Texas Six Flags Responds to Woman's Death

A woman died on The Texas Giant, a roller coaster at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, and the company has responded. Rosa Ayala-Goana's lap bar either broke or came loose, and she fell to her death. Witnesses describe a terrible scene, with her son, who was at her side, screaming for help.

 

Six Flags representative Sharon Parker issued this statement and tweeted an apology:

"We are deeply saddened to share that earlier this evening an adult woman died in the park while on the Texas Giant.  Park medical staff and local paramedics responded immediately.  Since the safety of our guests and employees is our number one priority, the ride has been closed pending further investigation.  Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends during this difficult time."

The next day, Six Flags issued another statement:

"We are committed to determining the cause of this tragic accident and will utilize every resource throughout this process. It would be a disservice to the family to speculate regarding what transpired. When we have new information to provide, we will do so.  Our thoughts, prayers and full support remain with the family."

The Texas Giant is the world's tallest steel-hybrid roller coaster. According to a local CBS news agency, 14 injuries on the roller coaster have been reported since 2008, but most were minor.

Image source.

Discussion Starters:

• Assess the two statements issued by Six Flags. What works well, and what, if anything, can be improved?
  
• Rewrite both statements, using your own words and perhaps more natural word choices. Share your drafts with a partner to compare each.

Panera Apologizes to Farmers

Panera's campaign to tout the benefits of its chicken inadvertently offended an important, vocal group: farmers. Panera posted a video and started the Twitter hashtag #EZChicken to promote its chicken, which is produced without antibiotics.

The description on YouTube transcribes the video:

"At Panera, we decided a long time ago to avoid the easy road and switch to Antibiotic-free chicken. That decision set a lot of things in motion, so now it's not just chickens raised this way, it is more ingredients you can trust, which has taught us a lesson. Sometimes, what you think is the harder road, turns out to be the only one worth being on. Panera Bread. Live Consciously, Eat Deliciously."

Dairy Carrie, a farmer with an active blog, chronicled Panera's campaign, including several memes showing chickens as pills.

Farmers didn't appreciate Panera's implication that they take the easy way out. Dairy Carries writes on her blog,

"But wait you say, Panera isn't calling all farmers and ranchers lazy! They are just calling the ones that use antibiotics lazy! I used antibiotics to help a sick calf get better last week, my friends the organic farmers had a cow with pneumonia and they gave that cow antibiotics to make her better. They had to sell her, but she lived. Does that mean we are lazy? Is it lazy to take care of our sick animals?"

A company representative did call Dairy Carrie, and a representative apologized to others on Twitter:

Twitter image source.

Discussion Starters:

• Explain the disconnect between Panera's promotion and farmers' perspective. Describe the view from each group.
• Should Panera have predicted this reaction from farmers? How so or why not? Should the company have avoided the campaign or have approached it in another way?

Other Airlines' Communication After Crashes

After two plane crashes over the weekend, Should other airlines "tout their safety records?" asked Matt Wilson in a PR Daily article. Although the article cautions airlines, the industry might learn from cruise companies' responses after the Costa Concordia crash in 2012.

Advisors such as Robert Holland of Holland Communication Solutions recommends that airlines avoid promoting their own safety:

"Even if my airline had a stellar safety record, even then it would appear to be gloating in the face of other airlines' problems. I would recommend commenting publicly if asked, however.

"Otherwise it would raise questions or suspicions about what we're trying to hide about our own record. It's important for other airlines to be forthcoming with information if it's requested, but there's nothing to be gained, and perhaps something to be lost, by proactively commenting."

But, after the Costa Concordia cruise disaster, other cruise companies found ways to be respectful of those lost and to reassure customers. Here are three examples of companies' communications to their customers:

Download Celebrity Cruise email

Download Royal Caribbean email

Download Norwegian Cruise email

Image source.

Discussion Starters:

• If you were a member of American Airlines' management team, would would be your perspective on whether to share your safety records? What considerations would you have if you were the head of Marketing? PR? Customer service? Operations? Legal? How might your opinion differ in each of these roles?
• Imagine that you decide to blog about your company's safety records. Using the cruise companies' letters as a starting point, what would you say to airline customers?

