The FTC Needs a Proofreader

The Federal Trade Commission, the government agency responsible for consumer protection, needs to protect its own reputation. An embarrassing automated email response is riddled with errors.

Posted on Jim Romenesko's blog, the email received its share of snarky comments, such as this one:

Discussion Starters:

• What errors do you see in the email?
• How do mistakes like this happen? 
• Do you consider this more embarrassing because it's from a federal government agency? Or would it be equally embarrassing from a corporate office?

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

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

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

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

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

Discussion Starters:

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

Papa John's Apologizes for Racial Slurs

A Papa John's delivery person left a racist voice mail, and the company has taken action.

Apparently, the driver dialed the customer's number by accident, leaving the customer to hear an incredibly insulting message intended only for the employee's coworker. (You can listen to the voice mail here, but I don't recommend it; a slur is repeated a ridiculous number of times.)

Keith, the Papa John's manager, said, "We were made aware of the video, and it's under investigation. We're sorry that it happened." He confirmed that the employees involved have been terminated.

In addition, CEO John Schnatter posted this message on the company's Facebook page:

Schnatter also replied to one of the many Facebook posts about the situation:

"I, too, am extremely appalled by these former employees' actions and sincerely appreciate it being brought to our attention. The thinking of these people is counter to mine and my company's values and we will not tolerate it. We immediately terminated those involved and will continue to educate all on our team. I personally have reached out to the customer to share my deepest apology.

"We thank you for allowing us to correct this horrible situation."

 Discussion Starters:

• Asssess the company's response. What's your reaction to the termination decision and the two posts? What works well about the company's response and what, if anything, could be improved?
• What else, if anything, should Papa John's do in this situation?

Does Texting Hurt Grammar?

Finally, an infographic that incorporates cats. A study by Onlinecollege.org found that the more students text, the more their grammar may be affected. But some of the results are dubious.

The good news is that 86% of middle-schoolers believe that good writing skills are important in life, and only 11% think that texting negatively impacts their writing.

But the survey sponsors seem concerned with the 50% who say that they don't use proper grammar or punctuation when writing texts or IMs. Also, the more teens receive "techspeak," the more they use it.

So what? I'm not sure we can reasonably conclude, as the sponsors have, that texting hurts grammar.

Discussion Starters:

• Review the full infographic. Do you draw the same conclusions as the study sponsors do?
• Look at the graphics representing 50, 11, and 86%. What issues do you notice? 
• How, if at all, do you think texting and IM have affected your use of proper grammar and punctuation?

TGI Fridays Accused of Using Cheap Alcohol

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

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

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

A spokesperson from Fridays responded to the claims:

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

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

Discussion Starters:

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

Exxon Refuses to Add Sexual Orientation to Anti-Discrimination Policy

Although 88% of U.S. Fortune 500 companies ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in the workplace, Exxon Mobil is not one of them. This is not a required federal policy but one that most large employers have added to their anti-discrimination policies. For the 14th year in a row, however, Exxon Mobil has denied a shareholder proposal to do so. The company has, of course, included such policies and provided same-sex benefits in countries where it's required, but the restriction in the United States is intentional-and has raised more than a few eyebrows.

The move is surprising, particularly considering the increasing national acceptance of same-sex marriage; Don't Ask, Don't Tell laws for the military; and, this week, the Boy Scout's dismissal of a ban on gay scouts.

The company's decision may hurt business and their recruiting efforts. When the company's new head of human resources met with a group recently and asked, "What's your opinion of Exxon Mobil?" one representative said, "Every single person said the equivalent of, 'I'd walk 20 miles in a blizzard to find another gas station if I'd run out of gas. We'd never spend a dime at Exxon Mobil.'" Also, Exxon Mobil may be at a disadvantage when hiring talent. Would a gay or lesbian work for a company with this history?

The company's position is that a policy against all forms of discrimination already exists, and sexual orientation is mentioned on the web site. But, for many people, this is not enough.

Image source.

Discussion Starters:

• Exxon Mobil says this is a board of directors decision. What do you think are the deliberations of the board? What are the considerations for and against including sexual orientation, specifically, in an anti-discrimination policy?
• How, if at all, does this news affect your view of Exxon Mobil? Does it affect your buying decisions?

McDonald's CEO Answers Questions About "Predatory Marketing"

McDonald's CEO Don Thompson addressed tough questions from stakeholders at the annual meeting, among them a nine-year-old girl.

