News Anchor Compares Shooting to "Breaking Bad"

Not quite as tasteless as the CEO of AIG comparing its bonus controversy to lynchings, but a news anchor was criticized for comparing Philadelphia shootings to the TV series "Breaking Bad."

Either really insensitive-or perhaps a bit dense-Evans replied with this general tweet and repeated it as a reply to a few naysayers:

It didn't take long for Twitter joksters to create #JoyceEvansTweets:

Discussion Starters:

• What's your view of the reaction? Are people just too insensitive?
• How does the #JoyceEvansTweets help or hurt the situation?
• Write a more appropriate tweet response (an apology) of Evans' behalf.

Another Daniel Loeb Letter

Followers of business news may remember hedge fund manager Dan Loeb's letter to the Yahoo board of directors calling for the termination of Yahoo's now former CEO Scott Thompson. Thompson had falsified some information on his resume.

Now Loeb is after Sotheby's chairman and CEO Bill Ruprecht. This latest letter is more personal, according to a Reuters opinion writer, than his letter about Yahoo-or another letter about Sony's strategy. In this case, Reuters writer Felix Salman speculates that Loeb will not be successful in "outsting" Ruprecht, but he may get a stock price boost he's looking for.

Here are headings of the full letter: 

• Pressing Issues at Sotheby's
• Management's Lack of Alignment with Shareholders
• Limitations in Formulating and Executing Strategic Initiatives
• A Prescription for Repairing Sotheby's

Discussion Starters:

• Compare Loeb's three letters: to Yahoo, Sony, and Sotheby's. What differences do you notice, and what could account for them?
• In what ways do you agree or disagree with the Reuters writer's view?

Employee Quits by Dance Video

Fed up with her job at Next Media Animation, Marina Shifrin resigned byvideo rather than the traditional letter. As of this writing, the video received 13 million views.

One of the company executives, Mark Simon, responded by email to Gawker:

I am Mark Simon, I am the one who hired Marina Shifrin, who danced her way to fame in her resignation video which she sent to Gawker.

Currently, I am one of the senior executives of the group and she reports up to the folks who work for me. Marina actually thinks enough of me to have given me a call the Thursday before she released this to say that she was resigning, which I appreciated. I asked her to tell her bosses, as I took our call to be in confidence. The first her boss saw was the video.

Look, I actually like Marina a great deal. Marina herself has said we are a great company to work for, and I do not think she intended to hurt anyone, but it has happened.

There are a few things I would like just make a point of and if there is an interest I will be happy to be asked any question. (We do not have a PR department and we are wide open to any and all questions).

There is an image now of a sweat shop, we are not. Marina made USD$42k per year. She had a 40 hr work week, 5 days a week. There is no expectation of OT on our behalf, you finish your shift and leave. In our office most folks leave when their shift is up as you work on news flow.

Also we ask journalists to work one month per year on the midnight shift as we just need to cover the shift. We pay a differential of 30% for these hours, which I know are hard hours to work.

Look, we do news animations. We are not investigative reporters. Two international outlets have asked us for comment, and her video is up on nearly 300 sites. We think we have something to say about this and we are hoping Gawker will have us.

I am not looking to slam her, nor am I engaged in anything but trying to help some other managers in their early 30's, understand why the young lady they hung out with just cashiered them. I don't think she meant for it to be seen as so harsh, but we are getting some nasty attacks on our managers, who she says she respects.

I just want any chance to answer any questions, answer anything on Skype or on phone.

I am not spitting nastiness at Marina, but in her 9 months with us we sent her to Hong Kong twice, to Thailand for a media conference, and she just came back a month ago from two weeks in LA and NYC where she was pitching animation stories. She logged 170 hours the last 3 months in creative time working up ideas to pitch. She is a hard worker, but I cannot foresee results or always give her the best story of the day.

We let her talk to all the press she wanted, we encouraged her stand-up, and frankly my folks in Taiwan are a bunch of granola's... They are nice folks. We have 600 employees and I have not one outstanding case in labor tribunal. That is no small feat in Taiwan.