PETA Defends Euthanizing Animals

Proponents of no-kill shelters are appalled that PETA kills animals. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, an advocacy group for animal rights known for somewhat aggressive marketing tactics, kills about 2,000 dogs and cats each year at its shelter in Norfolk, VA.

In response to the criticism, the PETA spin machine is working its magic. With the slogan "PETA Saves..." the organization explains its work to rescue animals and reframes the issue. Throughout the country in the past ten years or so, euthanizations have gone down, and adoptions have gone up. PETA is generally behind this policy but says that many no-kill efforts are misguided. PETA also presents itself as a "last resort" shelter, forced to euthanize animals in terrible shape and unlikely to be adopted.

PETA's website points to several ways for people to understand the organization's rationale:

• Why We Euthanize, an explanation (Caution: gruesome pictures)
• A Shelter of Last Resort, an infographic summarizing PETA's work
• No Kill or No Clue? article criticizing some no-kill practices

Discussion Starters:

• In addition to those presented here, find arguments on both sides of this issue. What are the main points of each? Which are the strongest and weakest arguments?
• What's your view of PETA's use of graphic images? Does it help garner support for the organization's goals or detract from the issues?

Try "Protein" Instead of "Meat" at Taco Bell

Meat has gotten a bad reputation. Pink slime and horse meat controversies during the past two years have compounded meat's negative image. Taco Bell is catching on and, instead, is emphasizing protein on its new menu.

Although CEO Greg Creed did an impressive job in 2011 thwarting claims that Taco Bell doesn't use real beef, the restaurant chain needs to find new ways to get people to eat the stuff that, let's face it, isn't the healthiest for us. A Bloomberg Businessweek article reports, 

"43 percent of conversations about 'meat' over the last six months were negative and often included such words as 'bad,' 'concerns,' and 'problem.'

"On the other hand, only 6 percent of conversations about 'protein' were negative. Most people associated it with words like 'good,' 'healthy,' and 'delicious.' The result: Some 91 percent of conversations about the 'Power Protein' menu have been positive, according to Infegy."

To be fair, Taco Bell is doing more than just changing the terminology. Its "Power Protein" menu offers several products with reasonable calorie counts (although 120 of those 400 calories are from fat).

Discussion Starters:

• In addition to "meat," what other fast-food-related words might cause people to react negatively?
• What's your assessment of Taco Bell's new campaign? Whom might it attract? Will it work?

Is "Dudes Grilling Things" Sexist?

Bon Appetit has apologized for calling grilling-and company leadership-a male activity:  

"It's a cliche because it's true: men like grilling things. Women like grilling things, too, of course, but at this point in history, grilling, like crying about sports and being a Fortune 500 CEO, is firmly located in the domain of Dude."

This paragraph was an introduction to a Bon Appetit video, "Dudes Grilling Things." 

Here's one exchange about the paragraph on Twitter: 

Now an editorial note offers an apology: 

"Editor's Note: We're aware that some readers did not like our attempt to be tongue-in-cheek here. We in no way meant to imply that women aren't just as masterful at the grill. In fact, we'd like to take this opportunity to draw your attention to some of the stories we've run about women who grill: Elizabeth Karmel's 10 Commandments of Grilling; Mom Gets Her Grill On; La Buena Vida Cooks from Our New ‘Grilling Book'; and (just today!) How to Grill Maitake Mushrooms."

 Bon Appetit quickly handled the situation without too much groveling. 

 Discussion Starters: 

• What's your view of the paragraph? Do you find it offensive? Can you see how others might, or are they overreacting? 
• In what ways did Bon Appetit recover well, and how, if at all, could the editor have done a better job? 

Wendy's Employee Provides Another Unfortunate Photo

Just days after we saw a Taco Bell employee licking a stack of shells, a Wendy's employee took a direct shot from the soft serve machine. 

Ragan's PR Daily wrote a prosaic version of Wendy's possible response and what the writer calls a "more human statement." Compare the two:

"Wendy's hasn't released one yet, but rest assured that it will read something like this: 'At Wendy's we hold ourselves and our employees to the highest standards. We are aware of a photo circulating online that depicts an employee using company property in an inappropriate manner. We apologize, and will take steps to rectify the situation.'

