KFC Apologizes to Thailand Earthquake Victims

Connecting chicken to the earthquake in Thailand, KFC posted this on its Facebook wall as people were being evacuated from the beaches: "Let's hurry home and follow the earthquake news. And don't forget to order your favorite KFC menu."

People didn't respond well. Admitting its mistake, KFC removed the post within a day and replaced it with this statement:

"KFC Thailand expresses its sincere regret for the improper post on its Facebook page and apologizes for the insensitivity and timing of the message." 

This isn't the first time a company used a tragic or emotionally charged event to promote its products (and it probably won't be the last). Kenneth Cole learned a tough lesson when he encouraged people to buy his "spring collection" clothing during the uprising in Cairo. And a blogger called Amy Winehouse's death a "wake-up call for small business owners."

Companies need to be smarter about how they use social media. Sure, they can take some risks, but mixing sales and disaster likely leads only to disaster.

Discussion Starters:

• Can you think of any time when using a tragedy to promote a company's products would be viewed positively, for example, after a certain period of time? 
• Assess KFC's apology. Do you find it convincing? Should the company have done anything else to demonstrate its regret?

World's Longest Rejection Letter

How would you like to get a 3,000-word rejection letter with a "42-point plan to help job seekers"? If you were one of 900 applicants for a writing job at Salon.com, you may have received it. 

Sean Gunther, the author of the rejection letter, thought he was being helpful, but the letter is long and confusing. For starters, it's unclear whether the receiver was rejected. It isn't until the end of the second paragraph that readers are told (sort-of) where they stand: "Those of you who are passed into the second round of consideration will be hearing from us soon, if you haven't been contacted by us already."

In an article, "Here's How to Condescend to 900 Job Applicants With a 3,000-Word Rejection Letter, " Gawker blasted the email as "arrogant" and called the writer worse names. 

Gunther responsed to Gawker's criticism by saying that some applicants appreciated his advice. He quotes the following from one of the applicants: 

"I read your email this morning, and to be honest, I was a little irritated at first. I didn't particularly want to know that there were 900+ applicants for the position. The email looked lengthy, and I wasn't sure where you were going to go with it. For sure, it didn't say that I was hired.

"I gradually realized that this is the sort of advice that every writer looking for work should read. I don't think I made many of the mistakes that it mentioned, but I do I wish I had read it years ago. It's also a rare thing that people applying for work should get anything out of it at all, especially something so useful."

Gunther defends his letter compared to other rejection letters: 

'Applicants learn nothing about their approach when the only response they receive is 'Thanks for applying, but the position has been filled.'"

Discussion Starters: 

• What do you think of Gunther's approach? How do you think you would feel if you received the letter? 
• Read the entire letter, including his suggestions. Which are useful, and which are not? 
• Considering that the letter caused some hard feelings, what could have been a better approach, if Gunther sincerely wanted to help job applicants?

Facebook Wants You to Use Its Email

Facebook has a new program on the horizon: your timeline address will now be your email address. Unless you already have a @facebook.com email, you'll be assigned one.

Facebook describes the change for consistency:

"Starting today, we're updating addresses on Facebook to make them consistent across our site. Now, the address people use to get to your timeline and send you email on Facebook will be the same."

Clearly, Facebook is continuing to push its email application, previously called messaging. Speculation is that Facebook is trying to match the integration of Google+ with Gmail. Also, a recent study showed that people are more likely to use the Internet for email (85%) than for social networking (62%). Despite early reports of its demise, email remains a frequent tool for communication.

Discussion Starters:

• Do you use Facebook email? Would you if you were assigned an email address? 
• What's the value of email to Facebook? How has the company's "messaging" strategy evolved? 

Few CIOs Use Social Networks

Despite their companies' increasing use of social media, CIOs are not at all active on social networking sites. TechCrunch calls this group "a little anti-social" and describes the results of a study by harmon.ie:

"...only about 10 percent of CIOs in the top companies - Fortune 250 and and Global 250 - actively use public social networks. Within that group, only four CIOs write blogs, and more than one-third either do not have LinkedIn profiles, or have profiles with fewer than 100 connections."

