Some People (and Companies) are Finally Getting it – You Have to Pay Attention to Social Media

By: Angela Walschinski, Account Executive, Leonard & Finco Public Relations, Inc.

It’s amazing to me when I hear someone say “social media is overrated” or “not everyone uses social media – I don’t.”  There’s a recent case in point that proves the power of social media.  Earlier this month Gap attempted to rebrand itself by replacing its iconic navy blue square and white font logo for a black font with a smaller blue square in the upper right hand corner. 

Gap quickly learned that social media reaction can not only be fast…it can be furious! 

Many consumers of the Gap brand voiced their opinions of the new logo on Gap’s Facebook and Twitter pages, and it wasn’t flattering!  Gap made its decision to revert back to its classic roots in a matter of days after observing complaints. 

Gap isn’t the first company to deal with an online social media backlash against a new brand and it won’t be the last.  What matters in this case is how quickly people created a buzz about the new look and how quickly the company responded.  Brand consumers want to have a say in something they care about and, these days, social media gives them that say.  Companies need to listen carefully when they distribute information and need to be prepared with a back-up plan should reaction be unfavorable.

What do you think about Gap’s rebranding effort and how they handled the situation?  Can you think of any other examples where companies listened to its consumers based on feedback received from social media?

You Can’t Ignore What Others are Saying

By: Scott Stein, Sr. Account Executive, Leonard & Finco Public Relations, Inc.

It’s a different communications world that we live in today. Technological advances have given us a myriad of new, faster tools to communicate on levels we never thought possible in the past.

As a result, businesses have to be more cognizant of their image or brand and must certainly be diligent in protecting its name.

As a PR firm, we advise our clients to pay attention to what’s being said about them. That used to mean checking the “Letters to the Editor” section of the local newspaper. There’s so much more to pay attention to today, but failing to do so can have serious consequences.

Consider the recent developments with Chevron Corp. Activists interested in attacking the oil company’s environmental record created an online hoax that actually pre-empted Chevron’s planned advertising campaign.

The U.S.-based oil company on Monday launched its “We Agree” ad campaign that features a down home approach with photos of people and various slogans like “oil companies need to get real” and “oil companies should support the communities they’re a part of.”

What apparently happened is that several activist groups (The Yes Men, the Rainforest Action Network and Amazon Watch) were tipped off about the ad campaign and created a fake website that suggested that Chevron agrees that oil companies should “fix the problems they create” and “clean up their messes.” The phony website was announced to the media through a fake news release that was designed to look like a news release from Chevron. Some news outlets were even fooled and had to post corrections.

Granted, Chevron is a corporate giant and a big target. But even small businesses need to monitor traditional and social media to see what people are saying about their operations. Harnessing the power of the Internet and social media, a disgruntled individual or organized group can do a lot of damage in a very short time.

What do you think? Does your business monitor traditional and social media to determine what others are saying?

Lessons Learned from Brett Favre

By: Kristin Rabas, Account Executive, Leonard & Finco Public Relations, Inc.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past month, you’ve certainly heard the accusations recently brought against Brett Favre for the “revealing” text messages and voicemails he left for a female New York Jets reporter. When this story first came out earlier this year I thought, well, his reputation is completely blown so I doubt he’ll come back for another season. But then a strange thing happened and the story fizzled away before it really got any major attention. Well low and behold, he’s back for another season, back into the spotlight and making headlines across America.

Working in PR, this story got me thinking about a number of things that Brett Favre has done wrong since this story broke and how it translates to the business world.

• Public Perception / Reputation. It can take years for a company to build a positive reputation within a community. It took Brett Favre multiple seasons as the Packers quarterback before the community accepted and believed in what he could do for the team. However, just like in Brett’s case, a company’s reputation can be tarnished in a split second. The worst thing a company can do when negative news or speculation surfaces is to ignore it. As of today, I have not seen one report of Brett Favre publicly apologizing (except to his team which happened behind closed doors) for his actions or even trying to tell his side of the story. This just makes him look guilty and unforgiving. Once seen as one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, he now looks like a joke who cares about nothing but himself. Long story short, businesses need to have a plan in place for when a crisis arises and tackle it head on. Ignoring it let’s everyone draw up their own conclusions.
   
• Social Media Policies. Technology and social media have given us the ability to send information, pictures, music, databases, thoughts and more to hundreds, thousands or even millions of people worldwide with the click of a mouse. While I’m sure Brett Favre didn’t intend for anyone else to see his text, once it was sent, he no longer had control over what was done with that information. This should serve as a reminder to businesses that social media policies need to be in place for anyone who’s tweeting or posting about your company. Once information is sent there’s no turning back.

Sometimes mistakes and crises are unavoidable. But looking at Brett Favre’s story serves as a reminder of what not to do and procedures companies must have in place in order to combat such situations if they do arise.

What is your take on the way Brett Favre is handling his current situation? Will his reputation ever recover after this latest blunder?

Rally to Restore Sanity!

By Kristen Paquet, Account Executive, Leonard & Finco Public Relations, Inc.

Whether you are a fan of Jon Stewart and the Daily Show or not, you have to admit, he did make a great point about media on a recent appearance on Oprah. Aside from making me laugh, Stewart spoke about how the 24/7 news cycle, although a powerful tool, can also create a cycle of overreaction and unnecessary fear.