I though Gawker played this fair and so if anyone wants anything we are open.

Thanks

Mark

Employees also posted a video in response:

Discussion Starters:

• What are the potential risks and rewards for Shifrin? Consider her position and industry?
• How do you assess Simon's response? 
• Correct Simon's many typographical and punctuation errors.

Bertolli Capitalizes on Barilla's Anti-Gay Comments

Competitor Bertolli is taking full advantage of the CEO of Barilla pasta's anti-gay comments.

After saying that he'll never make ads featuring gay people, CEO Guido Barilla is facing a new foe: Bertolli. Promising "Love and pasta for all!" the company posted this image to its Facebook timeline:

Given its history, Bertolli seems to be a supporter from way back. AdWeek discovered this commercial from a "couple of years" ago:

Discussion Starters:

• What are the potential risks of Bertolli's advertising strategy?
• If you were Guido Barilla, what, if anything, would you do in response?

Hobby Lobby Apologizes for Potential Anti-Semitic Comments

Hobby Lobby is on the defense for an alleged comment by an employee and for not stocking Jewish holiday items. Someone relayed this story in a blog post titled, "Why I Will Never Ever Patronize at Hobby Lobby":

One of our friends entered the store, asked where the Chanukah goods were, was told there wouldn't be any, and asked why.  According to her, the answer was:

"We don't cater to you people." 

Understandably irate, she called the home office, and was told, indifferently, that hobby lobby doesn't have Chanukah on its list of holidays. 

Since I did not hear this ugly exchange with my own ears, I was not personally certain it was the case.  And that's not good enough for this blog.  So I just called the Marlboro hobby lobby and asked whether it would be stocking any Chanukah merchandise.  I was told it would not.  When I asked why, the answer - verbatim - was: 

"Because Mr. Green is the owner of the company, he's a Christian, and those are his values." 

The company's mission is connected to religious beliefs. Here are two references on the "Our Company" page of its website: 

At Hobby Lobby, we value our customers and employees and are committed to:

• Honoring the Lord in all we do by operating the company in a manner consistent with biblical principles.
• Offering our customers exceptional selection and value in the crafts and home decor market.
• Serving our employees and their families by establishing a work environment and company policies that build character, strengthen individuals and nurture families.
• Providing a return on the owner's investment, sharing the Lord's blessings with our employees, and investing in our community.

------

We believe that it is by God's grace and provision that Hobby Lobby has endured. He has been faithful in the past, and we trust Him for our future.

Hobby Lobby responded first in a Facebook post: 

Then, Hobby Lobby gave a fuller response in a statement: 

We sincerely apologize for any employee comments that may have offended anyone, especially our Jewish customers and friends. Comments like these do not reflect the feelings of our family or Hobby Lobby.

Our family has a deep respect for the Jewish faith and those who hold its traditions dear. We're proud contributors to Yad Vashem, as well as to other museums and synagogues in Israel and the United States. 

We are investigating this matter and absolutely do not tolerate discrimination at our company or our stores. We do not have any policies that discriminate; in fact, we have policies that specifically prohibit discrimination. 

We have previously carried merchandise in our stores related to Jewish holidays. We select the items we sell in our stores based on customer demand. We are working with our buyers to re-evaluate our holiday items and what we will carry in the future. 

 Discussion Starters: 

• Assess Hobby Lobby's two responses. How do they differ? Which do you find more effective, and why? 
• A Hobby Lobby is opening in Ithaca this year (no joke!). If one were opening near you, and you wanted what they sell, would you shop there? Why or why not? 

Should Jamie Dimon Resign? CNBC Says No.

CNBC is accused of being less than objective in assessing whether JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon should resign. In a pointed blog post, Reuters reporter Felix Salmon refers to CNBC producers and hosts as Dimon's "biggest cheerleaders" and criticizes them of not considering the whole story. Titled, "The JP Morgan apologists of CNBC," the post includes a clip from CNBC showing hosts asking leading questions. 