We could explain the data by saying that CIOs hire people to manage the social networking for them or that they are active on intranets rather than on the public web. But Mark Fidelman, lead author of the study, explains the issue:

"These 250 CIOs are charged with transforming the world's largest enterprises, yet our analysis shows that most have relatively little experience using the kinds of tools that are needed to drive that change."

Fidelman also says, "If CIOs are charged with building a social business, shouldn't they have a social presence?" He also suggested to Information Week that "CIOs who don't get social might not be CIOs next year."

On a more positive note, harmon.ie identified the Top 25 Social CIOs in the Fortune 250. The top five include CIOs of technology companies (no surprise) SAP, Google, and Microsoft, but also includes CIOs of the Corporate Banking division of the Royal Bank of Scotland and Mexican petroleum company Pemex.

Discussion Starters:

• Do you find this news alarming? Why or why not?
• What advice would you give CIOs who want to be more active in social networks? Where should they concentrate their efforts? Would your advice vary by industry?

Best Buy CEO Resigns

In the midst of an internal investigation about "personal conduct," Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn has resigned. The news was unexpected, although Best Buy has experienced declining sales, attributed to the access people now have to visit stores, compare prices, and then buy elsewhere. Two weeks ago, Dunn announced plans to close 50 stores and cut 400 staff.

A 28-year employee of Best Buy, Dunn was selected as CEO in 2009. Some said Dunn was a poor choice given the company's challenges: he has sales experience but lacks the knowledge and expertise to fix the deeper problems.

The conduct issue remains a mystery, and because Dunn resigned in the middle of it, we may never know the outcome.

In a news release about new leadership, Best Buy assured the public that the decision wasn't business-related:

"The board of directors of Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE:BBY) today announced that Brian Dunn has resigned as chief executive officer and director. There were no disagreements between Mr. Dunn and the company on any matter relating to operations, financial controls, policies or procedures. There was mutual agreement that it was time for new leadership to address the challenges that face the company."

At the same time, the company did acknowledge the investigation in a statement to the press:

"Certain issues were brought to the board's attention regarding Dunn's personal conduct, unrelated to the company's operations or financial controls, and an audit committee investigation was initiated. Prior to the completion of the investigation, Mr. Dunn chose to resign."

Focusing on business continuity, Best Buy's news release named an interim CEO:

"Director G. Mike Mikan has been named interim CEO to lead the company while a search for a new CEO is underway. Richard Schulze, the founder of Best Buy, continues to serve as chairman."

Read an update about the potential misconduct issue.

Discussion Starters:

• Analyze Best Buy's news release as a bad-news message. What principles does the release follow, and what principles does it not use? What is the rationale for these decisions?
• Evaluate the quotes in the news release by Dunn and Mikan. Do you find these reassuring?

AT&T Campaign: "Rethink Possible"

To refocus the AT&T brand, the company is venturing into a new marketing campaign. With themes such as "Here's to possibilities," the "Rethink possible" campaign features optimism.

Without a focus on any particular product, AT&T is embarking on image advertising-a new approach for the conglomerate that began in April 2010. The commercial, below, is one part of AT&T's messaging.

Esther Lee, senior vice president for brand marketing, advertising, and sponsorship at AT&T in Dallas explained the company's strategy to The New York Times:

"'We did a lot of insight research about how people live with technology,' which included 'ethnographies, shop-alongs and spending time in people's living rooms.'

"When the 'Rethink possible' campaign was developed, most consumers 'felt overwhelmed with technology,' Ms. Lee said, but only a short time later many have 'found ways to integrate it in their lives" - and some even 'talk about it with love.'

"'The real innovation that's happening is what people are doing, and how people are dealing, with technology,' she added, and 'the unique ways they use it to make their lives better.'

"That is the message that 'It's what you do with what we do' is intended to convey, Ms. Lee said, describing the phrase as 'a step-up line, a bridge line' that will now lead to the 'Rethink possible' theme."

