared with the serious business missteps that precipitated a few of them, but the fact remains that there is always a better and a worse way to talk to customers and the public when something's gone wrong. These were three of the year's most egregious gaffes, and what companies can learn from them heading into 2017
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Scoop.it!
Donald Trump made piggish comments about women to Billy Bush, the cohost of Access Hollywood, in 2005. NBC released the video yesterday.
The video makes clear that, at least in 2005, Trump considered bedding women as sort of a video game, one he plays to win with wealth and power. As Republicans began to distance themselves from the comments — and some from Trump — Trump apologized. His apology is a case study in how not to apologize.
Here are some qualities of sincere apologies. - You take responsibility for what you did. - You are specific. - You don’t talk about how you got caught and whether that is fair. - You apologize directly to the people you hurt .- You find or offer ways to make amends. - You don’t justify why what you did is ok. - You don’t go off topic to avoid talking about what happened.
Trump’s apology fails on every single element....
Jeff Domansky's insight:
PR fail of the highest order. This guy's going down!
Scoop.it!
It’s open season on Delta’s handling of the PR crises following its cancellation of more flights this morning on top of more than 1,800 yesterday and Monday after a computer problem in Atlanta stranded passengers around the world. Consider the four-word lede on the AP’s Scott Mayerowitz’ story: “We don’t cancel flights.” The next graf takes down that bit of hubris quicker than a glitch in a power control module can make a finely tuned system go kaflooey. “That’s been the message for the past two years from Delta Air Lines,” he writes. “Double-decker buses roamed the streets of New York, wrapped in ads proclaiming ‘canceling cancellations.’ Delta executives boasted about the number of days without a single flight scrapped.” Mayerowitz posits that the cancellations and delays, coupled with its own delay in explaining what really happened, “threatens to wipe away all that trust that Delta has worked to build” and has allowed it to proudly get 110 cents for every dollar charged by its competitors. That’s tempered, however, by S&P Global Market Intelligence’s Jim Corridore telling him the airline might “get a pass” if the incident proves isolated....
Jeff Domansky's insight:
After two years of marketing hubris, with campaigns like "Cancelling the [flight] cancellations", Delta Airlines crisis PR gets grounded too. It's a PR fail case study in the making.
Scoop.it!
To the public, Jared Fogle was a geekishly charming icon of personal dedication and accomplishment. But few knew the real Jared, a man frequently driven by his sexual obsession with underage girls.
Jeff Domansky's insight:
This is a great testimony to the risks of celebrity spokespeople. A terrible nightmare for the children involved and a sponsorship crisis for Subway.
Scoop.it!
A GIANT public relations agency that has been under fire for a couple of gaffes in the last couple of weeks says it is taking steps to try to make sure such blunders do not recur — the kinds of steps it would recommend to clients in the same predicaments. “What the leadership team decided,” Ben Boyd, president for practices, sectors and offerings at Edelman in New York, said in an interview on Friday, is that “we will treat ourselves like we treat a client.” “Lesson learned,” he added. “Just because you advise clients on the complexities of today’s world, that doesn’t mean they’re easier to manage,” Mr. Boyd said, adding that “it would have been smart” to have had in place at Edelman some of the internal protocols and processes that the agency’s 5,000 employees suggest that clients adopt....
Jeff Domansky's insight:
After two recent PR fails, Edelman goes into damage control.
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The maker of ‘Watch Dogs’ sent an Australian news publication a safe with a copy of the game inside. When staffers got suspicious, they called the cops.
Jeff Domansky's insight:
More bad PR from mad marketing people. DOH!
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Oprah Winfrey, one of the world’s richest women valued at over 2.9 billion dollars, was refused 3 times the opportunity to examine and purchase a 37 thousand dollar Tom Ford handbag. This happened at a posh upscale boutique in Switzerland. The resulting news and social media backlash for the boutique involved and Switzerland itself (the country’s tourism office also apologized to her) was rapid and explosive, with negative commentary from news organizations, Facebook, Twitter, media publications and the like chiming in. Don’t be surprised by this! Anything that touches on deeply personal values (racism, gender equality, lifestyle, health, etc.) will quickly mushroom into an immense social media unconscious event. It will either become a social media dream or in this particular case…the ultimate social media brand reputation management nightmare. This wake up call provides a powerful opportunity for businesses regarding their reputation management process. Not every business has a plan in place and for those who don’t know where to start, consider these 3 compelling reputation management tips....