Readers may recall that JP Morgan Chase lost a risky trading hedge that could amount to to $20 billion in fines.

 Salmon highlights this excerpt from the video as an example of CNBC's tone:

Maria Bartiromo: Alex, to you first. Legal problems aside, JP Morgan remains one of the best, if not the best performing major bank in the world today. You believe the leader of that bank should step down?

Alex Pareene: I think that any time you're looking at the greatest fine in the history of Wall Street regulation, it's really worth asking should this guy stay in his job. In any other industry - I can't think of another industry. If you managed a restaurant, and it got the biggest health department fine in the history of restaurants, no one would say "Yeah, but the restaurant's making a lot of money. There's only a little bit of poison in the food."

The arguments on both sides use several reasoning types we discuss in class: criteria, analogy, dissocation, and others.

Discussion Starters:

• How do you assess the interview? Is CNBC biased in its view?
• How are principles of persuasion used in the arguments? What examples do you see of reasoning types, fallacies, and evidence?

Barilla Won't Use Gays in Advertising

The CEO of Barilla Italian pasta company sounded anti-gay on a radio show. Although the interview was in Italian, blogger John Aravosis translated Guido Barillo's comments into English:

"We won't include gays in our ads, because we like the traditional family. If gays don't like it, they can always eat another brand of pasta. Everyone is free to do what they want, provided it doesn't bother anyone else."

Re-thinking his comments the next day, Barillo said,

"With reference to statements made yesterday, I apologize if my words have generated controversy or misunderstanding, or if they have hurt the sensibilities of some people. In the interview, I simply wanted to highlight the central role of the woman in the family."

Here's the audio, which is useful if you speak Italian.

Image source.

Discussion Starters:

• Some are calling for a boycott of Barilla products. Would you follow along if you typically bought the pasta? Why or why not?
• Assess the CEO's follow-up message. How, if at all, does it affect your view of the company?

McDonald's Offers Healthier Menu Items

After much criticism of its unhealthy food and advertising targeted towards children, McDonald's is offering more options for people looking for healthy food.

In 20 of its major markets, accounting for 85% of its total sales, McDonald's will revamp the menu. Costing $35 million through 2020, the move may pave the way for other fast-food chains. This is Bill Clinton's hope, as he said in a press release about the initiative, which is part of the Clinton Global Initiative in New York:

"If we want to curb the catastrophic economic and health implications of obesity across the world, we need more companies to follow McDonald's lead and step up to the plate and make meaningful changes."

CEO Don Thompson explained the opportunity:

"This is a particular opportunity to partner with the Clinton Foundation and the alliance to leverage our scale and size and marketing prowess to be able to influence more purchases of fruits and vegetables."

On the "Nutrition Choices" page of McDonald's website, the company posted a progress report showing its "National Nutritional Commitments." For each, the report describes the company's "journey."

Discussion Starters:

• Read McDonald's progress report. Who are the primary and secondary audiences? What are the company's objectives? How is it organized? How does the company use graphics to highlight main points?
• Analyze how data is presented in the report. How does the company use quantitative information to prove its points? In what ways is the presentation successful, and where does it fall short?

AIG: Bonus Criticism "Just as Bad" as Lynchings

AIG's CEO has apologized for comparing criticism of employee bonuses to lynching.

In a Wall Street Journal article, Chief Executive Bob Benmosche was quoted as saying that anger about bonuses "was intended to stir public anger, to get everybody out there with their pitch forks and their hangman nooses, and all that -- sort of like what we did in the Deep South <decades ago>. And I think it was just as bad and just as wrong."

The criticism of bonuses began around 2009 during the financial meltdown when, in the midst of bailouts from the government, financial sector employees were collecting large bonuses. The banks' defense was that these employees were contractually due the bonuses, that the bonuses were essential to retain talent, and that only a few employees were responsible for bad decisions that caused the collapse. (I'm paraphrasing here.)

Reuters explains the lynchings in this way: "Thousands of people, mainly African-Americans and primarily in the South, were beaten, hanged and killed in the 19th and 20th centuries by racist mobs."

