Snapchat's FTC Settlement and Admission
Snapchat has entered into an agreement with the Federal Trade Commission, which accused the app of violating its own privacy policies, but critics say that agreement will have little impact. The FTC found Snapchat guilty of claiming that "snaps" would disappear when they are actually quite easy to store forever and of transmitting users' locations when its policy claims that user information is not tracked.
Although the settlement does put restrictions on Snapchat, ZDNet, for example, questions the effectiveness:
"With this settlement agreement, the FTC is sending a message - just not one that makes us feel any better about Snapchat, and all the other Snapchats out there.
"And that message is: Party on with your bad self, Snapchat.
"It's not like anyone's going to stop you."
On its blog, Snapchat interpreted the agreement:
Our Agreement with the FTC
When we started building Snapchat, we were focused on developing a unique, fast, and fun way to communicate with photos. We learned a lot during those early days. One of the ways we learned was by making mistakes, acknowledging them, and fixing them.
While we were focused on building, some things didn't get the attention they could have. One of those was being more precise with how we communicated with the Snapchat community. This morning we entered into a consent decree with the FTC that addresses concerns raised by the commission. Even before today's consent decree was announced, we had resolved most of those concerns over the past year by improving the wording of our privacy policy, app description, and in-app just-in-time notifications. And we continue to invest heavily in security and countermeasures to prevent abuse.
We are devoted to promoting user privacy and giving Snapchatters control over how and with whom they communicate. That's something we've always taken seriously, and always will.
Discussion Starters:
- What's your experience with Snapchat? Does this news change your opinion of the company, or will you stop using the service?
- Assess Snapchat's response. On Twitter, @PatrickVitalone called it a "non-apology." What do you think?
Chipotle Bags and Cups Go Literary
Chipotle Founder and CEO Steve Ells liked a customer's idea to change its white, boring cups and bags to something more interesting. Frustrated at Chipotle without reading materials (or a smartphone?), Jonathan Safran Foer pitched the idea for getting writers to submit text. In a Vanity Fair article, Foer described his email to Ells:
"I said, ‘I bet a s***load of people go into your restaurants every day, and I bet some of them have very similar experiences, and even if they didn't have that negative experience, they could have a positive experience if they had access to some kind of interesting text,'" Foer recalled. "And unlike McDonald's, it's not like they're selling their surfaces to the highest bidder. They had nothing on their bags. So I said, ‘Wouldn't it be cool to just put some interesting stuff on it? Get really high-quality writers of different kinds, creating texts of different kinds that you just give to your customers as a service.'"
The project, called Cultivating Thought, has already garnered quite the list of celebrity authors, including Foer, who bills himself as curator. Foer authored Everything Is Illuminated, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, and Eating Animals.
Discussion Starters:
- What do you think of the idea? As you can imagine, not everyone loves it.
- Why would Steve Ells be interested in this project? What does Chipotle-and possibly Ells personally-have to gain?
Commencement Speakers Nixed Because of Protests
Several universities have changed plans for commencement speakers, succumbing to student and faculty protests. In some cases, the speaker withdrew. Here are the latest and relevant communications:
- Former Chancellor at the University of California, Berkeley, Robert J. Birgeneau, has withdrawn as this year's speaker for Haverford College. A letter from students and a few faculty speaks of Haverford's "Quaker Values," including pacifism. It compliments Birgeneau's work on LGBT issues but criticizes his involvement in an event at Berkeley: "You supported UC Berkeley police in the use of extreme force against non-violent protestors..." Birgeneau did not appreciate the letter and the group's demands and responded with a missive of his own.
- Rutgers found a similar fate after announcing that Condoleeza Rice would speak at its commencement. Rice resigned, announcing the decision on her Facebook page.
- Christine Lagarde, president of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), withdrew her plans to speak at Smith College. Kathleen McCartney, president of the college, wrote a sharply worded letter about the protests, including these excerpts:
"Those who objected will be satisfied that their activism has had a desired effect. But at what cost to Smith College? This is a question I hope we will ponder as a community in the months ahead."
. . . .
"I want to underscore this fact: An invitation to speak at a commencement is not an endorsement of all views or policies of an individual or the institution she or he leads. Such a test would preclude virtually anyone in public office or position of influence. Moreover, such a test would seem anathema to our core values of free thought and diversity of opinion. I remain committed to leading a college where differing views can be heard and debated with respect."
Discussion Starters:
- Read all of the communications associated with these decisions. What themes emerge in tone, organization, word choice, and so on?