Jeff Domansky's insight:
Crisis PR lessons and valuable tips in reputation management. What a terrible case of bad PRand a great reminder to all about how fast a local issue and single incident causes a global reputation impact through social media.
Chris Abalain's curator insight,
August 19, 2013 6:37 PM
Business owners should always be considering what their actions will do for their reputation! 
Brad Dixon's curator insight,
September 9, 2013 6:19 PM
We help companies develop the plan and then procide the system to run it smoothly. Check us out at http://www.reviewwatchman.com
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Erin Brockovich, the environmental activist portrayed by Julia Roberts in the 2000 film about her life, was arrested this weekend on suspicion of boating while intoxicated at Lake Mead near Las Vegas.
Brockovich’s breathalyzer tests reportedly showed her blood-alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit of .08 as she struggled to dock her boat late Friday night. “She was not sure how to maneuver the boat into the dock,” Edwin Lyngar, spokesman for the Nevada Department of Wildlife. “It’s a simple thing if you can think clearly. But if you add alcohol and unfamiliarity of the area, it can all cause serious problems.”...
Jeff Domansky's insight:
Ooops. Fallen from grace: Erin Brockovich's reputation hit.
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Earlier this week, I posted about the Facebook meltdown and trials and tribulations of Amy’s Baking Company Bakery Boutique & Bistro in Scottsdale. Arizona (Epic Facebook meltdown, PR fail or publicity ploy?).
This un-reality show couldn’t get much stranger. It has more twists, turns and intrigue than a Shakespearean tragedy. Or maybe the Keystone Cops would be more accurate?
The bistro was featured in a raucous season finale episode on Kitchen Nightmares featuring explosive celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay.
It was an entertaining and highly-charged reality TV episode complete with drama, screaming, yelling, heroes and villains....
Jeff Domansky's insight:
The un-reality continues with more bad PR, twists and turns and a planned news conference and the most bizarre news release ever. Stay tuned!
Jeff Domansky's comment,
May 17, 2013 2:38 PM
Thanks for the Scoop Gary. Wasn't that press release something?
Gary Pageau's comment,
May 17, 2013 2:49 PM
People forget, PR starts with product, not the spin. If you're core "product" isn't solid, no PR will save you.
Scoop.it!
The two owners of Amy's Baking Company Bakery Boutique & Bistro took over the restaurant's Facebook page last night to fight unruly commenters, and man, was it embarrassing.
Jeff Domansky's insight:
In the short recorded Internet history of social media and PR fails, this one ranks at the top. It's a meltdown of epic proportions and the Buzzfeed story only introduces the story. The Scottsdale Arizona owners of Amy's Baking Company Bakery Boutique & Bistro were featured on Gordon Ramsay's Hells Kitchen TV program.
As negative comments started to pile up on their bistro's Facebook page, the owners, Amy and Samy, jumped in to confront the critics. You know the saying never feed the haters. Apparently, Amy and Samy haven't heard the expression. On Monday, for hours, the two engaged in a terrible display of ignorance of social media and allowing trolls and haters to turn things into a spectacle. All recorded and to be played back forever in the future.
A proud moment for reality social media but not so good for your bistro business. The owners brought it on themselves. You really must see the Facebook page while it remains up to understand how this story spun out of control.
Reality TV has nothing on this social media story.
Amy's Baking Company Bakery Boutique & Bistro Facebok page:
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Sometimes you come across a PR fail that is so big, it’s hard to believe.
Marketers at Mountain Dew (owned by PepsiCo) hit the bottom of the barrel when it comes to racism and disrespect to abused women everywhere with a new video spot.
The firestorm for Mountain Dew's marketing fail is just getting started.
MsHaeussinger's comment,
May 2, 2013 11:04 AM
Quite the commercial, I can't imagine who approved this!
Jeff Domansky's comment,
May 2, 2013 12:57 PM
appreciate the comments everybody. It's a marketing fail that I'm sure will be shared for some time. Not what Mountain Dew intended I'm sure and an important lesson for every marketer.