Do you see the analogy?

In a statement, Benmoshce later said, "It was a poor choice of words. I never meant to offend anyone by it."

Image source.

Discussion Starters:

• Several news sources (Al Jazeera, Reuters, and others) called Benmoshe's statement an "apology." Is it? What does a apology typically include?
• Read an article in Rolling Stone discussing the comment and other perceived failings of Wall Street. Analyze the author's arguments. How does he use logical arguments, emotional appeals, and credibility to make his points? Which are strongest and which are weakest?

Coke Explains "You Retard" on Cap

Imagine looking at the bottom of a bottle cap and seeing "YOU RETARD." That's what a Canadian girl saw when she opened a bottle of Coke's Vitaminwater.

Unfortunately for Coke, the expression was particularly hurtful because the girl's younger sister has celebral palsy and autism. Their father wrote a letter to Coke explaining the family's view of the "R" word:

"You see, the "R" word is considered a swear word in out [sic] family. We don't use it. We don't tolerate others using it around us. We are over-sensitive, but you would be too if you have Fiona for a daughter."

The Coca-Cola Company responded to ABC News:

"We have spoken to the family to offer our sincerest apologies and to explain the production process to them," Shannon Denny, director of brand communications for Coca-Cola Refreshment Canada, told ABC News. "This is certainly not an excuse in any way for what has occurred. We wanted them to know that this was in no way intentional and was a mistake on our part during the review process. We also wanted to share that the promotion has since been cancelled and we are no longer producing bottles with those caps."

How did the mistake happen? Apparently, the caps were part of a promotion that randomly paired an English word with a French word. "Retard" translated to mean "late" or "delayed" in French. According to a company spokesperson, "The word's English connotation was missed during the review process." 

Discussion Starters:

• How do you assess Coke's apology and explanation?
• Read the father's letter. How it is organized? What works well, and what could be improved?

Cornell Lacrosse Team Suspended

From right here in cloudy Ithaca, the Cornell Lacrosse Team has made national news. As the team faces hazing allegations-coerced consumption of alcohol by underage freshman-Andrew Noel, Cornell's director of athletics, is front and center.

Noel responded in an interview with The Ithaca Journal:

"I would say that it's disappointing and unacceptable behavior that has to stop immediately. And having met with the lacrosse players last Sunday morning, we discussed the situation for quite a while, and I was heartened by their attitude and by the fact that I believe they understood what they put in jeopardy, for themselves as individuals, for the team, and for the (athletic) department and university."

Noel also gave this official statement:

"On Sept. 13, the Cornell men's lacrosse team was placed on temporary suspension pending appropriate sanctions for a team hazing incident. Following investigation into the incident, Coach (Ben) DeLuca and his team were notified that all fall competitions are canceled."

However, Ben DeLuca has been asked for comment from USA Today and other sources, but he has been unavailable. According to The Ithaca Journal,

"Noel said he has talked with the fourth-year coach and that they are 'both on the same page' as far as the penalty is concerned.'A lot of discussion was not necessary,' Noel said. 'He understands, like I do, that we can't have this. He doesn't want it to happen, and I don't want it to happen. Neither of us are going to allow it to happen without serious repercussions, which have happened. It was a pretty stern penalty here, which is pretty tough on the athletes and on the coaching staff. We are together in how we feel about it.'"

Image source.

Discussion Starters:

• Assess Noel's response. What are his objections, and how well did he meet them?
• What do you make of DeLuca's absence of comment?

"Reverse Showrooming" from Pinterest and Other Sites

People are looking at product images online and buying in the store. Proving a concept called "reverse showrooming," a survey reported that 41% of social media users look online and buy in person, while only 26% practice "showrooming," which is browsing in the store but ordering online. Twenty-one percent of Pinterest users reported purchasing a product in-store after pinning, repinning, or liking an item.

This survey is significant because it could alleviate concerns that people increasingly browse in brick-and-mortar stores but order online, a claim used to explain declining store sales, such as Best Buy's.

