Customer Service Gone Wrong

An article in Ad Age details a scripted, annoying customer interaction at Chase bank. The customer waits on line for a teller and is encouraged to use an ATM instead (with a longer line). The conversation seems relentless:

"I can stand with you by the ATM and walk you through it -- it's really easy," he said.

Oh God. He was obviously working off some sort of script.

"Right, yeah," I said, "I've used them before. I'd just prefer to deal with a teller today." Head back down, eyes on my iPhone.

"Can I ask why?" (Oh jeez.)

The killer line was this rationale for using the machine: "You know, if you use one of the ATMs, you reduce stress for him [the teller]." Although the representative claimed the bank is adding tellers, it didn't take long for the writer to find headlines about Chase laying off 5,000 employees.

Encouraging people to use technology may be good for business, but customer service people need to read social cues to know when to end a conversation-and they should get the facts straight.

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Discussion:

• Read the article for more detail. What verbal and body language cues did the bank representative miss?
• What should the rep have said or done differently? What would have made the interaction sound less "scripted"?
• Did the situation warrant the writer's reaction? Should he have simply done as suggested and used the ATM?

Women and People of Color Under-Represented in Technology Ads

A study published in Gender Issues analyzed video ads for technology products and services and found little diversity. The authors concluded that white men were most prevalent and women, people of color, older people, and children were missing or in lesser roles. 

The researchers also found that, when women were represented, they were portrayed as emotional or passive-not in control. In contrast, according to the authors, "technology itself is portrayed in masculinist terms-powerful, fast, strong, active-thereby reinforcing this association."

The results are interesting and perhaps a warning to technology companies who say they want to increase diversity among their employees. If companies want to boost the appeal of computer science degrees, they may look at how they present their products and services. 

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Discussion:

• Do some research of your own. Watch a few technology product videos. Do you see what the authors found? 
• Why do you think companies advertise their products and services in this way? Is it an oversight or intentional?

Mika Brzezinski Responds to President Trump's Tweet

President Trump had contained some of his comments on Twitter since taking office-until now. He tweeted about Mika Brzezinski, co-host of Morning Joe, which continues the feud from last summer. 

Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough (engaged to be married) aren't keeping quiet about the situation. In a long piece in Vanity Fair, Brzezinski tells more gory details about meetings and her neck surgery. They wrote an op-ed for The Washington Post, and

Business Insider describes the hosts refutation of Trump's claims.

The whole story sounds a bit high school: were they friends, and now they're not anymore?

Business Insider also reported Brzezinski's response about the tweet: 

Brzezinski said she was "fine" after the attack, adding that her family "brought me up really tough."

"This is absolutely nothing for me personally," she said. "But I'm very concerned about what this once again reveals about the president of the United States. ... It does worry me about the country."

"We're okay," Scarborough said. "The country is not."

Discussion:

• The op-ed piece is titled, "Donald Trump is not well." Do you agree? Too harsh, just right, or something else?
• How do you assess Brzezinski's reaction? Should she and Scarborough let it go? What are their motivations?

Uber Board Member Resigns and Kalanick Takes a Leave

An Uber board member resigned after making a sexist comment not supported by research. At the same time, CEO Travis Kalanick will take a leave from the company.

David Bonderman, an investor from TPG, said of more women on the board, "Actually, what it shows is that it's much more likely to be more talking." His comment was made during an Uber staff meeting in response to Arianna Huffington, a female board member, saying that having one woman on the board usually leads to others. Bonderman's comment has no merit: research shows that men talk more than women in meetings.

The comment was untimely, in the midst of Uber, presumably, trying to change its culture following complaints of sexual harassment and lack of follow through. Employees complained about the comment, and Bonderman apologized and resigned: "I do not want my comments to create distraction as Uber works to build a culture of which we can be proud. I need to hold myself to the same standards that we're asking Uber to adopt. Therefore, I have decided to resign from Uber's board of directors."