Kole Carpenter's comment,
May 9, 2013 12:01 PM
they honestly couldn't think of a single thing to do that wasn't sexist? come on it is not that hard to think of ideas to promote their product.
Scoop.it!
After disturbing—not to mention unsanctioned—mockup ads appeared online, the PR pros in Ford’s Asia Pacific division snapped into action on a Saturday morning.
Are you having a rough Monday?
Jeff Domansky's insight:
More to come on this Mad Men story....
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If there’s one trend we’d like to kill deader than the Harlem Shake, it’s “Keep Calm and Carry On”. Now comes news that will hopefully mark the end of this meme:Amazon is in a big pot of extra-hot PR water after briefly carrying a series of T-shirts bearing charming slogans like “Keep Calm and Hit Her”, “Keep Calm and Knife Her” and the winner, “Keep Calm and Rape a Lot.”
We think we speak for everyone when we say “Yikes.”...
Jeff Domansky's insight:
While it's impossible to police all products for sale immediately, it's easy to apologize. A surprising PR fail from Amazon.
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The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 debacle is a master class in how not to handle a crisis. Much will be investigated in the months ahead. But what I find particularly interesting is how Samsung communicated what was happening at each stage of the crisis.
Jeff Domansky's insight:
Tom Fishburne's cartoon says it all. PR people need to give advice on how to close the gap between reality and crisis weasel words.
Scoop.it!
In September 2015 the Environmental Protection Agency found that many Volkswagen cars sold in the United States were equipped with software that could falsely improve the performance of diesel engines on emissions tests. This cheating was subsequently acknowledged by the car maker.Among the many issues at stake for the company was one of public perception. Anecdotal evidencate at the time of the incident suggested irreparable harm to the Volkswagen brand. So could Volkswagen recover in the short term in this regard? And, the broader question, how can you measure brand perception in times of scandal, particularly in an era where social media can cause negative news to proliferate and reverberate over time? In the absence of direct empirical evidence, we wanted to find a way to tackle this important issue. We began our research with some key questions: How does social media sentiment change as a consequence of a public relations crisis? How does the public react to recovery efforts initiated by the company? How do topics of conversation shift as a consequence of a brand scandal and subsequent recovery efforts?...
Jeff Domansky's insight:
Lessons for crisis communicators from Harvard Business Review.
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The idea was cute. It always is. Ask members of the public to post there selfies with New York police officers, tag them with #myNYPD, and sing "Kumbayah" together. OK, that last part maybe not. The response was overwhelming -- overwhelmingly bad. Soon the hashtag was used as a bashtag....
Jeff Domansky's insight:
These stories about hashtags turning into bashtags were an excellent reality check. Beware of rose-colored glasses.
Dejan Nikolic's curator insight,
March 18, 2016 5:04 AM
These stories about hashtags turning into bashtags were an excellent reality check. Beware of rose-colored glasses. 
Jalu Dash's curator insight,
March 18, 2016 5:23 AM
These stories about hashtags turning into bashtags were an excellent reality check. Beware of rose-colored glasses.
Scoop.it!
Filed under: The most WTF thing we've seen in months. Urban Outfitters, purveyor of clothing and home goods, big-ass floppy hats and occasionally offensive T-shirts, has outdone itself with this product on its website—a "vintage" Kent State University sweatshirt featuring fake blood splatters. In 1970, the Ohio National Guard fired on a group of unarmed anti-war student protesters at Kent State, killing four and wounding nine others. The sweatshirt sold out quickly, because there was only one. ("We only have one, so get it or regret it!" said the description.) Now it's listed on eBay by someone who says he/she will "give 50% of the profit to the Southern Poverty Law Center, who protect those who cannot protect themselves, often those who are victims of police brutality."...
Jeff Domansky's insight:
While not intentended, it's still a marketing fail. Someone in the marketing department needs sensitivity training or some idea of how sloppy thinking can create a mini crisis that can quickly escalate into a social media firestorm. To their credit, the company was quick to apologize and explain but it shouldn't have gone there in the first place. Another marketing lesson.
