Issues Management « Talk, Inc

What We Can Learn from Toyota

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

You know your reputation has taken a big hit when a Google search for “Toyota jokes” returns a host of really funny one-liners. “Toyota - This One You Ought to Tow Away” and “Toyota — putting liability in reliability.” Poor Toyota? No empathy from me. With its resources, I’m sure Toyota has the world’s most talented crisis management practitioners at its beck and call. But they couldn’t have done a worse job at handling the sticky accelerator recall issue.

What happened? I don’t know, but they made several big mistakes.

Toyota failed to act decisively to address mounting safety problems.
Toyota didn’t take responsibility for the problems; it minimized customers’ concerns by pointing fingers at suppliers (and even drivers.)
Leadership took too long to apologize for its role in the debacle
Toyota didn’t outline an action plan on how to fix the problem

When a crisis hits, customers need information. They want to know what is going on, who is taking responsibility and how to fix it. But time and time again, corporations big and small spend lots of time and resources trying to minimize the problem rather than embracing it and dealing with it.

Toyota will recover from this. But it won’t be soon and it will be costly. Their reputation has taken a tremendous hit. And customers’ trust in the brand is as rickety as a Prius’ brake pad.

What Toyota needs to do now is get accurate information out to its customers quickly and often, and to articulate its 150% commitment to addressing these safety issues. Forget the corporate image ads. Give me information. Tell me when and where I can get my husband’s Camry fixed. And make it easy for me. And apologize for the inconvenience. Then apologize again. I’ll forgive you one day. Maybe.

Tags: Crisis Management, product recall, Toyota recall
Posted in Issues Management | Comments

Tiger Should Keep Quiet

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009

Tiger Woods is a private citizen who has followed the letter of the law in releasing the information required for a traffic accident. In my opinion as a fan and a publicist, he doesn’t “owe” the police, his fans or the media any further explanation.

I am a huge Tiger Woods fan, but my enthusiasm pales next to my mother’s adoration. Neither of us feel he owes us anything. He already provides plenty to his fans with his stellar performance on the links. Other aspects of his life belong to him and his family, not to us.

Do I care whether he had an argument with his wife or is engaged in extramarital affairs? No. I would be disappointed to learn that he is cheating on his family. But it’s none of my business. And it’s none of yours either.

Our culture of celebrity has grown into something terribly crude and ugly. Reality TV contributes to and exacerbates the situation. Somehow, legions of Americans feel they need to know the smallest detail of all celebrities’ lives. If you’re the type of celebrity that lives every aspect of your life in front of the camera like Paris Hilton or Britney Spears, perhaps you deserve this type of scrutiny. But a professional golfer who goes to great pains to keep his private life private is under no obligation to explain himself to his public.

His sponsors are standing by him. So am I. I’m thrilled that Tiger is keeping mum. Way to go!

Tags: Tiger Woods
Posted in Issues Management, Talk | Comments

Yahoo’s Hack Day generates publicity. Bad publicity

Thursday, October 29th, 2009

As you may or may not have heard, Yahoo’s “Hack Day” in Taiwan made headlines, but not for any innovative code. The event was supposed to be about developers designing Web apps in 24 hours, but it was the sideshow that caught the Web’s attention.

As an apparent “gift” to the developers, Yahoo hired lap dancers as entertainment. Certainly a large part of these events is to garner publicity, but the caveat that Yahoo seems to have overlooked is that said publicity should be positive!

Performing a Yahoo news search for “Yahoo Hack Day” almost exclusively returns articles penned by irate authors. The only exceptions were written before the actual event, or mentioned Hack Day as a side note. Chris Yeh, head of the Yahoo Developer Network, has issued an apology through the YDN blog, simply titled, “Sorry,” which acknowledges wrong-doing but offers little to better the situation. The first comment counters, “this is tradition as opposed to an aberration,” noting that Yahoo hired similar girls for last year’s Hack Day as well.

In Kara Swisher’s scathing analysis, she writes, “it is not clear why all the thumpa-thumpa music and dancing gals did not engender complaints last year.” This leads me to question how large a role did the groundswell play in making this a newsworthy story?

My takeaway? In today’s world, regardless of your immediate audience, you must always be aware that your actions are likely (definitely in Yahoo’s case) to be seen by global audiences. As a global company, Yahoo needed to recognize this, and act more appropriately. Let’s see what entertainment developers are welcomed with next year.