The comment also comes soon after a report by Eric Holder and others with recommendations for improving the company's culture. Many of the recommendations are for basic management principles, such as conducting performance reviews and having HR keep records.

Also in the news is a "Miami Letter" Kalanick sent to employees in 2013 before a company outing. The email offers advice for having sex, drinking, and more. By any measure, it is not an appropriate email for a CEO to send to employees. (Read here -- NSFW.)

But one happy result is Travis Kalanick's taking a leave from the company. If they want to change the culture, his stepping aside for at least a while may help.

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Discussion:

• Maybe Bonderman made the comment as a joke. What are your thoughts? Employees may be sensitive now because of the sexual harassment complaints and other issues.
• Read and assess the report. What principles of report writing from Chapter 10 are followed, and how can it be improved?
• What effect do you think Kalanick's stepping away will have? Is this the right decision for the company?

Gianforte Apologizes

Greg Gianforte, the Montana Republican candidate running for Congress, "body-slammed" a reporter. The link to audio is at right.

His apology letter has gotten high marks, and it does meet some of the criteria discussed in Chapter 7 for an effective apology. A professor emeritus of management and human resources at the Ohio State University's Fisher College of Business analyzed and annotated the letter for The Huffington Post:

Dear Mr. Jacobs: 

I write to express my sincere apology for my conduct on the evening of May 24. My physical response to your legitimate question was unprofessional, unacceptable, and unlawful [acknowledgement of responsibility]. As both a candidate for office and a public official, I should be held to a high standard in my interactions with the press and the public [acknowledgement of responsibility]. My treatment of you did not meet that standard [expression of regret].

Notwithstanding anyone's statements to the contrary, you did not initiate any physical contact with me, and I had no right to assault you. I am sorry for what I did and the unwanted notoriety this has created for you [expression of regret]. I take full responsibility [acknowledgement of responsibility]

I understand the critical role that journalists and the media play in our society. Protections afforded to the press through the Constitution are fundamental to who we are as a nation and the way government is accountable to the people. I acknowledge that the media have an obligation to seek information. I also know that civility in our public discourse is central to a productive dialogue on issues. I had no right to respond the way I did to your legitimate question about healthcare policy [declaration of repentance]. You were doing your job. 

In the hope that perhaps some good news can come of these events, I am making a $50,000 contribution to the Committee To Protect Journalists, an independent non-profit organization that promotes press freedom and that protects the rights of journalists worldwide [offer of repair].

I made a mistake and humbly ask for your forgiveness [request for forgiveness]. 

Sincerely, 

Greg Gianforte

On Twitter, @SorryWatch also compliments the letter, but she questions the source. The letter was part of a settlement, so perhaps the words aren't Gianforte's own? 

To me, the letter sounds a bit too perfect. Yes, it hits the right components but, for example, who says, "I....humbly ask for your forgiveness"? And some criteria for apologies discussed in the book are missing. It sounds like a lawyer wrote it.

Discussion:

• Quiz question: Which criteria discussed in the book are missing from this apology? These may give us a clue about how the letter falls short overall.
• What's your view of the letter? Is my assessment too harsh?

Comey's Testimony Offers a Window

Former Director James Comey's testimony tells us-at least from his perspective-a bit about politics in the Trump Administration. A Business Insider headline reads, " 'The most shocking single document' since Watergate." However, the article quotes a good friend of Comey's.

Yet his testimony is impressive, and the media is enjoying the story. Comey describes how President Trump, at a private dinner, asked for his loyalty, and Comey stressed the importance of the FBI being independent from the White House. He reports that the President asked if he wanted to continue on as FBI director, although he had said twice previously that he did.

Comey reports about another private meeting in which the President said, "I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go. He is a good guy. I hope you can let this go." The question is whether the President's actions constitute obstruction of justice. A Wall Street Journal video commentary describes the President's requests of Flynn as "unusual."