Deanna Casey's curator insight,
September 15, 2014 9:54 PM
Urban Outfitters clothing and home goods store has many loyal customers purchasing their unique items and childish style. Although their style and products are well liked among young hipsters, they have always been known for their controversial saying on products. Many people take offense to their blunt choices of prints and designs that contain controversial messages. Recently, in this article by adweek.com, they posted a vintage faded Kent State University sweatshirt with dye blood splatters, or what seemed to be. The company only had one for sale and did not refer to the 1970 anti-war student protesters killed and wounded at the University. Social media took off on this negative advertised product from a company that is constantly looking to be a topic of discussion. Teen Twitter members were furious that the company they purchased from were insensitive to the tragic event in 1970. Urban Outfitters posted an apology that the stains on the shirt were in no way supposed to represent a blood stain or had any connection to the 1970’s shooting event at Kent State University. Social consumers are gathering this negative information about Urban and seeing the hate from many on social media sites, this would lead them to purchase from a competing brand. Urban Outfitters digital identity of the way they represent themselves has been becoming more negative in the past couple years. With their countless articles of clothing with drinking and drugs messages, and their customer base under the age of 21 their reviews on social media have been nothing but negative. I feel that Urban Outfitters wants any sort of media coverage, good or bad. Having the spotlight on them encourages consumers to search the site, and possibly like some of their products. Urban has a fan base of mainly hipsters, which are identified as stepping out of the box and doing things outside the lines, the company is doing the same just in more extreme cases. 
Amanda Wall's curator insight,
September 19, 2014 6:56 PM
Recently in class we were assigned a project where we could choose a for profit on non-profit organization I chose Urban Outfitters, one of the most recent controversial clothing companies in today society.
This article describes how Urban Outfitters is defending there vintage Kent State sweater, however, most people see through the vintage look and see it as nothing more than the tragedy that occurred in 1970. The Ohio National Guard fired on a group of unarmed anti-war student protestors at Kent State, resulting in four deaths and nine wounded. As to be expected people who know the background behind Kent State automatically assume the red "vintage" stains on the sweater is blood stains, whether the stains represents blood or not this specific sweater has respectfully been pulled off the shelves.
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Like so many of you, I have been stunned by the images of a militarized police force in Ferguson, MO harassing, tear gassing, arresting and even beating citizens who are protesting the police shoot... ...Let me be clear – these police actions are absolutely wrong from a human perspective too. And, from what I have seen, they have trampled on the people’s right to assemble, freedom of the press, free speech, destruction of personal property, unlawful arrests and likely dozens of other rights I’m not even familiar with. But, strictly from a PR perspective, they are cutting of their own noses to spite there faces....
Jeff Domansky's insight:
An epic PR and policing failure. Contrast Ferguson police actions with Missouri State Police efforts to reach out, communicate and deescalate the crisis.
wanderingsalsero's comment,
August 15, 2014 11:05 PM
I agree totally Jeff. I've posted lot of stuff about it too. But this is just the result of a trend that some people (AKA: 'kooks', conspiracy theorists, etc.) have been trying to call attention to for years. This is not the same America we were born into and I'm afraid it's going to be very, very traumatic (at best) to turn it around.
Jeff Domansky's comment,
August 15, 2014 11:45 PM
WanderingsAlero thanks for comments. Truly a tragedy made worse by poor police response.
Scoop.it!
When the CEO of a company responsible for contaminating drinking water tried to walk away from a press conference, one reporter refused to let him leave.
Jeff Domansky's insight:
Brad Phillips AKA @MrMediaTraining shares an awkward press conference, poor crisis PR and tips on how the CEO could have handled a bad situation much better.
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As I watch this crisis unfold, only 150 miles away from my home in Montreal, there are two things in particular that stand out: the crisis leadership and communications fail of the Chicago-based company that owns the train, Rail World Inc., and the executive Chairman that everyone looked to for leadership, but was no where to be found, Edward Burkhardt. Rail World Inc.’s crisis communications failThe biggest communications fails are those (crisis communications) that do not exist, and those that come across as insincere and half-assed in a crisis situation.I wish I could report to you that Rail World Inc. had at least utilized social media as a communications tool for communicating with stakeholders, the media and concerned residents of the Lac-Mégantic community, but unfortunately I can’t. The company has zero corporate social presence and I suppose it never occurred to them to create, at the very least, a Twitter account to keep stakeholders updated throughout the crisis....