In a nifty interactive, a Harvard Business Review article described five typical paths that Pinterest users follow to consume products: 

• The Deal Seeker
• The Nonseeker
• The Category Seeker
• The Inspiration Seeker
• The Social-Proof Seeker

 Discussion Starters:

• What is your own experience with online and in-store shopping? How do you explain differences or similarities between your behavior and that reported in this survey?
• What implications of this survey do you see for Pinterest? Amazon? Best Buy?

Microsoft Pulls iPhone Parody Ads

Called "distasteful," "terrible," "harsh," "bizarre," and "cringe-worthy," Microsoft videos poking fun at the iPhone have been removed. Here is one of seven produced, as Apple introduces iPhones 5c and 5s.

Critics said the ads are not funny, and some thought that the executive's resemblance to Steve Jobs was in poor taste.

Microsoft issued this statement about the decision: "The video was intended to be a light-hearted poke at our friends from Cupertino. But it was off the mark, and we've decided to pull it down."

Discussion Starters:

• Do you find the video funny? Why do you think it got a negative reaction?
• Assess Microsoft's decision and statement. Did the company do the right thing by removing the videos? What's effective about the statement?

Restaurant Owner Terminates Employees but Fumbles the Explanation

Two employees of Famous Dave's barbecue restaurant in North Dakota were fired for a Facebook post implying that Native Americans are bad tippers. 

The photo was posted during United Tribes International Pow Wow, a festival attended by more 20,000 people, according to event organizers. According to The Huffington Post, the employee shown in the poto "denies creating the cardboard sign, but she doesn't deny posing for the picture." Good move!

Thinking the photo would disappear, the employee's friend shared the photo via Snapchat. Snapchat describes the app on its website, but in this case, the image was shared on Facebook:

"Snapchat is a new way to share moments with friends. Snap an ugly selfie or a video, add a caption, and send it to a friend (or maybe a few). They'll receive it, laugh, and then the snap disappears.

"The image might be a little grainy, and you may not look your best, but that's the point. It's about the moment, a connection between friends, and not just a pretty picture.

"The allure of fleeting messages reminds us about the beauty of friendship - we don't need a reason to stay in touch.

"Give it a try, share a moment, and enjoy the lightness of being!"

Snapchat has been criticized as an unsafe "sexting" app.

Although the owner of Famous Dave's may have done the right thing by terminating the employees, his Facebook post needs editing:

Discussion Starters:

• Assess Mike Wright's Facebook post. What works well, and what could be improved? Edit the post for accuracy.
• What's your view of Snapchat's claims? Can the site ensure that photos "disappear"? Is the company responsible for images that are shared in the interim, or do users hold this responsibility?

Starbucks Asks Customers Not to Bring Weapons to the Store

In an open letter, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz asks customers not to bring firearms to the stores.

Dear Fellow Americans,

Few topics in America generate a more polarized and emotional debate than guns. In recent months, Starbucks stores and our partners (employees) who work in our stores have been thrust unwillingly into the middle of this debate. That's why I am writing today with a respectful request that customers no longer bring firearms into our stores or outdoor seating areas.

From the beginning, our vision at Starbucks has been to create a "third place" between home and work where people can come together to enjoy the peace and pleasure of coffee and community. Our values have always centered on building community rather than dividing people, and our stores exist to give every customer a safe and comfortable respite from the concerns of daily life.

We appreciate that there is a highly sensitive balance of rights and responsibilities surrounding America's gun laws, and we recognize the deep passion for and against the "open carry" laws adopted by many states. (In the United States, "open carry" is the term used for openly carrying a firearm in public.) For years we have listened carefully to input from our customers, partners, community leaders and voices on both sides of this complicated, highly charged issue.

Our company's longstanding approach to "open carry" has been to follow local laws: we permit it in states where allowed and we prohibit it in states where these laws don't exist. We have chosen this approach because we believe our store partners should not be put in the uncomfortable position of requiring customers to disarm or leave our stores. We believe that gun policy should be addressed by government and law enforcement-not by Starbucks and our store partners.