"A better, more human statement might read: 'We know-it's gross. But when you employ legions of teenagers, you're going to get a few bad apples in the mix. We'll find this dopey S.O.B. and fire him and tell our franchisees not to hire idiots, but let's face it-teenagers do stupid stuff.'"

Wendy's spokesperson Bob Bertini did respond to the Daily News:

"We don't know the exact date the photo was taken, but we believe in it was in  May. The incident was totally inappropriate, and  we're taking it very seriously."

Bertini also said that the employee is not longer working at the restaurant.

Discussion Starters:

• What's your view of PR Daily's attempt at a more "human" statement? What are the potential advantages and risks?
• Try another variation of Wendy's statement. What else could the spokesperson say?

HGTV's Flag Tablecloth Draws Fire

In anticipation of Fourth of July celebrations, HGTV suggested using an American flag as a tablecloth.

 

On its Facebook page, the network suggested "Classic Fourth of July Table Setting Ideas" including this tip: 

"Drape a large American flag over the table as a bright and festive table runner. Use a nylon flag so spills can be easily wiped off and the flag can later be hung with pride on a flag pole."

Apparently, the network designers were unaware of "Flag Etiquette," according to the U.S. Government, which includes the following:

"The flag should not be used as a drapery, or for covering a speakers [sic] desk, draping a platform, or for any decoration in general."

As expected, backlash on HGTV's Facebook page came from across the nation:

• I am appalled that you would suggest using the flag that my brother was killed defending in Iraq as something to catch spills on a table at a cookout.

• No one dies for a table cloth.

HGTV issued this apology:

"HGTV Fans, regarding the recent article that appeared on our website...This was a regrettable use of our flag and it never should have happened. We sincerely apologize and have removed the post from our website. We want to assure our fans that HGTV is proud of the American flag and everything it symbolizes for our people."

Discussion Starters:

• What's your assessment of HGTV's decorating advice: was it an innocent mistake, or should the designers have known better?
• What's your view of the reaction? Are people too sensitive? Is this a desecration of the flag? Or something else?
• What's your view of HGTV's apology? What works well, and what could be improved?
• In the excerpt from the government website, I added "[sic]." What does this mean, and why did I add it?

Taco Bell Employee Licks Shells

This is not a good week to work in corporate communication at Taco Bell. A photo posted on the company's Facebook page shows an employee licking a stack of taco shells.

 

The image is gut churning, but before we jump to any conclusions, we need to know whether these shells were sold or were expired and on their way to the trash bin. Regardless, Rob Poetsch, a Taco Bell representative submitted this statement:

"When we learned of the situation we immediately contacted this restaurant's leadership and although we believe it is a prank and the food was not served to customers, we are conducting a full scale investigation and will be taking swift action against those involved."

In another statement, the company led with, "Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and team members, and we have strict food handling procedures and zero tolerance for any violations."

Discussion Starters:

• If you were Taco Bell's head of corporate communications, what would you do now? How about if you were the head of human resources? Marketing?  
• The company seemed to have removed the photo from its Facebook page. Discuss this strategy: what are the advantages and disadvantages?

J.C. Penney Removes "Hitler Teapot" from Billboard

Does this teapot look like Hitler to you? It does to some people, and J.C. Penney responded by removing the image from a billboard in California.

J.C. Penney responded to several tweets, such as this one:

Despite the criticism-or perhaps because of it-the teapots sold out online but can be had for a mere $199.99 on Ebay. Or you can place a back order for just $40.

The teapot was designed by Michael Graves. Here are more of his J.C. Penney products. Do you see any other political figures, criminal master-minds, celebrities, or religious figures?

Discussion Starters:

• When should a company ignore social media reactions? Is this one of those situations?
• What could be the consequences of J.C. Penney's leaving the billboard as is? Do you think it would be worth the risk?

TGI Fridays Accused of Using Cheap Alcohol

First Anheuser-Busch is accused of watering down its beer, and now this? Restaurant chain TGI Fridays may be replacing its premium alcohols with less expensive versions.

