Kidnapped Atlanta Lawyers Freed After Text-Messaging for Help

I know police are all about the facts when they communicate publicly, but geez, this Detective Quinn quoted below could take some lessons in how to better position his track record:

"Police credited the kidnapped men for not panicking during their ordeal.

'Mr. Hoying and Mr. Deganian solved this crime,' Quinn said. 'Without them, we would've had an unsolved mystery. Most of my kidnappings end in death.'"

Not sure how good people in Atlanta are feeling after hearing that...

Waitress laid off after shaving head for cancer

In the wake of the timbit tempest, an Owen Sound restaurant owner fires a waitress for shaving her head in a cancer fundraiser. At least give him points for honesty:

"Hilliard admitted the story isn’t great PR for the restaurant"

Oh the Humanity

Michael Richards uses "Black Friends" Defense

After declaring jihad on his own reputation and career, Michael Richards has engaged big time PR help to begin repairing the damage. His advisor, Howard Rubenstein, has apparently recommended that he throw himself at the feet of Jesse Jackson as part of his rehabilitation. The result has been nothing short of a circus.

Clearly Richards has issues and his comments were reprehensible and defy rational explanation. But there's something to be said for gracefully and honestly apologizing, making amends and then quietly slipping from the public eye. Richards had an opportunity to do that when Jerry Seinfeld hooked up a segment on the Letterman show for him, but he took a prime opportunity and was nearly incoherent.

I say ditch the PR 'help'. But things are probably too far gone for Richards now. Be sure to turn out the lights when you're done, Michael.

Technorati tags: Michael Richards, public relations, apologies, issue management, PR, Howard Rubenstein

Tie "Lakshmi Mittal" Domi

Apparently in addition to his skills, albeit limited, as a hockey player, Tie Domi is apparently a commodities broker. Among the sordid details of Domi's alleged infidelity is the following quote from his estranged wife, Leanne:

Domi's secret life: commodities broker :

"Tie assured me that Belinda was nothing more than an important 'business contact' and said I should be nice to her since she held the key to an important and lucrative deal . . . involving the supply of steel to Magna . . . and he stood to make monumental commissions."

When this hit the papers I hope alarm bells were going off in the Magna communications and investor relations departments. I'm no expert, but I'm guessing that Magna has better suppliers of steel than Tie Domi.

Perhaps its just me, but the idea that a publicly traded company would be making significant supplier deals with a washed-up NHL enforcer and his girlfriend - who happens to be the former president - is a disaster waiting to happen. Perhaps Tie was just feeding his wife a story, but if I were Magna, I'd be checking all the closets for skeletons.

Technorati tags: Tie Domi, Belinda Stronach, NHL, divorce, communications, PR, investor relations

Mourners ticketed

This story appeared today talking about how mourners attending the funeral of the young woman killed in the shooting at Montreal's Dawson College were given parking tickets. I draw your attention to the quote from the Mayor's office.

This is an example of where communicators need to give their bosses a good shake and tell them that a mistake was made and we need to make good on it. Which is a good lesson, because in my book, communications isn't just about spinning whatever your organization does, it's about helping your organization make good decisions in the first place. This was a terrible decision and somebody at the city should have the guts to come out and say so.


Mourners ticketed:

"It's not like we'd gone shopping or something. We were at a funeral, the same funeral the mayor was at and everyone else.

"There was nowhere to park, all the roads were blocked, so we parked where we could."

Ironically, when the street cleaner finally showed up, it was past the no-parking hour -- and it stalled on the corner, according to 18-year-old Matthew Iantosca, whose minivan was ticketed.

At the mayor's office Wednesday, spokesman Darren Becker said there would be no special treatment for mourners who received parking tickets.

By providing several buses for 270 family members and friends to get from the funeral home to the church and, afterward, to the cemetery, the city actually helped prevent traffic and parking problems around the site, he said.

"When you park outside the perimeter that's already established, the city has to apply the rules that are in place," Becker said.

Technorati tags: Montreal, Dawson College, school shooting, communications, PR, spokesperson

You've got mail!

Kudos to RadioShack - business must be booming. I mean, it would take far too long to tell people face-to-face that they're fired. So they probably saved at least $20 in staff time by e-mailing 400 head office employees to tell them not to come to work anymore.