Although the company has expanded its menu to offer more healthy items, members of an advocacy group at the meeting said it's not enough. At particular issue is the company's strategy of marketing directly to children through products such as Happy Meals. McDonald's has shrunk the size of fries in the meals and added apples, but the company has a long way to go, according to critics at the meeting. One request is for McDonald's to stop opening stores in hospitals.

As the girl said to Thompson, "It would be nice if you stopped trying to trick kids into wanting to eat your food all the time." In response, Thompson said, "We sell a lot of fruits and veggies and are trying to sell even more."

During another exchange, Thompson was asked whether McDonald's targets African Americans, and he responded, "This one's kind of close to home. We do not have not, will not try to target people of color."  Thompson is an African American.

Thompson's other points include the following:

• "We're not marketing to schools. We don't do that."
• "We are not the cause of obesity. We are not marketing unjustly to kids. Ronald is not a bad guy. ... He's about fun, and I'd encourage you to let your kids have some fun, too."

Image source.

Discussion Starters:

• Read McDonald's annual report. What messages about nutrition do you find? How could the company do a better job of communicating its points? 
• How do you assess Thompson's responses to the questions? How did he do?

"Socially Devoted" Brands on Twitter

Which brands are most responsive to customers on Twitter? Socialbakers released its view of the top five companies.

Although Nike answered a higher percentage of questions, JetBlue clearly is leading in response time, with an impressive 13 minutes. With so many more followers, it may not be possible for the company to beat Nike's rate.

Socialbakers also looked at the most engaged industries on Twitter, again using percentage of questions answered as the metric.

Although an imperfect measure, response rate is better than looking at the number of followers, which had been the prevailing metric of engagement for some time. At least with this data, human intervention is considered.

Discussion Starters:

• What, if anything, surprises you about the companies' and industries' level of "social devotion"? 
• I say that response rate is an imperfect measure. Why do you think this is the case?
• What other metrics could be used to determine companies' success on Twitter?

A Personal Touch: Hotel Wake-Up Calls

Automated wake-up calls at hotels have become the norm, but now some brands want to differentiate themselves with a more personal touch. According to a USA Today article, the following examples show this move to personalization:  

• At the Westin Resort and Casino, Aruba, once you respond to the first telephone wake-up call, an employee goes to your room and knocks on your door to make sure you actually get up.

• At Las Ventanas al Paraiso, A Rosewood Resort in Los Cabos, a butler shows up at your room to wake you up with complimentary tea, coffee and breakfast breads.

• At the Mandarin Oriental and The Four Seasons, a person rather than an automated system will call to wake you up. If you don't answer, you'll get a wake-up knock.

• You don't want to oversleep at The Adolphus in Dallas. If you miss your wake-up call three times, a security guard will show up at your door.

Although most people have Smartphones, according to one study, 53% of guests still want a hotel wake-up call.

Discussion Starters:

• What's your preferred method for alarms at hotels? What value do you see in a hotel's personalized wake-up call?
• What are the potential downsides of the hotels' approaches, listed above?

Apple Responds to Tax Criticism

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

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

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

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

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

Discussion Starters:

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

Another Book About Gender Differences at Work

Do we need another book about gender differences at work? Authors Barbara Annis and John Gray think we do. "Work with Me" promises to reveals the "8 blind spots between men and women in business." Gray is also the author of bestseller "Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus."

Granted, I haven't read the book, but a Wall Street Journal interview with the authors made me roll my eyes like a teenager. Here's an excerpt, with Annis resorting to the old sports metaphor issue at work:

WSJ: How can men and women bridge these differences?

Barbara Annis: There's equal learning that has to happen on both sides. I worked with a firm where a high-level woman was feeling alienated partly because her boss always talked in hockey metaphors and mostly left her alone. His intention was to value her in his own approach. But she misinterpreted that. He saw she might want him to step into her office and see how she was doing, and have conversations that bond, not just about hockey. And she had to understand that he had the best of intentions for her. This is about knowing you have blind spots and turning your head to see more clearly.

Gee, that's original. Have we not progressed past the 1980s? I think we can find better ways to increase understanding. We could start by not exaggerating and generalizing differences, and we could use solid research instead of stereotypical, one-off examples.

The interview reminds me of generational differences at work that are often overstated for a good headline-or another bestseller.

Discussion Starters:

• What's your experience with gender differences at work? In what ways are they valid, and in what ways might they be overstated?
• What's your view the interview with the authors?

This Tweet Brought to You by Dos Equis

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

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

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

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

Discussion Starters:

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

Amy's Baking Company - No Lesson Learned?

Amy's Baking Company is in the social media news again for angering customers. Back in August 2010, Amy responded to a negative Yelp review by calling the customer a "moron" and saying that "only tramps and losers want to sit outside in 110 temperatures" (although she used more capital letters and exclamation marks than I have).