Discussion Starters:

• What is the difference between corporate and product advertising? Why do you believe AT&T took this approach now?
• Do you believe AT&T's campaign will be successful? Why or why not?
  
• Which of the company's new advertisements do you find most effective? Why or why not?

Jon Stewart Criticizes President Obama's Emails

On The Daily Show, Jon Stewart questions the Obama campaign's informal approach to email. Stewart gives examples of subject lines such as "Hey" and "Dinner?" Rather than what he calls "fake familiarity," Stewart suggests that these email subjects should focus on the real purpose: "Give me money."

Jon Stewart isn't the first one to criticize President Obama's emails. Back in December, White House reporter Keith Koffler took issue with the the "Hey" emails:

"Obama, who was sold to us as something surpassingly genuine, actually likes to pretend he's someone he's not. All his town halls on people's back porches, trips to Best Buy, and dinners with three dollar donors doesn't change that he is a card carrying member of the elite liberal ruling class.

"He was admitted around college or law school, and that's where his soul has resided ever since. Recently, with book sales buoyed by his presidential success, he's gained the financial status commensurate with his social standing.

"He should act that way. The regular guy stuff diminishes both him and the presidency. More than classy or low-brow, friendly or stiff, Americans want one thing more than anything else in their leader: Authenticity.

 "'Hey,' is phony. And it's puny for a president."

Discussion Starters and Assignment Idea:

• What's your view of the President's approach to email? Do you agree with this criticism?
• What could be better subject lines that do, in reality, request donations?
• As practice, write two email messages on behalf of a presidential candidate's campaign (a candidate of your choice). What could you say to inspire people to give, and what subject line will you use? Check the tone by asking other students for their opinion.

Councilman Pays $28,800 for Tweets

A Philadelphia councilman needs help with that transparent, authentic social media voice on Twitter, so he hired a firm to tweet for him. Jim Kenney hired ChatterBlast to help with his social media strategy, including monitoring his Facebook and Twitter accounts and writing posts.

Kenney explains why he needs this help: 

"I, at 53 years old, do not have that facility. So I need consultant advice to communicate with a group of folks who are not necessarily in my age group."

In addition to hiring ChatterBlast, Kenney has hired an outside communications consultant, Martin O'Rourke. In an embarrassing admission, O'Rourke described his own limitations:

"I have no clue how to tweet; I still don't understand the mechanics of it. It's a thing of the future."

ChatterBlast promotes its services to government officials in this way: 

"Interactive online communities represent a whole new arena of vocal constituents. ChatterBlast uses social media networks, targeted advertising and digital marketing to deliver real-time, personalized and high-impact messages while building a community of supporters.  We can listen to what is being said about you or your organization in real-time, faster and more accurately then pollsters. More importantly, we can engage and address the naysayers while promoting and rewarding positive feedback. 

"If you are an agency or elected official, social media can be used to keep in touch with your constituents and address issues before they become a crisis. If you are running for office, social media provides a new untapped fundraising channel.  Maintaining an active and identifiable base can be managed before, during, and after your campaign.  We can even help secure your votes before campaign time begins."

Discussion Starters:

• What are the ethical considerations in this situation? 
• Where do you see the line between how an outside firm helps a person or a company develop and implement a social media strategy and how that firm implements the strategy?
• Under what, if any, circumstances should an individual hire an outside firm to tweet on his or her behalf?

New Yahoo CEO's Layoff Email

When Scott Thompson took the job as Yahoo's chief executive in January, he likely knew he had difficult work ahead of him. To compete for shrinking advertising revenue against Google and Facebook, Thompson has announced a refocus on Yahoo's core media and communications, platforms, and data.