- Which of these communications is the best example, and what makes it the best?
- Condeelza Rice's Facebook page has a serious punctuation error. Did you notice it?
Pom Wonderful Steals the Show
Pom Wonderful did a great job responding to criticism from HBO talk show host John Oliver. According to an Adweek article, Oliver had "dismissed Pom Wonderful as snake oil and suggested putting stickers on Pom's juice bottles saying it contains dogs." This was after showing a clip from a TV show, on which Pom was promised to reduce the possibility of prostate cancer.
Pom responded by sending Oliver a refrigerator, a case of the juice, and a clever letter, which he read on air.
Discussion Starters:
- What's your view of Pom's response? In what ways was it effective, or not?
- The Adweek article referred to Pom's "strangely stilted letter ('We like to think we're able to take a joke. It was very funny. We laughed hard')." Do you agree with this assessment?
Target CEO Resigns
Gregg Steinhafel, who was Target's chairman and chief executive since 2008, has resigned. According to a New York Times article, the data breach earlier this year and overexpansion in Canada, which has led to low margins and inventory problems, contributed to the decision. The Times describes one analyst's view that Steinhafel was partly to blame for the security break that affected millions of customers because of system vulnerabilities caused, in part, by underinvestment in technology.
A message posted on the company's website directs visitors to a full statement from the board:
May 5, 2014
Today we are announcing that, after extensive discussions, the board and Gregg Steinhafel have decided that now is the right time for new leadership at Target. Effective immediately, Gregg will step down from his positions as chairman of the Target board of directors, president and CEO. John Mulligan, Target's chief financial officer, has been appointed as interim president and chief executive officer. Roxanne S. Austin, a current member of Target's board of directors, has been appointed as interim non-executive chair of the board. Both will serve in their roles until permanent replacements are named. We have asked Gregg Steinhafel to serve in an advisory capacity during this transition and he has graciously agreed.
The board is deeply grateful to Gregg for his significant contributions and outstanding service throughout his notable 35-year career with the company. We believe his passion for the team and relentless focus on the guest have established Target as a leader in the retail industry. Gregg has created a culture that fosters innovation and supports the development of new ideas. Under his leadership, the company has not only enhanced its ability to execute, but has broadened its strategic horizons. He also led the company through unprecedented challenges, navigating the financial recession, reacting to challenges with Target's expansion into Canada, and successfully defending the company through a high-profile proxy battle.
Most recently, Gregg led the response to Target's 2013 data breach. He held himself personally accountable and pledged that Target would emerge a better company. We are grateful to him for his tireless leadership and will always consider him a member of the Target family.
The board will continue to be actively engaged with the leadership team to drive Target's future success and will manage the transition. In addition to the appointments of the exceptional leaders noted above, we have also retained Korn Ferry to advise the board on a comprehensive CEO search.
The board is confident in the future of this company and views this transition as an opportunity to drive Target's business forward and accelerate the company's transformation efforts.
The announcement comes on Target's new CIO's first day on the job.
Discussion Starters:
- Assess the board's statement: what works well and what could be improved about the content, organization, tone, and so on?
- Why do you think the board waited so long? Target learned of the breach in mid-December 2013. What factors might have played into the decision?
Taco Bell: "Those Other Ingredients"
After criticism of its meat in 2011, Taco Bell came out fighting with a video message from CEO Greg Creed (who kindly gave permission for the video to be included with Chapter 7 of the textbook). Now, Taco Bell further explains its ingredients in response to the false-advertising lawsuit claiming that the company uses "taco meat filling" rather than "seasoned beef."
Taco Bell has said that its meat is "88% Premium Beef and 12% Signature Recipe," which includes seasonings, spices, water and other ingredients. This week, the company revealed the 12% in a graphic posted on its website:
Although these ingredients don't sound very appetizing, a Popular Science article tells us not to worry: "...the ingredients in them are not scary poison that the average person will never understand. Most are fine in small amounts or when consumed in infrequent treats."
Discussion Starters:
- Go to the Taco Bell's graphic and click on each box. How effective are the explanations of these other ingredients?
- Why do you think the company took two years to reveal the rest of its recipe?
AOL Tells Customers to Change Their Password
The latest hacking victim is AOL, which urged users to change their password even though the risk sounds small.