Today is an interesting day to compare headlines and see the political bent of the media:

• New York Times: "Trump Pressed Comey to ‘Lift Cloud' of Russia Inquiry"
• Wall Street Journal: "Comey Says Trump Sought Loyalty"

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Discussion:

• How credible do you find Comey's testimony? What influences your opinion? Consider the word choice, writing style, and so on.
• How does what Comey describes differ from business relationships? What could be similar between and manager and an employee working in a company?
• What do you think will happen next?

Harvard Rescinds Offers Because of Offensive Memes

Harvard has rescinded admissions offers to at least ten students for posting offensive memes in a private Facebook group. The posts included jokes about sexual assault and people of color and included violent images, such as a Mexican person hanging.

Newly admitted students participated in a Facebook group established by the university, and a smaller group splintered off to have some fun. Members of the larger group say people were invited to participate if they posted something offensive to the original group first.

The Admissions Office sent an email to several students, including the text, "The Admissions Committee was disappointed to learn that several students in a private group chat for the Class of 2021 were sending messages that contained offensive messages and graphics" and "As we understand you were among the members contributing such material to this chat, we are asking that you submit a statement by tomorrow at noon to explain your contributions and actions for discussion with the Admissions Committee."

In the description of the university's Facebook group is this disclaimer:

"As a reminder, Harvard College reserves the right to withdraw an offer of admission under various conditions including if an admitted student engages in behavior that brings into question his or her honesty, maturity, or moral character."

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Discussion:

• What are the arguments for and against the decision to rescind the offers?
• What's your view? Did the university do the right thing?
• Have memes gotten out of control? They all seem ill willed. Will people get tired of them at some point?

Ryan Getzlaf Calls Ref a Bad Name

NHL Anaheim Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf will pay $10,000 for calling a referee a name too bad to print in BizCom in the News. People say it's homophobic, which technically it is, and it's just plain ugly. (Here's a detailed, NSFW analysis of the term, if you're so inclined.)

A statement on NHL's website, shown here, refers to " an inappropriate remark." The fine is the most allowed by the players' union.

In a statement called "luke warm," Getzlaf apologized, a little: 

"A situation like that, where I'm on the bench by myself, frustration set in," Getzlaf said, via ESPN. "There was obviously some words said, not necessarily directed at anyone in particular. It was just kind of a comment. I've got to be a little bit more responsible for the words I choose. "Definitely as a father, as somebody that takes a lot of pride in this game and the respect for it, it's tough to see somebody refer to it as (a gay slur). I didn't mean it in that manner in any way. For that to take that route was very disappointing for me. I do accept responsibility and I accept the fine."

Read more at: http://nesn.com/2017/05/ryan-getzlaf-apologizes-sort-of-after-10k-fine-for-using-gay-slur/

A situation like that, where I'm on the bench by myself, frustration set in. There was obviously some words said, not necessarily directed at anyone in particular. It was just kind of a comment. I've got to be a little bit more responsible for the words I choose.

Definitely as a father, as somebody that takes a lot of pride in this game and the respect for it, it's tough to see somebody refer to it as (a gay slur). I didn't mean it in that manner in any way. For that to take that route was very disappointing for me. I do accept responsibility and I accept the fine.

Discussion:

• "There was obviously some words said." Help: What grammar problems do you see here?
• What make this a weak apology?
• Did the league take the right action? Some say Getzlaf deserved more of a punishment.
• What else should Getzlaf do or say?

GM Venezuelan Employees Laid Off by Text Message

Last month, 2,700 employees at a General Motors plant in Venezuela say they were fired by a text message:

"GM informs you that social benefits will be transferred to employees' accounts due to the termination of your contracts."

Authorities took over the plant, removing vehicles and causing damage. The plant joins more than 500,000 companies in Venezuela that have been closed since 1999, when Hugo Chávez became president.