With this new focus, Yahoo will lay off about 2,000 employees, roughly 14% of the company. Thompson's email to employees explains the decision and then gives the bad news:

 

Business communication students may find it interesting to compare Thompson's memo with  Yahoo layoff memos from the two previous CEOs:

• Jerry Yang, Yahoo's founder and CEO from January 1994 to January 2009: October 2008 and December 2008 memos

• Carol Bartz, CEO from January 2009 to September 2011: December 2010 memo

Discussion Starters:

• Thompson's email mentions "dignity and respect" twice. Does this represent a clever strategy, strong reinforcement, sloppy editing, or something else? How do you think employees might react to this phrase?
• Compare the CEOs' emails. Consider audience focus, tone, organization, writing style, and editing.
• Considering the different circumstances around each layoff, which memo do you think is most effective and why? 
• If you were consulting with a CEO prior to announcing layoffs, what principles would you advise that he or she use in writing an email to employees?

Burger King Pulls Mary J. Blige Ad

Burger King has removed a controversial commercial featuring Mary J. Blige. The ad was one of several videos starring famous people such as Jay Leno, Salma Hayek, Steven Tyler, and Sofia Vergara. However, the Blige video was criticized for reinforcing stereotypes. An article on Clutch magazine, for example, identifies three "problems" with the ad: 

1. Yet Another Black Person Singing About Fast Food Chicken. 
2. She Seems Crazy For No Good Reason. 
3. Those Snack Wraps Look Nasty.

In a statement to Ad Age, Burger King explains the decision to pull the ad as a copyright issue:

"The Mary J. Blige advertisement was pulled off of the Burger King YouTube channel due to a music-licensing issue, which Burger King is in the process of resolving. We expect to have the ads back up and on air soon.

"Burger King enlisted a diverse cast of A-list celebrities representing the many faces of the American melting pot. Mary J. Blige is just one of the celebrities helping to promote our new menu items, including Garden Fresh Salads, Snack Wraps, Crispy Chicken Strips, Real Fruit Smoothies and Frappes."

The ad can still be seen on Gawker's website.

Discussion Starters:

• Do you find the Mary J. Blige ad offensive, funny, entertaining, dumb, or something else? How does this ad compare to the others that are part of Burger King's new campaign: Jay Leno, Salma Hayek, and David Beckham?
• How do you assess Burger King's rationale for removing the Blige video? Do you believe the company's statement?

P&G Blocks Pandora and Netflix

Bandwidth hogs Pandora and Netflix have been taking up too much time and space, causing P&G to block employees' access to these sites. According to an internal memo, the strain on P&G's network was great, "requiring immediate intervention."  The memo also warned that blocking these two sites is a "first step" to addressing employees' personal use of the Internet on company time. 

Recent studies show how much prospective employees, particularly college students, value access to social media. At the same time, 19% of companies (according to a September 2011 survey) block some social media sites. Many have taken more drastic positions than P&G has: Cintas, for example, with 30,000 employees, blocks Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

From a communication perspective, some of the language is jargony and could be improved:

• "It's a worldwide phenomenon. As P&G drives toward end-to-end digitization of our business, ensuring bandwidth capacity within our networks is a high priority." (from P&G spokesperson Paul Fox)
• "These statistics indicate that access to non-business-critical Internet sites goes far beyond the business need." (from the internal memo)
• "We're asking all employees to leverage company resources with an ownership mentality." (also from the internal memo)

Discussion Starter and Assignment Idea: 

• Do you believe that P&G is justified in its decision to block these sites? Why or why not? What about companies, such as GE Aviation (also a Cincinnati-based company), that also block YouTube and Facebook? 
• Practice your revising skills by rewriting the three P&G quotes above.

Communications Around the "Pink Slime" Beef Additive

Parties on both sides of the "pink slime" debate are weighing in. For business communication students, perhaps the most interesting communications (so far) are around how the term became popular and how companies-both consumer companies and the manufacturer-are responding.

Blame Email 

Oh, Email, you time-waster, career-destroyer, is there no end to the trouble you can start? In 2002, Gerald Zirnstein, a microbiologist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, sent an email to colleagues saying "I do not consider the stuff to be ground beef, and I consider allowing it in ground beef to be a form of fraudulent labeling." Zirnstein is credited with coining the term "pink slime" in an email that he thought was private.