Recently, however, we've seen the "open carry" debate become increasingly uncivil and, in some cases, even threatening. Pro-gun activists have used our stores as a political stage for media events misleadingly called "Starbucks Appreciation Days" that disingenuously portray Starbucks as a champion of "open carry." To be clear: we do not want these events in our stores. Some anti-gun activists have also played a role in ratcheting up the rhetoric and friction, including soliciting and confronting our customers and partners.

For these reasons, today we are respectfully requesting that customers no longer bring firearms into our stores or outdoor seating areas-even in states where "open carry" is permitted-unless they are authorized law enforcement personnel.

I would like to clarify two points. First, this is a request and not an outright ban. Why? Because we want to give responsible gun owners the chance to respect our request-and also because enforcing a ban would potentially require our partners to confront armed customers, and that is not a role I am comfortable asking Starbucks partners to take on. Second, we know we cannot satisfy everyone. For those who oppose "open carry," we believe the legislative and policy-making process is the proper arena for this debate, not our stores. For those who champion "open carry," please respect that Starbucks stores are places where everyone should feel relaxed and comfortable. The presence of a weapon in our stores is unsettling and upsetting for many of our customers.

I am proud of our country and our heritage of civil discourse and debate. It is in this spirit that we make today's request. Whatever your view, I encourage you to be responsible and respectful of each other as citizens and neighbors.

Sincerely,

Howard Schultz

The letter also appeared as a full-page ad in The Wall Street Journal.

Although Schultz doesn't reference the shootings at the Washington, D.C. Navy Yard two days prior, the timing may be significant. On the other hand, Schultz says that holding "Starbucks Appreciation Days" was the impetus for the decision. He says that the event had been misconstrued, leading people to believe that the company supports "open carry" laws.

As of this writing, Starbucks' Facebook post that referenced the letter received almost 33,000 likes but also received its share of negative comments, such as this from a police officer:

This writer failed to notice the exception in Schultz's letter: "unless they are authorized law enforcement personnel."

Discussion Starters:

• What do you think are Schultz's goals in writing this letter? What are his short- and long-term objectives?
• What are the dangers of his approach? Consider public opinion, the impact on customers, employees' perspectives, and so on.

Chipotle's "The Scarecrow" App

Chipotle has a clever new ad in the form of a game. With "The Scarecrow" app, users help the Scarecrow win against Crow Foods, an invented food monopoly that produces factory food. On the website, users are invited to "Join Chipotle and the Scarecrow on a journey to bring real food back to thepeople. Play the game, watch the animated short film, and find out how to take action."

A companion video features Fiona Apple singing a cover of "Pure Imagination" from "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory." 

Chipotle Marketing Manager Mark Crumpacker told The Village Voice that the company wants to educate people about processed foods and how antibiotics are used in meat production:

"That's the most pressing issue to us right now. There are multiple consequences. There are obvious public-health issues, because you risk creating new antibiotic-resistant diseases. There are environmental issues that come with animals living in confinement. And there are issues with eating the food."

This isn't Chipotle's first time mixing music and advertising. The video Back to the Start featured Willie Nelson singing a cover of Coldplay's "The Scientist. With that animated short, Chiptole targeted pork production.

Discussion Starters:

• Who is Chipotle's target audience for the app? Is the app effective for the audience?
• Read the recent story about Panera apologizing to farmers. What, if any, implications do you see for Chipotle?

Vine: The Twitter of Video

Vine videos are taking off, and companies are starting to create them. Vine is a mobile Twitter service that lets users capture and share six-second videos on a loop.

CIO identified five companies that are making good use of the service. Home improvement store Lowes, for example, has posted several "Fix in Six" videos with helpful suggestions, such as using cayenne pepper to keep squirrels out of your garden. Ad agency BBDO posted this video about the idea:

Companies also are creating commercials on Vine, although it's unclear who was first. Five days ago, Ad Week reported Dunkin' Donuts as the first:

"During this evening's Monday Night Football pregame show on ESPN, Dunkin' Donuts will run what's most certainly the first TV ad made entirely from a single Vine-Twitter's popular six-second social video format."