Jeff Domansky's insight:
Melissa Agnes examines Rail World Inc's crisis leadership and communications fail during the tragic Lac-Mégantic crisis. the crisis management performance by the Railroad CEO is terrible.
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As you’re aware, since 2007, Sara Rosso—arguably your most passionate superfan—has hosted World Nutella Day. She love(d) your product so much that she wanted the world to dedicate a single day—February 5—to embracing it. What she did was nothing less than astounding. On the World Nutella Day website, Rosso has gathered more than 700 recipes, tweeted and shared on Facebook the favorite sayings, stories and links of Nutella fans and, most important, encouraged everyone to try Nutella just once.
But on May 25, all her hard work will have been in vain. That’s because you inexplicably shut down her tremendous efforts, sending a cease-and-desist letter to her mailbox—the sort of action a brand might take against a brand hijacker, hacker or activist....
Jeff Domansky's insight:
Nutella scrambles to fix bad PR and a reputation hit..
Scoop.it!
As long as this aspect of our culture remains true, I would argue the problem is really one of society and that we are all complicit to some degree. It is not a coincidence that virtually all fashion and cosmetic companies behave somewhat similarly to Abercrombie & Fitch.
Among the mainstream brands, perhaps only Dove, with its real beauty campaign, has ever seriously committed to a marketing campaign with a counter-culture heart. If Jeffries did anything, he figured out his customer’s aspirations and designed advertising that appears to fulfill them. This has, and likely always will be, his job as a marketer. In that sense, he’s perhaps only guilty of being both good at his job and terrible at PR....
Jeff Domansky's insight:
7 yr old comments resurface and create a reputation challenge on social media for Abercrombie &Fitch. so far, they haven't handled crisis communications well, compared to Target in the story highlighted by me recently..
Scoop.it!
Fans dressing up as their favorite movie characters while attending opening weekend film showings is nothing new. However, costumed moviegoers who partnered with Capital 8 Theatres in Missouri to promote the premiere ofIron Man 3 recently caused a panic, for which the theater is now apologizing.
Had the cosplayers been dressed as Tony Stark and Pepper Potts, we imagine no one would have been particularly alarmed, but some group members donned S.H.I.E.L.D agent costumes — complete with fake firearms — which, given last year’s tragic shooting at an Aurora, COmovie theater (and the current high-alert mentality when it comes to guns), might not have been the best idea.
Moviegoers, understandably frightened by the sight of people dressed in what appeared to be body armor and carrying assault rifles, called the local police. Once the dust settled, the complaints began rolling in and the theater was skewered on social media, some even accusing Capital 8 of intentionally causing the kerfuffle as a publicity stunt. In response, the company issued the following apology...
Jeff Domansky's insight:
Unforgiveable PR fail and insensitivity. It seems that some companies never learn lessons from others' mistakes.
Scoop.it!
RBC broke the first rule of public relations, failing to plan for the possibility that employees whose jobs were being outsourced would be upset and take their complaints public, says one PR expert.
In February, 45 of the bank's personnel were informed that they would be replaced by outsourced workers after the bank contracted a number of technological services to iGate, a California-based firm that specializes in sending jobs offshore.
According to an RBC employee, personnel were given 90 days' notice. At least one of the Canadian employees complained that she was asked to train her own foreign replacement....
Jeff Domansky's insight:
Hard to imagine worse planning, or lack of planning than this PR fail.
Scoop.it!
JWT India created a series of disturbing ads for the FordFigo, one of which shows former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi flashing a peace sign from the front seat of a car that has three curvaceous women tied up and gagged in the trunk. Ford and JWT have both issued an apology.
Ford did not approve the ads; the agency was just publishing some speculative renderings to show off its creative chops. JWT India is Ford's agency for the Figo in that country....
Jeff Domansky's insight:
Marketing and advertising seem to operate without regard or sensitivity. Ford has been cleaning up the crisis for days with no word yet on the fate of the implicated JWT India employees or the status of the ad account with JWT.
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Some PR mishaps are simply ill-advised tweets, while others are huge corporate scandals. Here's what Cheerios, Wells Fargo and Samsung taught us.