Today, Zirnstein is considered a "reluctant whistleblower":

"'The whole thing went viral ... Just blew the top off everything,' said Zirnstein. Zirnstein said he worried at first about being deemed a whistleblower, but now does not care. 'I am really an involuntary whistleblower,' he said. But he added, 'It looks like pink slime. That is what I said.' Asked if he and his family still eat hamburgers, Zirnstein sighed. 'The labels aren't clear, so we don't eat it. That's the thing,' he said. 'It isn't freaking labeled.'"

Supermarkets and Fast-Food Restaurants Act

Following Safeway and Supervalu, Kroger, the leading supermarket chain in the United States, announced on its Facebook page the decision to stop buying the product:

"We have listened to your concerns that the use of lean finely textured beef-while fully approved by the USDA for safety and quality-is something you do not want in ground beef. You are our top priority and for that reason we have decided to stop purchasing ground beef that contains lean finely textured beef."

In its "Statement on Lean, Finely Textured Beef," Walmart explains its decision to offer customers meat with and without the additive:

"As a result of customer and member feedback, Walmart and Sam's Club will begin offering fresh ground beef that does not contain lean finely textured beef (LFTB). We are working aggressively with our suppliers to have new offerings in our stores and clubs as quickly as possible. As these products become available, associates in our meat department and at our customer service desks will share updates with customers who inquire.

"While the USDA and experts agree that beef containing LFTB is safe and nutritious, we are committed to listening to our customers and providing the quality products they want at prices they can afford."

Wendy's took a different approach. The fast-food chain capitalized on the news and used a slogan from a 1980s campaign: "Where's The Pure Beef? At Wendy's, that's where!" Ads ran in USA Today, The Chicago Tribune, and other papers. Wendy's also used this image in rotation on its website home page.

Beef Products Inc. Defends Its Product

Fighting back, Beef Products Inc., manufacturer of the additive, has launched an aggressive campaign. The company offered a tour of its facility to a few governors and reporters and handed out "Dude, It's Beef" T-shirts.

On a newly created website, "Beef Is Beef," the company dispels what it calls "The 8 Myths of 'Pink Slime.'" (The URL says "7 myths," and I'm curious which was added late.)

Beef Products Inc. also took out a full-page ad in The Wall Street Journal, including this letter from company founder Eldon Roth:

"Pink Slime" Libel to Cost This Country Jobs

Before last summer, we could not have imagined the personal, professional, financial and spiritual impact of the campaign of lies and deceit that have been waged against our company and the lean beef we produce.  But over the last several weeks, that campaign has been joined by entertainment media, tabloid journalists, so-called national news  -  and all to what end?  The clear goal expressed by the campaign organizer  -  put BPI out of business.

It is simply amazing how this mis-information campaign can take a company and product that has long been recognized for its quality and safety and turn the public perception so negative that it now may result in the loss of over 3,000 jobs (direct employment and companies that rely upon our business) and affected their families and communities.

Our record is unsurpassed.  NEVER has a foodborne illness been associated with our lean beef over 30 years. In nearly 300,000,000,000 meals, we have been a recognized leader in food safety by groups such as the International Association for Food Protection.  Look at the overwhelming support from food scientists, USDA officials, Consumer Advocate organizations academia and customers we have received reaffirming the wholesomeness, nutrition and safety of our lean beef.

As the founder of the company, I can personally guarantee that in our 30 year history, we have never produced 'pink slime.'

Eldon Roth

President & CEO

Beef Products Inc. also created this "Get the Facts" infographic to explain "lean beef trimmings."

Discussion Starters:

• After researching the "pink slime" topic further, with which of the arguments do you agree and disagree?
• Assess the communications from Beef Products Inc.: the Beef Is Beef website, the founder's letter, and the infographic. What is most and least effective in each of these communications? 

JetBlue Responds to Incident with "Erratic" Captain

Just three weeks after an American Airlines flight attendant displayed irrational behavior before take-off, a JetBlue captain displayed what some called "erratic" behavior during a flight from New York to Las Vegas.