But four days ago, Mashable reported Trident as introducing the "first, 6-second Vine TV ad."

Regardless, they're both silly/cute/fun/dumbck your adjective.

Discussion Starters:

• Read CIO's examples of companies using Vine. What other ideas do you have for how companies could use the service?
• What's next for short, mobile messages? Any predictions?

Former Stand-Up Comedian Takes His Company Public

Twitter CEO Dick Costolo has applied for an initial public offering. The process will be interesting to watch because Dick Costolo is interesting to watch. And, of course, we're all hoping Twitter avoids Facebook's IPO disaster.

As a former stand-up comedian, Costolo is known for his sense of humor. At a commencement speech at the University of Michigan, Costolo spoke of his failed attempts to appear on Second City TV and Saturday Night Live. According to The New York Times, at the 2012 opening of the Cannes Film Festival, Costolo started the keynote speech as follows:

"Since I've got 45 minutes, if we can just start with some quick introductions," he says, gesturing to the front row. "Start over here. Stand up, say what company you're from and what animal you could be if you could be any animal."

The Times article also quotes Costolo as saying, "People have Plato's form in their mind of what a leader is, or what a C.E.O. is, and it is a bunch of elements that I really don't conform to at all. I've given this a lot of thought, and I came to the conclusion that I don't care."

I remember writing about Facebook's IPO Roadshow video, full of emotional appeal, yet light on financials. It will be interesting to see how another non-traditional company-with a non-traditional CEO-handles the communications.

Discussion Starters:

• How can Costolo use humor to his advantage during the IPO process?
• What potential pitfalls does he need to avoid?
• How can Twitter differentiate itself from Facebook's experience?

Esquire's 9/11 Mistakes

Esquire.com made two mistakes on September 11. First, the website posted the well-known image of a man falling from the World Trade Center on 9/11 next to a story about commuting to work.

 

When people criticized the mistake, a tweet told people to "relax."

Not surprisingly, Esquire.com suffered worse for its response.

Discussion Starters:

• How does the tweet response fail? Analyze the word choice and tone.
• Rewrite the tweet for Esquire. What might have worked better?

9/11 Marketing Failures

Companies are still learning the lesson: don't use tragic events to sell your products. AT&T and a golf course made this mistake on September 11.

AT&T tweeted an image of someone taking a photo of the World Trade Center. Calling the ad "cheesy," "tacky," and other choice words, tweeters caused the company to issue an apology.

Tumbledown Trails golf course offered a promotion on 9/11:

 

After quite a bit of backlash, management apologized-with increasing vigor in successive posts:

We would first like to apologize to everyone that we have upset or feels we have disrespected in anyway. By no means did we mean to do this.
Here is what we will do this Wednesday 9-11;
we will still let all that have tee times booked play for the previous rates we posted.
Then for all other golf that day we would like to donate the $ difference between our normal rate and the previous price for the day to the 9/11 Memorial.
We hope that everyone will now see this as a positive as we really meant it to be. Again we do sincerely apologize for offending anyone & hope that you do accept our sincere apology.
 Thank you
-------------
We are a family owned business & proudly support all local charities and have always gave 20% off everyday to all Police, Fire, Emergency, Military, etc. Please accept our apology.
-------------
Please stay tuned to see if we will be open on Weds 9/11.
We are now worried about what people will do/say to our staff & do not want anything to happen or get out of control.
Sorry for the inconvenience this may have caused anyone.

David Berkowitz, CMO of MRY, offered this advice: "Unless you're bringing something of value, the easy thing is just to keep your mouth shut." In his view, a simple "We remember" or similar tweet, such as Shutterfly's, is probably most appropriate.

 

Discussion Starters:

• Assess the apologies from AT&T and Tumbledown Trails. What works well and what doesn't?
• Do you agree with David Berkowitz's advice, or should companies just avoid the observance entirely?