RadioShack Uses E-Mail to Fire Employees:

RadioShack Corp. notified about 400 workers by e-mail that they were being dismissed immediately as part of planned job cuts.

Employees at the Fort Worth headquarters got messages Tuesday morning saying: "The work force reduction notification is currently in progress. Unfortunately, your position is one that has been eliminated."

Company officials had told employees in a series of meetings that layoff notices would be delivered electronically, spokeswoman Kay Jackson said. She said employees were invited to ask questions before Tuesday's notification on a company intranet site.

Technorati tags: corporate communications; PR, human resources, fired, layoffs

Mel Gibson - A lesson in apologizing

From time to time, companies or people do things wrong. Sometimes it's by accident, sometimes intentinally. Often their reputation going forward sinks or swims based on how they say 'I'm sorry'.

This is often where managing one's reputation bumps up against lawyers trying to manage liability. Far too often the immediate math of 'what will we lose in court' trumps the loss to reputation and the long-term business challenges that brings.

Most frequently, it's the companies or individuals who fall on their sword and do what's right to make amends who come out on top. The ones that 'apologize' without actually apologizing or issue lawerly statements of regret lose out because those kinds of 'apologies' don't resonate with people.

This is why I cite Mel Gibson's recent apology. If what I read about his behaviour is true, this guy has a lot to be sorry for. But rarely have I read such a complete and utter statement of sorrow and regret. He doesn't try to pin the blame on anyone else, or play the victim. If his statement is any indication, he seems really, really sorry.

Ultimately, only the future will tell how his reputation holds up after this incident. However, if a recent poll I saw is any indication, most people surveyed were merely dissapointed in him. I suspect that given his fullsome appology, those dissapointed fans won't be turning their backs. If people believe you are truly sorry for something, they will almost always give you a second chance.

Its the ones who try to spin or lawyer their way out of a misstep that will more often find themselves trying to polish up a permenantly tarnished reputation.


Gibson's apology

After drinking alcohol on Thursday night, I did a number of things that were very wrong and for which I am ashamed.

I drove a car when I should not have, and was stopped by the LA County Sheriffs. The arresting officer was just doing his job and I feel fortunate that I was apprehended before I caused injury to any other person.

I acted like a person completely out of control when I was arrested, and said things that I do not believe to be true and which are despicable. I am deeply ashamed of everything I said, and I apologize to anyone who I have offended.

Also, I take this opportunity to apologize to the deputies involved for my belligerent behavior. They have always been there for me in my community and indeed probably saved me from myself.

I disgraced myself and my family with my behavior and for that I am truly sorry.

I have battled with the disease of alcoholism for all of my adult life and profoundly regret my horrific relapse. I apologize for any behavior unbecoming of me in my inebriated state and have already taken necessary steps to ensure my return to health.

Technorati tags: communications, PR, apologies, Mel Gibson, lawyers

Ahhh...the prose of state-run media

North Korean state-run news brings us this scientific breakthrough:

New Cosmetic Agent Developed

Pyongyang, July 7 (KCNA) -- A new kind of cosmetic agent to make skin supple with radiance and purity has been developed by researchers of the Aromatic and Cosmetic Engineering Institute of the Branch Academy of Light Industrial Science under the State Academy of Sciences in the DPRK. They analyzed in a scientific way why the hand skin of those who are making bean paste is smooth and fair. In this course, they found out that a kind of substance making organic acid promotes the metabolism of melanin pigment in the skin to give complexion a healthy appearance and radiance and prevent wrinkling.

On the basis of this, they succeeded in making a new kind of cosmetic agent in a microbiological way. The face lotion and cream mixed with a small amount of the agent are very efficacious for lightening dark spots, freckles and skin moles in the face and making complexion fair and fresh.

I'm not sure who's better at spinning products: western PR agencies or state-run media. Either way, you've got to hand it to North Korea's state news agency, KCNA, they write a mean news piece. I mean, the product is backed by the researchers at the prestegious Aromatic and Cosmetic Engineering Institute of the Branch Academy of Light Industrial Science under the State Academy of Sciences - Who wouldn't want to try this stuff out?

Technorati tags: North Korea, PR, communications, cosmetics, science