One passenger heard the captain yell, "They're going to take us down. They're taking us down. They're going to take us down. Say the Lord's prayer. Say the Lord's prayer." Others said he was yelling about Al Qaeda and a bomb on the plane.

JetBlue responded with a statement and updates on its blog:

"Flight 191 departed New York's JFK airport at 7:28 am ET (was scheduled to depart 6:55 am ET).  At roughly 10 am CT/11 am ET, the pilot in command elected to divert to Amarillo, TX for a medical situation involving the Captain.  Another Captain, traveling off duty, entered the flight deck prior to landing at Amarillo, and took over the duties of the ill crewmember.  The aircraft arrived Amarillo at 10:11 am CT, and the crewmember was removed from the aircraft and taken to a local medical facility.

"Customers have safely deplaned and we're sending a new aircraft and crew to Amarillo to continue the flight to Las Vegas."

Read a more detailed timeline of events.

JetBlue faced another embarrassing incident recently, when one of its flight attendants exited the plane via the emergency chute. Maybe these airline jobs really are stressful!  

Discussion Starters:

• Read American Airlines' statement and updates. How well do you think the company is responding to the situation? 
• Imagine that you're head of HR for American Airlines. What, if any, communication would you initiate for employees? What medium would you use, and what would you say? 

PR/Communications Study Shows More Focus on Social Media

A study of senior-level communicators reveals priorities for communication in public and private companies, government agencies, and not-for-profit organizations. The Communication and Public Relations Generally Accepted Practices (GAP VII) study is the seventh by the USC Annenberg Strategic Communication and Public Relations Center.

This year, the study shows that organizations are increasing their public relations budgets, measurements of success, and responsibilities for social media and SEO. Organizations also have given PR/Communications functions more responsibility for  internal communications and customer relations. Also encouraging, PR seems to have a so-called "seat at the table," according to the report findings:

"In nearly 60% of responding companies PR/COM reports directly to the 'C-Suite' (chairman, CEO, COO, etc.), reflecting today's increasingly transparent, communication-intensive environment."

Additional changes are reported in the GAP VII executive summary, below, and in the full report.

Discussion Starters:

• Which results from the study surprise you? Which results do not surprise you?
• The study reports little use of wikis and virtual worlds for communication. What do you think accounts for this lack of use?
• Analyze how the full report is organized. Is it logical and easy to follow? What, if any, improvements would you suggest to the author?

Belvedere Vodka Apologizes for Ad

Belvedere Vodka apologized for an ad that many believe mocks sexual assault, but the apology also drew criticism.

As one of many who reacted negatively to the ad, @KateHarding tweeted about her feelings:

"The @belvederevodka rape joke ad disappeared just as I was about to share it on FB. Hope someone got a screenshot. Appalling."

Belvedere initially tweeted this short apology:

After more criticism, the company released a more formal statement:

"My name is Charles Gibb and I am the President of Belvedere Vodka. I would like to personally apologize for the offensive post that recently appeared on our Facebook page.

"It should never have happened. I am currently investigating the matter to determine how this happened and to be sure it never does so again. The content is contrary to our values and we deeply regret this lapse.

"As an expression of our regret over this matter we have made a donation to RAINN (America's largest anti-sexual violence organization. www.rainn.org)"

RAINN posted a note on its Facebook page:

"We got a call from Belvedere Vodka's president, who was profusely apologetic about an offensive Facebook post yesterday. He stressed how much it was contrary to his values and what Belvedere stands for, and that he feels awful about it. He offered to make a generous donation to RAINN to support our work to help victims of sexual violence and educate the public. Nice to see a company that not only undoes its mistake but looks for a way to do good afterwards."

Discussion Starters:

• Compare the two apologies. What are the main differences?
• What are components of a effective apology? Do you find the second apology effective? Why or why not?