Tags: Crisis communication, Issues management, PR, Public Relations
Posted in Issues Management, Marketing, Public Relations | Comments

Talk at the Walk

Monday, March 30th, 2009

On Saturday, Talk participated in the Walk for Those Who Can’t, a fundraiser benefiting Carolina Canines for Service, and at the risk of sounding cheesy, it was a dog-gone good time! The Loop at Wrightsville Beach was packed with over 250 dogs and 360 participants, all gathered for a good cause. Dogs of all shapes and sizes came out to sniff, wander and play with their fellow canine companions, including Talk President Debbie Elliott’s Schnauzer-mix Camden and my Dachshund-mix Winnie. Winnie gave kisses at the Talk’s Smooch-A-Pooch kissing booth while wearing a bright pink dress and collar. Camden wore her stylish Carolina Canines for Therapy vest to encourage other dogs to participate in the program. Below is a photo of the Talk team and our adorable dogs!

We’re still waiting to hear how much was raised at the big event, but we’ll let you know when the grant total is revealed!

Winnie waiting to get some love at the kissing booth.

CCFS President Rick Hairston thanking Winnie for supporting the cause.

Talk President Debbie Elliott and dog Camden pose for photo with Miss Wilmington.

Tags: Issues Management, Public Relations Agency in N.C., Walk for Those Who Can't
Posted in Issues Management, Marketing | Comments

Social media for non-profits

Friday, March 27th, 2009

In these difficult economic times, non-profit organizations have taken a greater hit than most. Donations are down, volunteerism is sliding, grant money is tight and banks aren’t lending. Although the forecast looks grim, there is a silver lining for non-profits in the form of social media, a resource that many have yet to tap despite the affordable price tag of free to pretty darn cheap. Non-profits can use social media to achieve goals like increasing involvement, finding and keeping loyal donators, publicizing events and communicating a positive message their communities. Below are just a few of the many possibilities of social media for non-profits and examples of great organizations that are using these resources.

Facebook causes page
Facebook makes it really easy to get your friends involved in your non-profit with a customized causes page. Put your missions, values, logo, fundraising goal, and links on the page, then send invites to your Facebook friends. Anyone who joins can donate to the cause, invite their friends and post discussions and comments. This creates a place for your non-profit to communicate with the people who care the most about what’s going on and keep them up-to-date on fundraising goals and successes. Check out the causes page for Project Pet Project for an example.

Blogging
Non-profits do so many wonderful things for a community, and most of us are often unaware of all that they are doing. A blog is a great way to connect with your audience to share success stories, event details and new initiatives without waiting for these stories to get picked up by the media. The blog for Carolina Canines for Service is an excellent example of non-profit blog.

Firstgiving.com
Fundraisers are often a major source of income for non-profits, and these days even solicitations for a good cause go unnoticed or unwanted. Firstgiving.com is a much easier, less invasive way to get donations or pledges to your fundraiser through personalized webpages for fundraisers or teams within a fundraiser. Participants can send their webpage link to friends and family or post it on other social media sites like Facebook or a blog. This makes donating super easy and accessible to anyone with a few bucks to spare for a good cause. To give Firstgiving a try, donate to Talk’s team page for the Walk for Those Who Can’t.

Tags: blogging, Carolina Canines, Facebook, Social media
Posted in Issues Management, Professional Development | Comments

Things We Love 3/25/09

Wednesday, March 25th, 2009

Debbie loves handwritten notes. As a young girl, I used to write letters to my grandmother all the time. Then came the love letters in junior high. Followed by the long distance hellos when I lived far away from friends and family. Today, email has taken the place of many letters. But there is no substitute for a handwritten note from a friend or business acquaintance. It only takes a few moments and 42 cents to make someone’s day - and make a great impression. So put away the keyboard and pick up the pen. It’s great PR for your personal brand.

Holly loves FirstGiving.com – Not only is this site a great way for non-profit organizations to create donation pages, but it is also super simple and easily personalized. Talk’s First Giving page for the Walk For Those Who Can’t features custom branding like our logo and a personal message. The site also helps non-profits by hosting free webinars about ways to promote and maximize your fundraising efforts. Show some love to First Giving and a great non-profit by donating to Talk’s Walk page!

Kelly loves “The New Influencers: A Marketer’s Guide to the New Social Media” by Paul Gillin. Exploring how and why social media outlets like Facebook, Twitter and blogs have gained increasing popularity and credibility with consumers, this book is perfect for anyone looking to take their business to another level through social media. Gillin offers proven strategies for businesses and organizations to leverage new internet-based social media outlets as well as simple ways marketers can effectively benefit from these resources. If you want a better understanding of social media, but don’t know where to start, this book is perfect for you!