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| Dear AOL User,
At AOL, we care deeply about the safety and security of your online experience. We are writing to notify you that AOL is investigating a security incident that involved unauthorized access to AOL's network and systems. Recently, our systems alerted us to an increased incidence of email users receiving spam emails from "spoofed" AOL email addresses. AOL's security team immediately began investigating the cause of the spoofed emails. Spoofing is a tactic used by spammers to make it appear that the message is from you in order to trick the recipient into opening it. These emails do not originate from the AOL Mail system – the addresses are just edited to make them appear that way. AOL is working with other email providers like Gmail, Yahoo! Mail and Outlook·com to stamp out spoofing across the industry, and we have implemented measures that will significantly limit its future occurrence. Although our investigation is still underway, we have determined that there was unauthorized access to AOL users' email addresses, postal addresses, contact information (as stored in the AOL Mail "Address Book"), encrypted account passwords, and encrypted answers to security questions that we ask when a user resets his or her password. We believe spammers have used this contact information to send spoofed emails that appeared to come from roughly 2% of our email accounts. Importantly, at this point, we have no indication that the encryption on the passwords or the answers to security questions was broken. Likewise, there is no indication that this incident resulted in disclosure of users' financial information, including debit and credit cards, which is also fully encrypted. Nevertheless, as a precautionary measure, we strongly encourage you to reset your password used for any AOL service and, when you do so, you should take the time to change your account security question and answer. You may reset your password and account security question at account.aol.com. In addition, there are steps you can take to protect yourself from cyber risks. They include:
We place a premium on the security of our systems and our users' information. We are implementing additional measures to address this incident, and we are working with law enforcement to pursue the matter. If you have any further questions, additional information and an extensive Q&A can be found at faq.aol.com. We apologize for any inconvenience, and we are addressing the situation as quickly and forcefully as we can. |
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Privacy Policy | Customer Support |
According to PC Magazine, AOL also updated its email policy. An announcement on its blog says the company is working with other email providers to reject spoofed emails:
"AOL Mail is immediately changing its policy to help mail providers reject email messages that are sent using forged AOL Mail addresses. By initiating this change, AOL Mail, along with other major email providers will reject these spoofed email messages, rather than deliver them to the recipient's inboxes."
Discussion Starters:
- Analyze AOL's audience: who is the typical user (other than my 86-year-old father)?
- How well does AOL describe the technical problem to this audience? What else about the email is tailored to this audience?
- What, if anything, could be improved about the email?
- What's your assessment of AOL's blog post about working with other email providers?
Board Terminates RadiumOne CEO After Felony Charges
Former RadiumOne CEO and Founder Gurbaksh Chahal is disputing his termination. The board of directors may have supported Chahal as he was charged with assaulting his girlfriend and plead guilty to two misdemeanors. But after more reporting and social media activity, apparently, the board made its decision.
RadiumOne, an advertising platform, announced the termination in a short press statement on its website:
"At a board meeting yesterday evening, RadiumOne's board of directors voted to terminate the employment of Gurbaksh Chahal as CEO and Chairman of the company. Bill Lonergan, the company's COO, will take over as CEO of the Company immediately. Bill has an extraordinary professional background and has helped build BlueLithium and RadiumOne into industry leading brands. We are confident he will continue Radium One's impressive trajectory."
In a blog post, "Can You Handle the Truth?" Chahal admits to losing his temper but denies claims that he hit his girlfriend 117 times. He also protests the media attention and social media attacks. Chahal includes an email he says he received from one of his board members two days before he was terminated:
"Been thinking some more. Absolutely don't do anything. Let the haters hate ad move on. This will blow over very quickly and we focus on the IPO. Don't let them get to you. Don't respond. I know it sucks but i think this is the right way fwd. Stay strong amigo. I feel for you."
In the meantime, at least two reporters had called for the board to terminate Chahal: Kara Swisher and CNN Money writer Dan Primack.
Discussion Starters:
- Did the board make the right decision? Why or why not? What does one's personal life have to do with the business? Does his position as CEO and/or founder affect your view?
- How do you assess the email Chahal posted? If it's real, does it help his case?
- How, if at all, does the image of Chahal with President Obama affect your opinion of him?
General Mills Changes Its Tune
Following criticism of its new legal restrictions, General Mills has reversed its policy. The change warned customers who interacted with its brands, for example, by downloading a coupon, that they would give up their rights to sue and would be forced into an abritration process instead.
In an email, a company spokesperson conveyed what The New York Times calls a "stunning about-face":
"Because our concerns and intentions were widely misunderstood, causing concerns among our consumers, we've decided to change them back to what they were. As a result, the recently updated legal terms are being removed from our websites, and we are announcing today that we have reverted back to our prior legal terms, which contain no mention of arbitration."