Emails in Facebook Dispute Revealed

Paul Ceglia, of StreetFax, is claiming a 50% stake in Facebook (reduced from 84%). The claim is partly based on email interactions between Ceglia and Mark Zuckerberg, who was contracted to work on Ceglia's StreetFax site in 2003.

Zuckerberg's attorneys take issue with the emails themselves, which are produced in Microsoft Word, rather than within a native-format email program. The attorney's motion to dismiss the case called the emails "an obvious indicator of fraud," stating that "Ceglia simply typed text into a Word document and declared it was the text of emails with Zuckerberg."

An email dated February 4, 2004, refers to the launch of Facebook: "The site looks great." But the time stamp is 10:30 a.m., before Facebook went live that afternoon. According to the Facebook team's motion, "This exchange is a historical impossibility."

The Wall Street Journal provides more information about the situation and doubts Ceglia's credibility:

A ThomsonReuters article analyzes the situation and also agrees with Zuckerberg's defense. In the piece, the writer provides six rules for "What not to do if you're suing a Facebook billionaire," including Rule 1: "Don't leave a version of the contract between you and the billionaire on your parents' computer unless that version matches what you've presented to the court."

Discussion Starters:

• Read the ThomsonReuters analysis. With which of the writer's claims do you agree?
• What other examples of emails becoming public have been in the news in the past year?
• In this situation, Zuckerberg's emails may help him defend the case. But in other situations, public email is embarrassing and damaging. How can you avoid this happening to you?

Results from the "Etch A Sketch" Comment

It was a good week for Ohio Art, toymaker of the red tablet that writes and erases with ease. According to an adviser to Mitt Romney, he has a lot in common with an Etch A Sketch.

When Eric Fehrnstrom was asked how Romney will appeal to both moderates and conservatives, he made a fatal mistake: he told what sounds like the truth. CNN reports that Fehrnstrom said the campaign will press the "reset button":

"Everything changes. It's almost like an Etch A Sketch. You can kind of shake it up and we start all over again."

 Republican competitor Ron Paul grabbed onto the misstep and produced a new video, which asks "Tired of the games?" 

Candidate Rick Santorum also latched onto the phrase:  "If we are going to be a little different, we might as well stay with what we have instead of taking a risk in what may be the Etch A Sketch candidate." A member of his staff distributed small versions of the toy to reporters during a trip to Maryland. 

And candidate Newt Gingrich got into the act. Holding an Etch a Sketch, as Santorum also did, he said: 

"So here's Gov. Romney's staff, they don't even have the decency to wait until they get the nomination to explain to us how they'll sell us out, and I think having an Etch A Sketch as your campaign model, raises every doubt about where we're going."

Read a Time article for an analysis of how this comment may be a "disaster" for the Romney campaign. 

As for Etch A Sketch, the share price has more than doubled, reaching $12.50 at one point, which was the biggest one-day increase the stock has seen in more than 30 years. 

Update: Read about and watch an interview of Bill Southard, PR representative of Etch A Sketch.

Discussion Starters: 

• How could a comment like this have slipped from a candidate's representative? How could it have been avoided? 
• How do you assess the consequences? Will Romney be able to recover? 
• Evaluate Ron Paul's ad? What works well about his approach, and what you recommend changing?

Did an Email to Customers Save a Pizza Business?

When Nick's Pizza & Pub was losing business, CEO Nick Sarillo did something against conventional wisdom: he sent an email to customers describing the situation and asking them to return. Sarillo engaged his customers in saving the two restaurants, which is just the result he got. 

In his email, Sarillo makes several emotional appeals, such as this one: 

"I realize that sending an e-mail like this is risky and unorthodox, but I don't care because I don't have anything to fear or hide.  We run our business with totally open books, and the core team that shows up to our weekly fiscal huddles will not be surprised by what I'm writing. I truly care about our team and each guest who has blessed us by choosing to eat at Nick's instead of any of the many other places available to them."