"Operation Swill," a year-long investigation, relied on customer complaints, informants, and alcohol-testing technology to cite 29 New Jersey bars. Although Fridays is the only chain with multiple locations in question, several other restaurants, including the following, are part of the investigation:

• Applebee's, Kearny
• Bell's Tavern, Lambertville
• Blackthorn Restaurant, Parsippany
• The Brick House, Wyckoff
• Brunswick Grove, East Brunswick
• Café 34, Matawan
• Cucina Calandara, Fairfield
• Graziano's Ristorante, Chesilhurst
• Italian Affair, Glassboro
• Murray's, Dover
• Railroad Café, East Rutherford
• Ruby Tuesday, Bridgewater
• Sona Thirteen, Morristown
• Sunset Tavern, Burlington
• Villari's Lakeside, Gloucester Township
• Yesterday's Marmora

A spokesperson from Fridays responded to the claims:

"TGI Fridays was just made aware of this issue and is working closely with the franchisee and owner of the cited locations to review and investigate these serious allegations. We have one of the most extensive bar and beverage programs in the industry, which sets a very high standard in the quality and service of our beverages."

Other restaurants denied the charges. Brian Hertenstein, general manager of Blackthorn Irish Pub in Parsippany, said, "It's not true, and there were never any complaints from patrons. I'm confident that it'll come back, and it'll be proven we were pouring what's on the label."

Discussion Starters:

• Does this news surprise you? What are the implications for restaurants in other states?
• How do you assess Fridays' and Hertenstein's responses? Which works best and why?

Apple Responds to Tax Criticism

Apple CEO Tim Cook is using his persuasive communication skills to address the company's avoidance of billions in taxes.

Cook appeared on Capital Hill and received a surprising number of compliments from the nation's lawmakers. Committee Chairman Senator Carl Levin, for example, said, "We love the iPhone and the iPad." Libertarian Ron Paul also defended the company: "I'm offended by the spectacle of dragging in Apple executives. What we need to do is apologize to Apple and compliment them for the job creation they're doing."

Still, the panel accused Apple of creating offshore "ghost companies" to avoid paying taxes. Apple shifts as much as $100 billion to these entities, saving $7 billion in taxes in 2011, according to one estimate.

Rather then deny the accusations, Cook blamed the outdated tax system: "Unfortunately, the tax code has not kept up with the digital age." By deflecting attention away from Apple and towards loop holes that should be closed, Cook effectively "disarmed" (to use The New York Times' word) the Senate committee.

Of course, Apple isn't the only company avoiding taxes. According to one study cited by Senator Levin, 30 of the country's largest multinationals "paid nothing in federal income taxes over a recent three-year period. Zero."

Discussion Starters:

• Watch Tim Cook's opening statement in the Senate hearing. What are his strongest and weakest arguments?
• Watch the  rest of the Senate hearing. Which questions are most and least effective?
• How does Cook use delivery skills to persuade the committee?

This Tweet Brought to You by Dos Equis

To promote its "Legend of You" app, Dos Equis hired a comedian to tweet.

When Michael Ian Black ("The State" and "Ed") tweeted that the new app turned him into "a Most Interesting Person," his 1.9 million followers knew it was a paid advertisement. Black's other tweets are funny (depending on your sense of humor). 

The backlash was harsh, with one tweeter saying, "I wish you had died in 9/11" and another criticizing Black for using language that an unpaid intern probably wrote. Black responded to some tweets, such as this one:

You have to admire Black's honesty, but I wonder how his employer feels about it.

Discussion Starters:

• What advice would you give to companies considering paying for tweets? Should they not do this at all, or can safeguards be put in place? 
• If you were the marketing manager for Dos Equis, would you hire Black again to promote your products? He did get a good discussion going...

Abercrombie CEO Faux Pas

CEO Mike Jeffries has surprised and disturbed people with his alleged comments about customers in 2006, which just became public:

"We go after the attractive all-American kid...A lot of people don't belong [in our clothes] and they can't belong. Are they exclusionary? Absolutely."

The comment has been interpreted to mean that plus-sign people aren't welcomed in the store, and this may be substantiated by the retailer's inventory: no pants size is larger than 10.

Public reaction has been strong. As of yesterday, about 1,000 people signed an online petition to boycott Abercrombie. And a nine-year-old in Plano, TX, altered her T-shirt to express her feelings:

 Discussion Starters:

• As yet, the company has not responded to requests by ABC news. Should the corporate communication people say something? If so, what?
• What's your reaction to the CEO's alleged comment? Do you find it offensive, his right to define his customer, or something else?