Shawn loves working with and for people who have a sense of humor. Bosses, clients, vendors, co-workers and even the occasional wrong number are all included. I’m a firm believer that you can do your job AND have a little fun. I would even argue that some lighthearted laughter here and there can make you a better employee. One of the great things about Twitter and other social media outlets is that you get to know someone’s personality or lack thereof. If you can make me laugh, you have got my attention. And keeping someone’s attention is one of the biggest hurdles. So lighten up and have a little fun.

Susan loves Evil Movie Megacorporation Rebranding – I’ve always wondered if logos created for movies were designed by a real designer or just one of the movie’s crew. Some logos are cool enough that I would want to be a customer, and others are so atrocious I wonder why the characters even trust the company. Now, the folks over at the blog SpaceSick have given facelifts to the brands of fictional evil corporations to make them more appealing. It’s amazing what a little creativity and color can do for a corporate image.

Tags: Graphic Design, Issues Management, Marketing, Project Pet Project, Social media
Posted in Graphic Design, Issues Management, Marketing | Comments

Walk for Talk

Friday, March 20th, 2009

On March 28, all of us here at Talk will be participating in the Walk for Those Who Can’t, a fundraising event benefiting Carolina Canines for Service, and we’ve got some pretty exciting things planned. We hope all of you out there in the blog-o-sphere will come out for the event, or possibly make donations to our team. CCFS has done some incredible things for our community and we look forward to helping them help others. Here are just a few highlights for this year’s Walk:

Talk’s Kissing Booth - It’s baaaaaaaaack! In case you missed last year’s Paw Jam, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by our larger-than-life kissing booth featuring one of Talk’s furry friends. This year the superstar kisser is none other than Winnie, my precious 6-month-old Dachshund-mix puppy. At a sturdy 11lbs, Winnie loves to show affection and treats each newcomer like her very best friend. Even though my little girl will gladly give out smooches for free, she kindly appreciates any size donation to Carolina Canines for her services.
The Loop - The 2.45-mile path around a public park and scenic marshes in Wrightsville Beach is a sight to be seen on any given sunny day. Lucky for our Walkers, the Loop serves as the location for the big event and participants can enjoy the scenery while helping a great cause. It really is a win-win!
Dogs, dogs and more dogs - As a fundraiser for Carolina Canines, the Walk invites any and all leashed dogs to join in the fun. Service dogs, therapy dogs, adopted dogs, big dogs and little dogs will gather at the Loop for hours of socializing and exercise. Talk’s top dog Camden will definitely be there for all the excitement as well as Kelly’s Gunner, Kirsty’s Peter and my Winnie.
Carolina Canines for Service - All of this wouldn’t be possible without CCFS. This organization has touched the lives of so many groups of people, from veterans to school children, and we are all lucky to have this non-profit and the people that run it in our community.

I can’t encourage all of you enough to come out for the Walk For Those Who Can’t on March 28 at the Loop in Wrightsville Beach beginning at 9 a.m. For more information, visit www.walkforthosewhocant.org. If you can’t make it to the Walk, donate to the Talk Team at www.firstgiving.com/talkinc.

Tags: Carolina Canines, Issues Management
Posted in Issues Management, Marketing | Comments

Outsmart your boss if he outlaws social media in the office

Thursday, March 19th, 2009

I’ll preface this entry and tell you that I realize I’m probably not the norm.

I work in an office where it’s encouraged - even required on some level to explore and engage in social media networks. I’m convinced Debbie knows what she’s doing when she mandates this. She’s studied up and witnessed the benefits first hand. So, I can’t help but feel sorry for the folks I come across who say Facebook and the like are off-limits at the office. Perhaps their bosses don’t know what they’re missing.

Well, get ready to chant “Viva La Revolucion!” because I’m here to arm you the best arguments for allowing the use of social media in your office.

1. Make a sale.

True story - I asked a question on LinkedIn looking for recommended vendors for a project. Someone responded to me, gave me options but also encouraged me to check out his company. Days later we signed a $15,000 contract with the company to utilize their services. What a coup for that company, who I would not have known about if they hadn’t been on LinkedIn. When appealing to your boss to allow to use social media networks at work -try to emphasize how it can build your company’s bottom line. It’s the very best argument you can offer.

2. Network.

Simply, social media can help you optimize your networking. Do it right and you can do in 15 minutes what you can’t do in five hour-long Chamber After Hours socials. Relationship building on social media networks like Twitter are a prime place to find top talent in today’s market, where many accomplished professionals are looking for new work. This is a great HR reason for using social media in the workplace.