The decision was further announced on the General Mills blog:
Here's the company's tweet about the change:
Discussion Starters:
- Was this the right decision for General Mills? What are the consequences either way?
- Assess the company's blog post. What works well, and what could be improved?
Captain of Korean Ferry Is Arrested and Apologizes
The captain and two crew members of the South Korean Ferry that capsized with hundreds of people on board were arrested. As of today, about 75 people were rescued, 29 bodies were recovered, and 236 are still missing, mostly high schools students taking a trip.
In this video, the captain and a crew member apologize. Additional questions by the press are below.
Q: Was there any place to turn? You evacuated the crew but why not to passengers?
Capt: I gave the evacuation order.
Q: Did you?
Capt: Yes, I gave the evacuation order to passengers too.
Q: Why did the announcement ask the passengers to stay in their cabin?
Capt: At that time, none of the rescue ships had arrived at the scene.
Q: Nothing there?
Capt: Yes, at that time.
Q: But you evacuated first?
Capt: No.
Q: Do you accept the charges of the prosecutor's office?
Capt: Yes, I understand there are some parts that are my fault. Anyway, I am sorry I caused the trouble. I apologise to all Koreans and especially I bow my head in apology to the family of the victims.
There are some parts I do not understand. There is no such (mumbles).
Q: Did you give evacuation orders?
Capt: Yes, I did.
Q: But there were many announcements asking passengers to stay in the cabin. Why?
Capt: That's before the rescue boats arrived.
Q: At that time, is it true the ship was tilting seriously?
Capt: The boat was in an area of very strong current, the temperature of the ocean water was cold and I thought if people left the ferry without proper judgement, if they not were wearing a life jacket, and even if they were, they would drift away and face many other difficulties. The rescue boats had not arrived yet, nor were there any civilian fishing ships or other boats around at that time.
Q: When did you notify the coastguard? When was the first sign of a problem?
Capt: I remember it was probably around 9.50am.
Q: 9.50am? Wasn't it 8.50?
Capt: Yes, 8.50.
Q: Did you feel anything strange before that?
Capt: No.
Q: Was there any place you can turn?
Capt: It is not that there was no place to turn the boat. I asked the crew to stay on the route. I briefly went to my bedroom and I was on my way back when it happened.
Q: You went to your bedroom?
Capt: Yes.
Q: There were rumours that you were drunk?
Capt: No.
Q: Are you sure?
Capt: Yes.
A transcript between the ship and a nearby island portrays "confusion and panic," according to an NPR report.
To add more tragedy to this situation, the students' deputy headmaster committed suicide. Reports show he did "everything by the book" but apparently was overcome with grief. He left a note that said, "Surviving alone is too painful while 200 remain unaccounted for. I take full responsibility. I pushed ahead with the school trip," and "I will once again become a teacher in the afterlife for my students whose bodies have not been discovered."
Discussion Starters:
- The captain and crew are criticized for leaving the boat and for telling people to remain in the ship rather than evacuate. What could explain their actions?
- From watching the video, what cultural differences can you identify? In other words, how might this situation differ if it happened in the United States?
Communications About California Bus Tragedy
A terrible bus accident left ten people dead, including five high school students on a Preview Plus tour of Humboldt State College. This was a special trip for first-generation and low-income students to see the college where they were accepted and might attend the following year. More than 30 people were injured.
A FedEx truck jumped the median and crashed into the bus, creating a horrible scene of students and their chaperones trying to escape. A FedEx spokesperson has made this statement: "Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved in the tragic accident on I-5 in California. We are cooperating fully with authorities as they investigate." Also, FedEx posted this statement on the news pages of its website.
Humboldt posted this message on its website:
Here are two excerpts from a news conference.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/12/us/orland-california-bus-crash.html?hp&_r=0
See also the LA School District's notice to employees.
Although the California Highway Patrol says the investigation could take months, they do know that some bus passengers weren't using their seatbelts. As a new model bus, it had shoulder belts, but victims were thrown from the vehicle, indicating that their use wasn't enforced.
Discussion Starters:
- Assess Homboldt's website post. In what ways is it what you would expect, and how, if it all, is it different?
- Assess FedEx's statement. Given the recency, is the statement appropriate? Should the company say anything else?
- Assess the comments in both videos for emotional appeal and handling questions. What works well, and what could be improved?
NSA's New Press Kit
The National Security Agency (NSA) published a shiny, new press kit to try to change its image. Damaged by reports of spying, the NSA's reputation could use some freshening up.