JC Penney's Re- ReBranding Efforts

After rebranding and ousting its CEO, JC Penney is trying to lure customers back to the store. In a new commercial, the company says, "It's no secret that JC Penney changed" and admits that not everyone liked what they saw. The voiceover asks people to return, saying "We learned a very simple thing: to listen to you."

The CEO was in place for only 17 months, and by most accounts was a disastrous choice for the company. A former Apple executive, Ron Johnson implemented a strategy to target younger customers, and the company brought in hipper products and stopped running sales. But JC Penney's loyal customers were alientated in the process.

Will the new commercial and CEO (Mike Ullman, who preceded Johnson) turn the company around? Skeptics say it's a rough road: same-store sales were down 20% last year and are down 15% so far this year.

A writer for USA Today thinks the company is doomed:

"Either way, there is no reason that these customers will come back. J.C. Penney's share of the retail market is already permanently depressed.

"J.C. Penney is done for. The only party that has not admitted as much is management.

Discussion Starters:

• Assess the new commercial. How does the company use language, images, and music to convey its message?
• Which arguments in the commercial might convince customers to return to the store? Which may detract from the company's message?
  

Nike Pulls "Boston Massacre" T-Shirts

A "Boston Massacre" T-shirt showing splattered blood stains will mean only one thing to people now: the bombing tragedy at the Boston Marathon. But this Nike T-shirt is a reference to the Red Sox/Yankees baseball games in 1978 and 2006. 

Still, some people feel the T-shirts should have been removed from the outlet store before being spied (and photographed) by a producer for the "David Letterman Show."

A Nike spokesperson emailed a response to the Huffington Post:

"The shirts being referenced are older baseball shirts that were predominantly being sold through our Factory Stores Outlets. In light of the tragedy in Boston we took immediate action last week to remove this product from distribution. We conducted this process as quickly as possible and are confident the product has been removed from distribution."

The situation is reminiscent of Nike T-shirts in a Boston store window sporting slogans such as "Dope" and "Get High." In this situation, the mayor of Boston wrote a complaint letter, but the company denied that it promoted drug use. 

Discussion Starters:

• In what ways does the "Boston Massacre" T-shirt differ from the "Dope" and "Get High" T-shirts? How are they similar?
• How do you assess Nike's response? Should the company have done anything differently, or is this an understandable mistake?

Hyundai's Ad Mocking Suicide: Not Funny

Hyundai is apologizing for an ad that pokes fun at a failed suicide attempt. Proud of its new ix35 model that uses water rather than carbon monoxide emissions, the company played on a way that some people end their lives. But the ad didn't go over well, particularly for one woman, who lost her dad to this method of suicide.

Holly Brockwell wrote a touching blog post about her father's suicide and how the ad affected her. As a creative advertising director, Brockwell has good credibility for her reaction:

"I understand better than most people the need to do something newsworthy, something talkable, even something outrageous to get those all-important viewing figures. What I don't understand is why a group of strangers have just brought me to tears in order to sell me a car. Why I had to be reminded of the awful moment I knew I'd never see my dad again, and the moments since that he hasn't been there. That birthday party. Results day. Graduation."

Brockwell also posted her father's suicide note, which has gone viral.

A week before Brockwell's blog post, AdWeek had criticized the ad. Apparently, a reporter contacted Hyundai but received no response. That was a warning the company should have heeded.

Now, after more bad press, Hyundai has pulled the ad from YouTube and issued these statements:

Hyundai Motor America Statement:

"We at Hyundai Motor America are shocked and saddened by the depiction of a suicide attempt in an inappropriate European video featuring a Hyundai. Suicide merits thoughtful discussion, not this type of treatment."

Hyundai Motor Company Statement:

"Hyundai Motor deeply and sincerely apologizes for the offensive viral ad.

"The ad was created by an affiliate advertising agency, Innocean Europe, without Hyundai's request or approval. It runs counter to our values as a company and as members of the community. We are very sorry for any offense or distress the video caused. More to the point, Hyundai apologizes to those who have been personally impacted by tragedy."