His point: that the vast majority of people that live in this country are really very smart, sensible, reasonable and altogether “normal” folks that live up to their everyday responsibilities. It’s just the crazy few with not-so-well-thought-out ideas that make it on TV. As he quoted during his Oprah interview (and which has now become my favorite quote ever) “Crazy gets you on TV, normal makes dinner.” I love this quote because it is so true. Because we live in a 24/7 news cycle, it’s easy at times to get the impression that our country might be losing site of it’s purpose because, as an earlier L&F blog post mentioned, a pastor that says he plans on burning the Quran gets picked up by every major news station. I believe what Stewart is trying to say is that although this one individual does not represent the majority, sometimes that point is hard to remember due to the national and global attention it receives.

So Stewart’s reaction to all of this insanity is to hold a “Rally to Restore Sanity” in Washington DC at the end of October. In Stewart’s words, the rally is “…a rally for the people who've been too busy to go to rallies, who actually have lives and families and jobs (or are looking for jobs) -- not so much the Silent Majority as the Busy Majority.”

I can’t go to DC – too busy with work and the kids and about a million other things we are all busy with. But, if you have some moments of free time, here is a link to learn more: http://www.rallytorestoresanity.com/.

So do you think we need to restore sanity in America? Are we giving too much credit to those who are way over the top and make in on major news networks? What should our news be focusing on?

Some, Literally, Can’t Live Without Today’s Technologies

By: Beth Kneisler, Account Executive, Leonard & Finco Public Relations, Inc.

A couple of days ago while working away here at Leonard & Finco Public Relations, our Internet went down. While we managed to keep busy, we still all felt as if we were lost without the Internet. While we joke that we can’t live without today’s technologies, the fact of the matter is, some people literally can’t live without it. Case in point: Technology is helping keep the 33 miners alive that are still trapped more than 2,000 feet below ground in Chile.

The men, who have been trapped since August, weren’t initially told how long they could be in the mine. Many felt that if they knew it could be three months until they were freed, they would lose hope and give up. This theory was proven true when health officials had their first contact with the trapped men. Understandably, many were already suffering from depression.

Knowing the men could be in the mine for several months, in addition to figuring how to lower medical supplies and food, officials figured out how to lower letters from family and friends. They were sent MP3 players and now the trapped men and their loved ones are sending videos back and forth. Now that the men have had personal interaction with their loved ones, the men are doing much better. They’re healthier and happier.

In the meantime, officials are working on constructing the men’s rescue capsule which will be equipped with a microphone to allow them to communicate with the miners while they’re being pulled out. It’s going to be amazing to hear the men’s stories when they are rescued. I expect that many will talk about how thankful they were for the phones and videos which gave them hope during their ordeal.

Those who develop the latest technologies really strive to “wow” and entertain consumers, but I bet they never thought that their inventions would actually help save lives.

Are you aware of other stories where cell phones, MP3 players, video cameras, etc. have helped save someone’s life or rescue them from depression or other situations? I’d love to hear about them!

With Respect, I’m Just Plain Fed Up!!!

By Cole Buergi, Senior Account Executive, Leonard & Finco Public Relations, Inc.

Not sure about the rest of you, but I’m tired of hearing the negative political ads running 24/7 on TV and radio. It’s starting to make me wish there was a box to check, “None of the above.” Yes, I know there’s a place for write-in candidates, but honestly, the way people are treating politicians today, who would really want to be one.

Now I’m one for good debate or enthusiastic discussion on any topic. That’s the spirit of our country and what makes us a democracy, free to express our opinions. However, in recent years, I’ve witnessed people really change from debate or even heated discussion, to something that borders on outright anger and hostility. I agree, people have the right to be angry when they’re upset, but we need to remember that civil discourse is something that has set us apart from other countries.

We could get upset, debate something and then move on. Now, that anger is carried over into ongoing battles thanks to the Internet and social media. In some cases, it’s even elevated to death threats and physical violence.

I can’t help but wonder if these political attack ads are one reason why we’ve seen an escalation in violence. Are they desensitizing our sensibilities? Does social media play a role in how we behave? In today’s world of immediate news, the social media sites or videos with the most outlandish depictions tend to get the most attention and notoriety. Is this leading to us to more outlandish activities just to get noticed?

I will be glad come November. I will be voting and, yes, who I vote for will be weighed partly on how I feel they campaigned as well as partly on the actions of those supporting that candidate.

Do you agree or disagree? Will these negative ads or hostile supporters impact your vote? Write back and let me know.

A Love Hate Thing for the Media

By: Susan Finco, President, Leonard & Finco Public Relations


I have a love hate thing going with the media. As a former journalist, as a current PR professional and as a person who’s interested in what’s going on locally, nationally and internationally, the media plays a big role in my life. Generally, I can’t get enough of it. (Once a news junkie, always a news junkie – unless there’s a 12 step group I can join). But that doesn’t mean I always like it.

Case in point: I have been exasperated and, at times, even angered by the boatload of media coverage received by a Florida minister who threatened to burn the Quran. He leads a 50 person church and decides to do something outrageous and receives media coverage far in excess of what was warranted. In fact, I’m not sure any coverage was warranted for this big publicity stunt. Next thing you know, it sparks demonstrations, threatens the safety of our troops overseas, damages our country’s image, and has major world leaders personally phoning this minister and asking him to call it off. Even the Pope weighed in on it. The Pope? Really?!?!

Did it warrant all this attention? Was it necessary to give a worldwide platform to someone obviously filled with hatred and bigotry? And the more media coverage the minister received, the more outrageous his statements and sense of importance became. I’d say he got more than his 15 minutes of fame out of this one. I could have done without it.

For the most part, I love the way news is instantaneous these days, but there also needs to be a sense of responsibility about it and a way to put it into perspective. That didn’t happen this time around.

I’d love to hear what you think about the situation. Too much coverage? Not enough?