Now, Amy finds herself in the heat again. Owners Samy and Amy Bouzaglos appeared on the reality TV show "Kitchen Nightmares" for Chef Gordon Ramsey to save their business. But Chef Ramsey left the show because the couple is "incapable of listening." Things went downhill from there.

The owners tried to win support on the company's Facebook page, but people were not sympathetic. As it turns out, calling people "little punks" and saying "We have God on our side" typically won't elicit support.

Now, the couple is saying that the Facebook page was hacked.

But their new Facebook page posts are suspiciously like the old ones. The owners may need more help than "Kitchen Nightmares" can provide.

Discussion Starters:

• What advice would you give the Bouzagloses about responding to social media posts?
• What's your opinion of this incident in light of the 2010 Yelp response? How, if at all, does this change your view of the owner and the business?

Abercrombie CEO Faux Pas

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

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

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

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

 Discussion Starters:

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

A Grammarian After My Own Heart

I want to meet this person: someone with a sharp grammatical mind and a sharp pen fixed errors at a sculpture park at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. As yet, no one has accepted responsibility, but I may have found my soul mate.

 

I admit, I've done my share of marking public typos. In some cases, I just take a photo, but other times I can't control myself. In this first example, I asked the Starbucks barista for a marker, and she obliged. In the second exmaple, I was alone in the stairwell with a pen. What choice did I have?

Discussion Starters:

• When have you found typos on public signs? What did you do?  
• Shouldn't we have a law protecting typo vigilantes, sort-of like the Good Samaritan Law? No?

General's Email About Reading

Marine General James Mattis's email response to a colleague who was "too busy to read" offers good lessons for business leaders-and writers. The 2004 email went viral and was recently published on a blog and picked up by Business Insider.

Here is the email:

The problem with being too busy to read is that you learn by experience (or by your men's experience), i.e. the hard way. By reading, you learn through others' experiences, generally a better way to do business, especially in our line of work where the consequences of incompetence are so final for young men.

Thanks to my reading, I have never been caught flat-footed by any situation, never at a loss for how any problem has been addressed (successfully or unsuccessfully) before. It doesn't give me all the answers, but it lights what is often a dark path ahead."

With [Task Force] 58, I had w/ me Slim's book, books about the Russian and British experiences in [Afghanistan], and a couple others. Going into Iraq, "The Siege" (about the Brits' defeat at Al Kut in WW I) was req'd reading for field grade officers. I also had Slim's book; reviewed T.E. Lawrence's "Seven Pillars of Wisdom"; a good book about the life of Gertrude Bell (the Brit archaeologist who virtually founded the modern Iraq state in the aftermath of WW I and the fall of the Ottoman empire); and "From Beirut to Jerusalem". I also went deeply into Liddell Hart's book on Sherman, and Fuller's book on Alexander the Great got a lot of my attention (although I never imagined that my HQ would end up only 500 meters from where he lay in state in Babylon). 

Ultimately, a real understanding of history means that we face NOTHING new under the sun.

For all the "4th Generation of War" intellectuals running around today saying that the nature of war has fundamentally changed, the tactics are wholly new, etc, I must respectfully say … "Not really": Alex the Great would not be in the least bit perplexed by the enemy that we face right now in Iraq, and our leaders going into this fight do their troops a disservice by not studying (studying, vice just reading) the men who have gone before us.

We have been fighting on this planet for 5000 years and we should take advantage of their experience. "Winging it" and filling body bags as we sort out what works reminds us of the moral dictates and the cost of incompetence in our profession. As commanders and staff officers, we are coaches and sentries for our units: how can we coach anything if we don't know a hell of a lot more than just the [Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures]? What happens when you're on a dynamic battlefield and things are changing faster than higher [Headquarters] can stay abreast? Do you not adapt because you cannot conceptualize faster than the enemy's adaptation? (Darwin has a pretty good theory about the outcome for those who cannot adapt to changing circumstance - in the information age things can change rather abruptly and at warp speed, especially the moral high ground which our regimented thinkers cede far too quickly in our recent fights.) And how can you be a sentinel and not have your unit caught flat-footed if you don't know what the warning signs are - that your unit's preps are not sufficient for the specifics of a tasking that you have not anticipated?

Perhaps if you are in support functions waiting on the warfighters to spell out the specifics of what you are to do, you can avoid the consequences of not reading. Those who must adapt to overcoming an independent enemy's will are not allowed that luxury.