With self-aggrandizing phrases, such as, "Saving Lives," "Cybersecurity: A Team Sport," "Operating as a Responsible Citizen," and "The Mission that Never Sleeps," the NSA is trying to combat negative perceptions.
The kit also addresses "Myths" about the NSA, such as, "The NSA has agents who can arrest hackers or other cyber bad guys," and "NSA monitors the world's communications systems at all times."
Discussion Starters:
- Read the entire press kit. What are the NSA's main messages?
- Assess the text and graphics. How well do they work together? What images are most prevalent in the kit?
- Which themes or points do you find most and least convincing?
GM's Cobalt Recall Site
For the unfortunate customers who own a Chevy Cobalt, GM has created a dedicated recall website.
The site includes a series of Q&A and links to a "gallery" of videos between 23 and 48 seconds long. The site als0 includes this graphic and a video that repeats this "3-Point Check Plan."
Discussion Starters:
- Assess the short videos on the website: what works well, and what could be improved?
- The "3-Point Check Plan" tells customers what to do with their key chain, that they should talk to the dealer, and how to reach the company. Do we need a graphic and a video for that? Are GM's communications too simple? Or am I underestimating what customers need?
Tobacco Free New York Radio Ads
Last month, CVS announced the decision to stop selling tobacco products in its stores. In the past week, this ad has been running on Ithaca radio stations.
On the Tobacco Free New York website, we see communications for other campaigns since 2010:
Discussion Starters:
- Take a look at the video about how tobacco companies sponsor community events. Do you consider their approach ethical? Use the ethical decision-making guidelines in Chapter 1 to formulate your argument.
- The ad, above, mentions that some drugstores have stopped selling tobacco products, but it doesn't name CVS. Why?
- What's the punctuation error in "Tobacco Free New York"? Is this a good choice for the organization's name?
Mary Barra's Video Message to GM Employees
As communication experts question GM's "no comment" strategy with the press, CEO Mary Barra continues her communication with employees. In a four-minute video, Barra addresses what a New York Times article calls "a decade-long failure to fix a defect tied to 12 deaths."
While people and companies are increasingly criticized for false apologies, Barra tries to go beyond a simple apology: "We have apologized, but that is only one step in the journey to resolve this." Of course, the company has little choice considering the federal investigations; it must take more action.
The video complements an intranet post for employees on March 4 that outlined GM's investigation plans and expressed confidence in the future.
Discussion Starters:
- Assess Barra's video. What works well, and what could be improved in the organization, content, and delivery?
- What key messages do you take from the video? How do they compare to Barra's message to employees on March 4?
- Why is Barra choosing employee messages as her primary communication vehicle? She has declined interviews with the press. On the other hand, the video is public on GM's website and YouTube. What's her strategy?
A Handwritten Job Ad
Advertising agency Solve has a new-and old-way of inviting interns to apply for jobs. In a handwritten letter posted around college campuses, Solve asks interns to submit a traditional cover letter and resume by mail. Emphasizing "genuine connections" and a "personal, straightforward" approach, the agency describes its rationale:
"Valuing substance over silliness, Solve refuses to ask candidates to condense resumes into 140 characters, present themselves via fake campaign or funny videos, or answer irrelevant nonsensical questions. Rather, Solve is simply asking for a resume and cover letter…to be sent (via mail) to the agency."
Discussion Starters:
- What's your view of the agency's campaign: refreshing, as gimmicky as a tweet, or something else?
- I'm having trouble reading the letter. Is it just me?
- The letter asks prospective interns to mail in their cover letter and resume. Would you submit something typed or handwritten?
- The letter has a fairly major grammatical error. Can you find it?
Meetup Communicates About Outage
Meetup's website was down for a while, frustrating users. CEO Scott Heiferman communicated well during the outage with two emails. In both, he emphasizes that user information was not compromised-a likely question that users might have.
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Meetup Organizers around the world, You may have had trouble accessing Meetup's site or apps over the past few days, and you may have heard that Meetup has suffered a massive attack on our servers - a DDoS attack, which is a barrage of traffic intended to make services unavailable. Organizer and member data is secure, including credit card information. No data has been accessed or stolen. (See our blog for all the details on the attack and our response.) This has been a tough few days for Meetup, and I know it's been a real struggle for many of you to manage your Meetups while our site and apps were down. You should know that we're listening to your questions and concerns and that you can count on meetup to be stable and reliable soon, to bring back all features, and to minimize the effects of the service outages. Thanks for everything you do to create community, Scott Heiferman, |
| Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, or our blog for continuous updates. |
Meetup Inc., POB 4668 #37895
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Hello Meetup Members,
You may have had trouble accessing Meetup in the past week, and you may have heard that we were hit by a massive attack on our servers - a DDoS attack, which is a barrage of traffic intended to make services unavailable.