Discussion Starters:

• Hyundai's defense is similar to McDonald's, which was criticized for the subway ad mocking mental illness: the ads were created "without Hyundai's request or approval." Do you buy it?
• We haven't seen a response from Innocean, the ad agency. What, if anything, should they do?

Ethical Social Media Marketing After the Boston Bombings

An article by Augie Ray, director of social media for a Fortune 100 company, describes the ethics of social media marketing, and gives us several interesting examples from the Boston Marathon tragedy. In contrast to these companies that perhaps crossed an ethical line, recall El Pelon Taqueria, the restaurant that offered help and asked for nothing in return.

Calling it a "desperate attempt to trade on people's feelings," Ray described an NBC Facebook picture of a boy in a hospital bed. The post asks people to "'LIKE' this to wish him a continued speedy recovery." Ray points out that "liking" a post does nothing to help the boy recover.

In another example, Ray criticizes Ford for muddying a message with its products. According to Ray, "Ford's use of brand imagery not only reduced the sincerity of the message but demonstrated questionable ethics." For comparison, Ray presents Ford's actual post, at right, next to one without branding, at left. The difference is fairly obvious.

 

Individuals made mistakes as the tragedy was unfolding, too. Author Guy Kawasaki was criticized for continuing to post promotional tweets, as others were suspending theirs. Clearly, he didn't agree with the criticism. He responded, "Loving how people with less [sic] than 1,500 followers are telling me how to tweet."

Discussion Starters:

• How do you assess these three situations? Do you agree with the criticism of each?
• Augie Ray offers a sound suggestion for modifying the Ford post. Can you think of something similar for the NBC post? What might make this one more acceptable (read: more compassionate)?

Carnival Updates Guests with "Improvement" Plans

In a letter from CEO Gerry Cahill, Carnival tries to restore guests' confidence in the brand after several technical and other issues on ships during the past few months. In addition to this letter, Carnival has posted a video on YouTube and created a News and Updates page on Facebook.

In some respects, the letter is a confusing mess. Although the $300 million is more clearly explained in the video, this letter makes it sound as though Carnival is buying hotels: "$300 million to expand the availability of hotel services." Cudos to having some of the main point upfront ("Our goal is to drive continual improvement across all aspects of our customer experience"), but isn't much of the main point at the end, where Cahill thanks guests for their loyalty?

Also, the letter seems overly jargony for typical Carnival guests. The company just wants them to book another cruise, right? The encouragement could be clearer and more direct.

Discussion and Assignment Ideas:

• Compare Carnival's guest letter, video, and Facebook page. What differences do you see, and how do you account for them; for example, what are the audiences for each?
• Rewrite the Carnival letter. How can you improve the content, organization, and tone?

Student's Letter Stirs Up Controversy

Like many high school seniors, Suzy Lee Weiss is receiving her share of college rejection letters. Disappointed-and clearly more than a little peeved-Weiss published a letter in The Wall Street Journal, "To (All) the Colleges That Rejected Me."

Weiss claims that her 4.5 GPA, 2120 SAT score, and experience as a U.S. Senate page weren't good enough. Partly, she blames her lack of diversity:

"For starters, had I known two years ago what I know now, I would have gladly worn a headdress to school. Show me to any closet, and I would've happily come out of it. 'Diversity!' I offer about as much diversity as a saltine cracker. If it were up to me, I would've been any of the diversities: Navajo, Pacific Islander, anything. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, I salute you and your 1/32 Cherokee heritage."

Jokingly, Weiss also blames her parents and uninflated job titles.

A student who claims "I took your spot at Harvard," wrote a snarky response to Weiss, including,

"But when my parents got divorced and my mom came out of the closet and hooked up with the ¼ Navajo lady neighbor, I closed my textbooks and put down my pen. I figured-why bother? I'm a black female from the inner city with divorced parents, a gay mother, and a part-Native American stepmother. Every college was going to recruit me like I had a great jump shot. . . .

"As for me-I'm set for life. Obama is president, racism has ended, and law schools have already come a-callin." 

Discussion Starters:

• Although Weiss says it's just satire, some people read the piece as cynical and bitter. Are you with the 53% of Today Show viewers who said the letter was whiny? What's your view?
• Watch Weiss on the Today Show. How, if at all, does this change your opinion of her?