GM said they had no choice but to close operations after the seizure:

"[The plant] was unexpectedly taken by the public authorities, preventing normal operations. In addition, other assets of the company, such as vehicles, have been illegally taken from its facilities."

Understandably, employees are upset about the news:

"We don't feel happy. We will only feel happy when our plant starts operation again. We need to be sure our jobs are safe and we are going to start working again. Given the situation in Venezuela these days, it would be really hard to find another job like the one I am doing here at this plant."

Some say the government did GM a favor; car sales have been declining in Venezuela anyway.

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Discussion:

• What do you think of GM's communication? Maybe the company had little choice given the situation?
• Generally, what's your view of firing or laying off by text message? What are the benefits and downsides?

Spirit Cancels Flights and Passengers Get Angry

Spirit cancelled flights, and their customers went a bit wild in the Fort Lauderdale airport. One woman says Spirit cancelled three flights in four days, and she's having trouble getting home. Customers were fighting, and some were arrested.

Spirit blames pilots, who won't take certain assignments. They have sued the Airline Pilots Association for what they're calling a work slowdown, which has caused 300 flight cancellations and affected about 20,000 customers.

In a statement, Spirit spokesperson said the company was "shocked and saddened" to see the airport chaos and said, "These pilots have put their quest for a new contract ahead of getting customers to their destinations and the safety of their fellow Spirit Team Members."

Pilots say they are working without a contract and are seeking pay increases. They deny causing a slowdown and said, "Rather, ALPA and the Spirit pilots are continuing to do everything possible to help restore the company's operations, which have experienced significant problems over the past several days."

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Discussion:

• Analyze responsibilities in this situation: airline management, the pilots, the pilot union, and customers. How could this situation have been prevented?
• How's your view of the airline's communications so far? How can they be improved?

Mall of America's Social Strategy

PR Daily News reports on Mall of America's successful "newsjacking," or taking advantage of news stories to promote business. Being close to the Mineapolis-St. Paul International Airport gives the mall the chance to lure travelers to shop when their flight is delayed.

Last summer, the mall wrote a blog post, "Flight delayed? 11 things to do at MOA," offering better options than wandering aimlessly like Tom Hanks in "The Terminal." Like a lot of malls these days (what's left of them), Mall of America is part amusement park.

Through social listening, the mall is responsive, but they also promote timely events, such as the mall's 25th anniversary, and greet people who announced celebrations at the mall. We can see the potential for creepiness here, but management believes people appreciate this.

The mall has a bunch of people writing posts, and manager Timothy Pate lets them have their own voice: "Mall of America happens to have a lot of quirky stories, and we aren't afraid to share those with our readers. We find when you really let your quirks shine through, readership goes up."

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Discussion:

• From Chapter 3 in the text or from your own research, how would you define social listening?
• I mentioned the concern about "creepiness." Where should social media managers draw the line? What are some examples of overstepping?

Heated Wells Fargo Shareholders Meeting

The annual Wells Fargo shareholders meeting was disrupted by angry shareholders wanting to understand how 2 million accounts were created without customers' knowledge and without the knowledge of senior leaders of the organization. One attendee shouted, "You did it that way and you allowed it to continue for years." Another yelled, "We elected you guys to protect us, to be our watchdogs, and you were not." Security removed three protestors.

Despite the protests, all 15 board members were re-elected, although some narrowly. The board's three newcomers, including the new CEO, Tim Sloan, won more support.

Sloan started the meeting with a promise to change:

"There is no doubt that the last seven months have been one of the most difficult periods in our company's 165-year history. I can assure you that we are facing these problems head-on and that Wells Fargo is emerging a much stronger company."

Board turnover will happen over time. Some directors are nearing the mandatory retirement age, and others may still be forced out. But for Brandon Rees, the deputy director of the A.F.L.-C.I.O.'s investment office, the change isn't coming quickly enough. The group holds 1.6 million shares of Wells Fargo, and Rees voted against all of the current board members:

"Fresh blood is needed to ensure that the board has sufficient independence. The narrow vote puts incredible pressure on some directors to reconsider their membership. I hope that by this time next year, we have a new slate."