I'm happy to report that Meetup is up and running! And no personal data was accessed or stolen. (For more info, here are details on the attack and answers to your FAQs.)
It was amazing to see how many people were rooting for Meetup. We're excited to see you discover what's going on, find your people, and create community like never before.
Here's what you may have missed:
You can also download our iOS app or Android app for a super easy way to see local Meetups!
Scott Heiferman,
Co-Founder and CEO, Meetup
Discussion Starters:
- Analyze Heiferman's two emails: the organization, content, writing style, and mechanics. What works well, and what would you suggest he change?
- Why might users worry about their personal information? Did Heiferman overstate the concern or address it well?
- In both emails, Heiferman includes the difficulty this has caused Meetup as an organization. What do you think of his including the organization's perspective in this way? Does it enhance his
SeaWorld PR in Full Swing (Spin)
At least one reporter thinks the SeaWorld PR machine should take a rest. SeaWorld took a big reputation hit when more than 21 million people watched Blackfish, a documentary claiming that orca whales suffer in captivity, in some cases causing injury and death to trainers who work at the park.
Now, five months after the movie aired, SeaWorld submitted a complaint to the Labor Department, questioning the ethics of an investigator cited in the film. Calling the move "bizarre PR," Yahoo writer Jeff Macke said, "The complaint put SeaWorld and the documentary on the front page of the N.Y. Times business section; exactly where the company doesn't want it to be."
SeaWorld's strategy seems to be a continuation of its approach from last July, which a New York Times writer described:
"SeaWorld, advised by the communications firm 42West, which is better known for promoting films than punching back at them, is taking the opposite approach. By midweek, the company was providing top executives and animal caretakers for interviews about the movie and its purported flaws.
"It was also deliberating possible further moves, which might conceivably include informational advertising, a Web-based countercampaign or perhaps a request for some sort of access to CNN, which picked up television rights to 'Blackfish' through its CNN Films unit and plans to broadcast the movie on Oct. 24."
On its website, SeaWorld writes the "Truth About Blackfish," which the company calls "propaganda, not a documentary":
"We object to Blackfish because its two central premises are wrong: (1) that life at SeaWorld is harmful for killer whales and for trainers working with these animals, and (2) that SeaWorld has attempted to cover up the facts surrounding the tragic death of trainer Dawn Brancheau in 2010, as well the history of Tilikum, the killer whale involved in that accident. Nothing could be further from the truth.
"To make these ultimately false and misleading points, the film conveys falsehoods, manipulates viewers emotionally, and relies on questionable filmmaking techniques to create 'facts' that support its point of view." (continue reading)
The post then describes several areas the company considers false or misleading.
Discussion Starters:
- What's your view? Do you agree with the Yahoo writer's assessment of SeaWorld's PR approach?
- Assess SeaWorld's criticism of the movie. Which are the strongest points, and which are the weakest? How, if at all, does this article affect your perception of Blackfish?
Viral Ad Winner: "Would You Help a Freezing Child?"
A hidden camera filming people helping a freezing child in Oslo, Norway, topped the Viral Video Chart this week. The ad raises awareness of the suffering of Syrian children.
Discussion Starters:
- What makes these ads so compelling, particularly the one about people helping the freezing child?
- Which on this list is your favorite?
"Milk Life" Replaces "Got Milk?"
After 21 years of success, the "Got Milk?" slogan is being replaced by "Milk Life." The original campaign started in 2013 and was best known for its celebrities sporting a milk mustache. Now, the Milk Processor Education Program is updating the slogan and producing new ads to address declining milk sales.
On a new website, the campaign features images of active people and milk-based products. A theme seems to be "8 grams of protein," and a new video, below, shows people being powered by milk as a windmill and parachute. The campaign emphasizes drinking milk in the morning to get the "power of protein."
Earlier phrases, such as "it does the body good," have fallen out of favor. According to one of the advertising executives who worked on the campaign, "It reminds them of why they didn't want to drink it in the first place."
Discussion Starters:
- Who do you think is the target market for this campaign?
- Assess the current campaign: look at the website photos, text, and images. What works well, and what could be improved?
- The AdAge article discusses non-dairy products, such as soy and almond milk. How does this campaign stack up to the competitors' messaging?