3. Get publicity.

Smart reporters today are demanding that PR pros “tweet” their pitches. That means 140 characters or less. That means one, you better get good at getting to the point quickly (as in under 140 characters) and two, you better familiarize yourself with the conversations on Twitter, so you can get a piece of the huge publicity pie to be had in the Twitterverse. And when you get publicity, social media networks are the best places to aggregate it. You can add your hit to your Facebook, Digg, Stumble Upon, Del.ici.ous and more. Tell your boss that user-generated news is the way of the future and your company’s latest announcement is no relegated to traditional media outlets.

Are you ready to make your case now? Don’t forget to register for Talk’s free social media webinar on Thursday, April 23. You’ll get resources and tools for using social media to grow your business. And why not invite your boss to sit in?

Tags: Advertising in Wilmington N.C., Public Relations Agency in N.C., Social Media in Wilmington N.C.
Posted in Issues Management | Comments

Spotlight on corporate social responsibility

Friday, March 13th, 2009

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a movement that encourages companies to advocate for social and environmental concerns within their activities and in their relationships with their customers, employees and investors. While corporate participation in CSR programs is at an all-time high, some companies are still missing out on the benefits of these programs.

CSR campaigns enhance a company’s reputation and brand image by providing a valuable opportunity to link branding with consumer values. These days consumers expect to get more for their money, so a great way to stand out among the competition is to provide the consumer with the feeling of satisfaction that comes with philanthropy. A good reputation enhanced by CSR involvement also makes companies more attractive to investors and makes it easier to recruit the best employees. The increased media attention that results from CSR campaigns provides companies with another valuable avenue for exposure.

Corporations can donate money, use of their facilities, property, services, products, or advertising support. Also, employee volunteer work groups can be formed to donate their time to the cause.

Here are a few of our favorite CSR campaigns:

• Project Pet Project supports Carolina Canines for Service, a non-profit corporation that provides people with disabilities enhanced independence through the gift of a quality trained service dog.

• The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty supports the DOVE mission to make more women feel beautiful every day by widening stereotypical views of beauty and encouraging self esteem in women of all colors, shapes and sizes.

• Haagen-Dazs loves Honey Bees provides a way to indulge in your favorite treats without the guilt. Haagen-Dazs is donating money in support of honey bee and sustainable pollution research programs. When you enjoy any of the “Bee-Dependent” ice cream flavors, a portion of the proceeds is donated to research.

• American Express (UK only), Converse, Gap, Emporio Armani, Dell, Windows, Apple, Hallmark, and Starbucks have partnered with the Global Fund to produce (RED) branded products that support African AIDS programs. These products are produced at no additional expense to the consumer.

Tags: (RED), American Express, Apple, Caronlina Canines for Service, Converse, Dell, Dove, Emporio Armani, Gap, Global Fund, Haagen-Dazs, Hallmark, Issues Management, Project Pet Project, Starbucks, Windows
Posted in Branding, Issues Management | Comments

Social media provides platform for social change

Thursday, February 26th, 2009

Large and small companies across the globe are using Corporate Social Responsibility programs to support causes they believe in and boost their company image to boot. CSR initiatives run the gamut from supporting education programs in Africa to saving honeybees to promoting conservation of the rain forests. And the opportunity for your company to carve out its own niche in the CSR world is wide open.

There are many factors to consider before you choose which cause to support. You may want to select a cause that dovetails with your company’s mission, or pick one that your employees are passionate about, or you could let the needs of your community determine how you give back. But no matter how you come to your final choice, just make sure it’s one you support wholeheartedly to ensure the initiative has the appropriate momentum to gain further support.

In this social media-obsessed age, it’s easier than ever to raise awareness and recruit supporters for your specific cause.

The Causes application on Facebook takes the idea of social networking and applies it to fundraising and community involvement. It empowers socially-minded individuals and companies to actively seek support for initiatives they care about In under half an hour, you can set up your cause, page name a beneficiary to receive funds raised through the application, upload photos, recruit supporters and start online conversations among them.

Want to see some great causes in action? Check out the ones various Talkers support, including Talk’s CSR initiative Project Pet Project, and local non-profits Carolina Canines For Service, Cape Fear Habitat for Humanity and Community Financial Education Foundation.

Tags: Issues Management, Social Media in Wilmington N.C.
Posted in Issues Management | Comments

June	Use Blogs to Grow Your Business

May	Avoid A Crisis by Planning for One

April	Get Online or Get Left Behind

Sept 24	Local SEO

Oct 22	Crisis Management

November 19	Facebook 101

Dec 17	Twitter 101

Archive for the ‘Issues Management’ Category

Recent Posts

Recent Comments

Categories

Twitter Updates

Archives