In March, Gretchen Morgenson wrote a New York Times piece about the increasing number of online shareholders meetings. Partly for convenience, partly to skirt accountability and confrontations like this, more and more companies are holding web-based meetings. The director of an asset management group was quoted in her article:

"These are not management's meetings; they are the meetings of the owners of the company." Online-only events give company officials "tremendous power over controlling, censoring and really limiting the engagement of share owners with the board and management."

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Discussion:

• Are you surprised at the board vote? Why or why not?
• What's your view of the shareholders who spoke out? Were they inappropriately disruptive or just finding their voice?
• What do you think of online shareholder meetings. When might they be appropriate or not?

NYT Article About Uber CEO

A long New York Times article chronicles Uber CEO Travis Kalanick's rise to power and what has happened since. He certainly has built a successful company, but his leadership character is not ideal.

We have seen many reports of ignored complaints and executive departures and have seen the video altercation between Kalanick and an Uber driver. The latest report is about Uber's violation of an Apple rule against "fingerprinting." Uber was tracking iPhone users even after they deleted the Uber app.

The NYT tells of a meeting between Kalanick and Apple CEO Tim Cook in 2015. In the article, "Uber's CEO Plays with Fire," we learned that Cook summoned Kalanick to his office. Surprisingly, Kalanick "was shaken by Mr. Cook's scolding, according to a person who saw him after the meeting."

He should have been: if Apple decided to remove Uber's app from iPhones, the company could have lost millions of users.

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Discussion:

• Although Kalanick may have been "shaken" by the meeting, it doesn't seem to have affected his leadership tactics. Do you agree, or is this too harsh?
• Read the article. What else do you learn about Kalanick? How, if at all, does it change your impression of him as a leader?

Altercation on American

Emotions are running high on airplanes. An altercation on an American flight-captured on video, of course-resulted in an employee's suspension.

Apparently, a flight attendant took a stroller forcefully from a woman, hitting her with it. The woman is seen crying, upset that the stroller also just missed her baby. The conflict arose because the woman wanted to keep the stroller with her in the back of the plane, and the attendant wouldn't allow it.

At some point, another passenger got involved and said to an attendant, "You do that to me and I'll knock you flat." An altercation ensues and the flight attendant can be heard saying back to the passenger, "Hit me! Come on, bring it on."

After the United incident when a man was dragged off the plane, American Airlines had to take decisive action. The airline suspended the employee, upgraded the woman and her family to first class on their next flight, and issued a statement:

"We are deeply sorry for the pain we have caused this passenger and her family and to any other customers affected by the incident."

The Association for Professional Flight Attendants (the union) spoke out against American Airlines for acting too quickly. Instead, the president blamed airline conditions, such as shrinking seats and overcrowding, for part of the issue. 

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Discussion:

• Have we all gone mad? Who are the actors in this play, and what responsibility does each hold? In other words, could this scene have been avoided?
• Assess the airline's response. To what extent do you think the United incident affected the response? Either way, did the company respond appropriately?

Fox News Forces Bill O'Reilly Out

After weeks of reports that Fox News settled sexual harassment claims with several women, Fox News anchor Bill O'Reilly is forced out of the company. After $13 million in payouts, additional women came forward, including two who hadn't received settlements and therefore could speak openly.

Pressure was on Fox News when more than 50 companies pulled advertising from the network. Parent company 21st Century Fox, owned by the Murdoch family, issued a brief statement:

"After a thorough and careful review of the allegations, the company and Bill O'Reilly have agreed that Bill O'Reilly will not be returning to the Fox News Channel."

In addition, James Murdoch answered questions a short response: "We did a thorough investigation, a thorough review, and we reached a conclusion. Everything that we said in our statement is all you need to know."