His email ends with a clear, public appeal: 

"I do have one last hope for me and the 200 team members of Nick's. If within these next four weeks we could see a large increase in sales at either of our restaurants, we could still pull through. So my final request is for each of you to come dine at Nick's Pizza & Pub and tell all your family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors to come now, too. We want to continue on as a part of your commuity [sic] and aren't ready to tell you goodbye yet. If you wish to contact me with investor ideas or any ideas or questions at all, you can email me at office@nickspizzapub.com, call me at 815.356.5557, or simply stop by and talk in person. Thank you for reading."

To some-including Sarillo's publicist and banker-the approach is perhaps too open. The business owner admits failing and runs the risk of turning off customers for good. But Sarillo explains his rationale:

"I honestly woke up on Saturday morning, walked over to my computer and looked at reports as I typically do, and this time I didn't know what I was going to do anymore. . . . I surrendered to the fact that this could be it and I could lose my business. I decided that I had done my best and I needed to let go. . . .That is when I decided I needed to do what felt like the right thing to do, communicate openly, clearly and honestly. It felt very uncomfortable in the moment to be so vulnerable, and actually as I started to write, tears were also coming out. It was hard to let go of something I worked so hard for and built with my own two hands. Although I had surrendered (in the spiritual sense of the word) to what my life would be like without my business, by the time I got to the end of the email, I still had hope and was not totally giving up."

Public support was strong following the email. Someone set up a Facebook page, Save Nick's Pizza, and according to Sarillo, "We doubled our sales in each restaurant for the first week and stayed at a 75 percent increase for a couple of weeks." It took a while, but Nick's remains a viable business today. 

Sarillo and others credit the success to his transparency and authencity-two important qualities for a business leader. 

Discussion Starters: 

• What examples of emotional appeal, logical argument, and credibility do you see in Nick's email? Which approach do you think is most effective? 
• Under what circumstances do you think a similar email may NOT have the same results in saving a business? In other words, for what types of businesses or business owners would you recommend this strategy, and for what types would you recommend avoiding it? 

Duchess of Cambridge Gives Her First Speech

By some accounts, Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge (Prince William's wife), is not a natural speaker. But she was put to the test on Monday and did fairly well.

Speaking to the East Anglian Children's Hospices, one of Princess Diana's charitable causes, the Duchess was visibly nervous, according to sources on site. The audience could see her hands shaking and hear a subtle quaver in her voice. She seems to be compensating for her nervousness by reading slowly and deliberately. 

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Discussion Starters:

• If you were giving Duchess Kate feedback on her speech, what would you say? What are the strengths of the speech, and what areas would you suggest for her development? 
• Now watch a CNN's correspondent's assessment of the speech. Do you agree with his assessment? 

Study Compares Honesty on LinkedIn Profiles and Resumes

A new Cornell University study published in Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking reveals that undergraduates are more accurate in describing work experience on their LinkedIn profile than on their resume. However, they are more deceptive in describing their hobbies.

The public nature of LinkedIn makes it easy to verify falsifications. Imagine connecting with your previous boss on the site, only for her to see a  job title that doesn't exist or responsibilities you didn't do. This is good news for employers wanting to check applicants' resumes and may be one reason that 48% of employers say they do so before making a hiring decision.

But according to Jamie Guillory, the study's lead author, students on LinkedIn "still found ways to make themselves look better" and took more liberties when describing hobbies, which are harder to verify. About 92% of students exaggerated or omitted information at least once on LinkedIn or their resumes, with students making these decisions an average of three times.

Discussion Starters and Assignment Ideas:

• Are you more truthful on your LinkedIn profile than on your resume? In what ways?
• Where you we cross the line between exaggerations and lies? What would you consider unethical? Give a few examples to explain your thinking.
• Identify any potential exaggerations or omissions on either your LinkedIn profile or on your resume. What are the potential consequences if this information is discovered to be false? In retrospect, is it worth the risk?
• Swap resumes with a partner. Choose a few items-work experience, activities, or interests-and interview each other. Ask specific, pointed questions to try to verify the information. Do you uncover any potential issues with how the information is described? What, if anything, will you change on your resume as a result of this process?