This is not new to the USMC approach to warfighting - Going into Kuwait 12 years ago, I read (and reread) Rommel's Papers (remember "Kampstaffel"?), Montgomery's book ("Eyes Officers"…), "Grant Takes Command" (need for commanders to get along, "commanders' relationships" being more important than "command relationships"), and some others.

As a result, the enemy has paid when I had the opportunity to go against them, and I believe that many of my young guys lived because I didn't waste their lives because I didn't have the vision in my mind of how to destroy the enemy at least cost to our guys and to the innocents on the battlefields.

Hope this answers your question…. I will cc my ADC in the event he can add to this. He is the only officer I know who has read more than I.

We know that General Mattis is an avid reader because he writes well. Reading is essential for good writing.

Discussion Starters:

• What do you read? In what ways does it help you?
• Do you agree with my assertion that reading is essential to good writing? Why or why not?

JC Penney's Re- ReBranding Efforts

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

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

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

A writer for USA Today thinks the company is doomed:

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

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

Discussion Starters:

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

Twitter CEO Gives Commencement Speech at Michigan

Twitter CEO Dick Costolo, University of Michigan '85, rejoined to give a funny commencement speech.

Costolo used his share of self-deprecating humor, discussing his "crushing disappointment" after having ambitions of working for Second City TV and Saturday Night Live. Although he did improv for some time (and rubbed elbows with Steve Carell and others), he ended up working at Pier One Imports, as he joked, putting to work his Computer Science degree from the University of Michigan.

Costolo said Twitter was the best example of making "bold bets." The founder acknowledged that he never expected the site to become the success it is today: "You cannot draw any of your paths looking forward."

He also gave the predictable commencement advice: "You have to figure out what you love to do...and go do that." Yep, got it.

Discussion Starters:

• Evaluate Costolo's speech. What works well in his content, organization, and delivery, and what could be improved?
• Watch two or three other commencement speeches on YouTube. Which do you like best and why?

Confusing Column Chart

With the title, "Two Charts Which Show That April Was A Horrible Month For American Manufacturing," I would expect to see clear, easy-to-interpret charts. This one is not.

Here are Business Insider's introductory text and the chart:  

"If there is an American manufacturing renaissance, it certainly appears to  have stalled in April.

"From the just-released ADP report, a chart which shows that manufacturing actually lost jobs in the month!"

Granted, this chart is very colorful, and overall, the numbers generally decline since November 12. But how can the chart be improved? Consider the following:

• Including a message title
• Adding data labels
• Choosing a different (or supplemental) chart type
• Highlighting most relevant data graphically and numerically

The purpose of the chart is to show that manufacturing lost jobs in April. Do we know exactly how many-both as a percentage and raw number? This would seem to be an important part of the argument.

Offensive Ad of the Day: Mountain Dew

Mountain Dew pulled an ad that was deemed racist and sexist. This one seems to jump, rather than cross, the line. A badly bruised woman is asked to identify someone in a police line-up of African-American men-and a goat.

Felicia the Goat, with the voice of rapper Tyler The Creator, made his first appearance in Mountain Dew commercials in March. In an earlier episode, the goat beats up the waitress for failing to give him enough soda. As one might expect, the ad was criticized for being misogynistic. Because bad things come in threes, Mountain Dew has another commercial set to air on May 24.

In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, PepsiCo has taken responsibility for the ad:

"We apologize for this video and take full responsibility. We have removed it from all Mountain Dew channels and Tyler is removing it from his channels as well."

A representative for Tyler The Creator released a statement to The Hollywood Reporter:

"It was never Tyler's intention to offend however, offense is personal and valid to anyone who is offended. Out of respect to those that were offended the ad was taken down," it said. "For those who know and respect Tyler he is known for pushing boundaries and challenging stereotypes through humor. This is someone who grew up on David Chappelle. This situation is layered with context and is a discussion that Tyler would love to address in the right forum as he does have a point of view."

"Contrary to what many may discern from this Tyler is the embodiment of not judging others, his delivery may not be for everyone (which is true for anyone who pushes boundaries) but his voice is nonetheless important to the conversation since his demographic understands what he ultimately stands for and sees the irony of it all," continued the statement.

"He absolutely never intended to spark a controversy about race," it read. "It was simply an again admittedly absurd story that was never meant to be taken seriously. Again we apologize if this was taken out of context and would never trivialize racism, especially now in America where voting and civil rights are being challenged at the highest level."

Discussion Starters:

• What's your view of the first two commercials? Do you find them offensive, funny, or something else?
• PepsiCo's response differs from the recent McDonald's and Hyundai situations, where the companies said ads were created without their approval. Does PepsiCo's response work better?