In his own statement, Bill O'Reilly defended himself and blamed his celebrity.  Image source.

Discussion:

• Analyze Fox News and 21st Century Fox's responses in this situation. What did they do well, and what could be improved? What's your view of the companies' actions? Were they too slow, did they cave to advertisers, or something else?
• Should Bill O'Reilly say anything different in his own response?

Choate Apologizes for Sexual Abuse

Choate

Private school Choate Rosemary Hall, in Wallingford, CT, has uncovered sexual abuse by 12 faculty members. According to a report commissioned by the board of trustees, abuse going back to the 1960s was mishandled:

"Sexual misconduct matters were handled internally and quietly. Even when a teacher was terminated or resigned in the middle of the school year because he or she had engaged in sexual misconduct with a student, the rest of the faculty was told little and sometimes nothing about the teacher's departure and, when told, was cautioned to say nothing about the situation if asked."

Some faculty were given recommendations to transfer to other schools.

In a "Message to the Choate Rosemary Hall Community," posted on the website, the board chair and headmaster review the facts, thank the victims for coming forward, apologize, and promise action. The school hired Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) to review its policies and make recommendations. One conclusion in the letter follows:

RAINN has noted the strength of Choate's current confidentiality, amnesty, retaliation, and mandatory reporting policies; progressive training and education for students; and faculty and staff who are caring, empathetic, and supportive while preventing and responding to sexual misconduct on campus. Their recommendations call for continued codification of policies and procedures for reporting and investigating incidents, further review and refinement of adjudication processes, and additional training for faculty and staff who respond to incidents of sexual misconduct. We believe a commitment to constantly improving standards will provide more understanding and protection for our students.

Discussion:

• I'm skeptical reading the excerpt above. So, your policies are great? You just need to follow them? And of course, you need to do training, which everyone seems to say in these situation. Read the entire letter and form your own opinion. Am I too harsh?
• Should Choate have this letter prominently on its website? I followed a link from The New York Times, but I don't see any reference to the statement. What are the arguments for and against posted something, say, on the home page?

Snapchat Is 'Only for Rich People'?

Snap

In 2015, did Snapchat founder Evan Spiegel say the app is "only for rich people" and that he didn't "want to expand into poor countries like India and Spain"? That's the claim by a former employee who is suing Snap Inc. for wrongful termination. Anthony Pompliano alleges he was fired after accusing the senior leadership team of inflating app metrics before the IPO.

Snapchat poor

Pompliano says the company falsely advertised the number of daily active users (DAU), violated a non-solicitation and non-compete agreement, and exaggerated growth and retention data. Pompliano claims that Speigel's response about poor countries came when he suggested going into international markets to expand the user base.

A representative for Snap responded:

"This is ridiculous. Obviously, Snapchat is for everyone! It's available worldwide to download for free. Those words were written by a disgruntled former employee. We are grateful for our Snapchat community in India and around the world."

Snap doesn't deny data discrepancies, but says they aren't as significant as Pompliano claims. Pompliano contends that the discrepancies indicate "a wide-spread, systemic failure in Snapchat's internal controls over its user data." A Fortune article warns that questions about user registrations and engagement could be important to investors, who bought stock in what Fortune calls a "giant IPO" that "just proved we're in a tech bubble."

Discussion:

• Let's assume Spiegel made those comments. Do you find them offensive, taken out of context, or something else?
• How well did Snap handle the response?
• How serious are Pompliano's claims? What effect, if any, do you think they might have on investors?

Sean Spicer Makes a Mistake

Spicerfour01232017getty

Another Hitler analogy gone awry? How is it possible? During a briefing with reporters, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer compared the use of chemicals by Hitler and President Bashar al-Assad of Syria:

"We didn't use chemical weapons in World War II," Mr. Spicer said. "You know, you had someone as despicable as Hitler who didn't even sink to using chemical weapons."

When a reporter questioned the statement, Spicer may have made things worse:

"I think when you come to sarin gas, he was not using the gas on his own people the same way that Assad is doing."

He then said people came into "Holocaust centers."

He tried to fix it: "I was trying to draw a distinction of the tactic of using airplanes to drop chemical weapons on population centers. Any attack on innocent people is reprehensible and inexcusable, but that didn't do it." Finally, he gave a fuller apology during an interview, although The New York Times calls it "contrite."

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Discussion:

• Where did Spicer go wrong? Do you find his comments offensive? Why or why not?
• What's your assessment of his apology in the NBC News interview? Do you find it "contrite," as The New York Times says?

Wells Fargo Blames a Manager

Wells Fargo Traffic

An investigation led by Wells Fargo's board into the practices that led to thousands of false accounts blames Carrie Tolstedt, the former head of the retail division: 

The root cause of sales practice failures was the distortion of the Community Bank's sales culture and performance management system, which, when combined with aggressive sales management, created pressure on employees to sell unwanted or unneeded products to customers and, in some cases, to open unauthorized accounts.

The report also says the former CEO John Stumpf was "too slow" to investigate possible issues. The report is public on Wells Fargo's website.

Tolstedt's lawyers dispute the allegations. Stumpf once referred to Tolstedt as the "best banker in America." Reuters reported:

Tolstedt was perceived by high-level employees as having the support of Stumpf, with whom it was considered best to avoid raising problems with.

"Stumpf was ultimately responsible for enterprise risk management at Wells Fargo, but was not perceived within Wells Fargo as someone who wanted to hear bad news or deal with conflict," the report said.

Duke Law School Professor James Cox told Reuters, "There's a tremendous amount of pressure from regulators to throw someone under the bus. If they don't, then Wells Fargo is going to be even more in the crosshairs."

In a statement, "Wells Fargo Statement Regarding Board Investigation into the Community Bank's Retail Sales Practices," CEO and President Tim Sloan summarized actions the bank has taken: // <![CDATA[ // <![CDATA[ // <![CDATA[ // <![CDATA[ // if this line executes, then javascript is turned on and we'll therefore remove the no-js class from the HTML tag document.documentElement.className = document.documentElement.className.replace(/(^|\s)no-js(\s|$)/, '$1$2'); // ]]> // ]]> // ]]> // ]]</p></div>

Trouble for Pepsi's Kendall Jenner Ad

Backlash is fierce after a Pepsi commercial featuring Kendall Jenner, Caitlyn Jenner's daughter. Critics say it's disrespectful of important issues today and mocks activism. The short version of the commercial, now unavailable, shows Jenner at a photo shoot, smiling at a man, throwing off her blond wig, wiping off her lipstick, grabbing a Pepsi, giving it to a police officer, and then joining the cheering crowds.

The description on the YouTube video reads, 

A short film about the moments when we decide to let go, choose to act, follow our passion and nothing holds us back. Capturing the spirit and actions of those people that jump in to every moment and featuring multiple lives, stories and emotional connections that show passion, joy, unbound and uninhibited moments. No matter the occasion, big or small, these are the moments that make us feel alive.

Tweeters criticize the simplification of complex issues, with one tweeting, "Can't believe Kendall Jenner just solved institutionalized racism and oppression by giving a cop a Pepsi. Groundbreaking."

Pepsi is making no apologies: "This is a global ad that reflects people from different walks of life coming together in a spirit of harmony, and we think that's an important message to convey."

UPDATE: Pepsi decided to pull the ad and issued this statement: "Pepsi was trying to project a global message of unity, peace and understanding. Clearly we missed the mark, and we apologize. We did not intend to make light of any serious issue. We are removing the content and halting any further rollout. We also apologize for putting Kendall Jenner in this position."

Discussion:

• What's your reaction to the ad? What was Pepsi trying to do, and where did the ad fall short?
• Should Pepsi apologize? If so, what should the company say?
• Did the company do the right thing in pulling the ad? Why or why not?