Uber's Questionable Ethics

Uber's senior vice president of business Emil Michael made a mess for the company. At a dinner in NYC, Michael suggested paying $1 million to research information about members of the media: "your personal lives, your families." Michael's comments were directed particularly to Sarah Lacy, who wrote a scathing article about sexism and misogyny at Uber. BuzzFeed notes that this comment comes on the heels of Uber's commitment to improve its image and relations with the media.

A BloombergBusinessweek article notes Uber's history of retaliating against people who speak against it. Although later reinstated, a driver's account was deactivated after he posted a negative tweet about the service.

In a statement through his publicist, Michael, who said he thought his remarks were off the record, apologized:

"The remarks attributed to me at a private dinner-borne out of frustration during an informal debate over what I feel is sensationalistic media coverage of the company I am proud to work for-do not reflect my actual views and have no relation to the company's views or approach. They were wrong no matter the circumstance and I regret them."

In 13 tweets, Uber CEO Travis Kalanick explained the company's position.

Tweet 14 apologized to Sarah Lacy.

Uber's head of communication also weighed in via Twitter: "We have not, do not and will not investigate journalists. Those remarks have no basis in the reality of our approach."

Discussion Starters:

• Was it unrealistic for Michael to consider his comments at a dinner "off the record," or did the journalist at the table act inappropriately?
• What should Uber do to regain trust?
• Should Michael be fired?

NFL on Social Media

NFL teams have to be as tough on social media as they are on the field. Jerry Knaak, the Oakland Raiders' director of digital media says, "You're getting instant feedback, which is invaluable. But you have to have a very thick skin and have to understand that that's part of it. It's sports. People are going to vent."

When the Raiders tweeted, "An 0-8 record isn't good, but many positives have come out of the first half of the season," the team got several negative responses. But that's expected on social media.

Experienced sports media people offer sound advice for organizations tweeting on game day, particularly when games aren't going well. Kevin Griffin, the Cleveland Browns' vice president of fan experience and marketing says, "You had to be very, very conscious that you weren't trying to make it look better than it actually was. People can see right through you. There's a level of credibility that you have to maintain."

Griffin suggests what we discuss in Chapter 3 of the textbook-social media is about the conversation: "Not that we hide or run from it, but we don't want to be negative. The default is always: You don't have to do it. It's not like it's going to cripple your business. It has to be a natural conversation." 

Discussion Starters: 

• Read some of the Raiders' tweets during the game. How do you see the team engaging followers and fans?
• Now read some of the responses. How would you characterize them? How should the organization respond to negative tweets?

Twitter's Convoluted Strategy Statement

You might think that Twitter could write a clear, succinct strategy statement-perhaps even within 140 characters. But that's not the case, and the company is getting hammered for it.

"Reach the largest daily audience in the world by connecting everyone to their world via our information sharing and distribution platform products and be one of the top revenue generating Internet companies in the world."

When Anthony Nolo, the company's new CFO, read the statement at an analyst meeting, he stumbled in the middle and said it was a "mouthful." 

As expected, the Twittersphere has been poking fun of the statement and criticizing the writing.

I would add hyphens too. #BetterTwitterMissionStatements lists serious and playful alternatives.

Discussion Starters:

• Although some critics call it a mission statement, the company says it's a strategy statement. What's the difference?
• Can you identify the two grammatical errors? How about the missing hyphens?

Ads Encourage Risky and Unhealthy Behavior

A new study showed that people who read promotions about diet aids ate more.

To be published in The Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, the study exposed people to two versions of messages. Both groups read a warning about high-fat diets, but one group read this additional text: "Until now! Introducing Chitosan Rx Ultra," a weight-loss aid "capable of absorbing up to 60 percent of the fat in your food." When given a plate of cookies, people who saw the message about Chitosan took significantly more cookies, and some took all 30.

The study authors conclude, "Why make healthier food choices to manage weight if a weight-management drug can manage your weight for you?" In a related study, participants exposed to ads for debt consolidation made riskier financial decisions.

Calling something a "supplement" didn't have as drastic results as calling something a "drug." One of the authors explains the distinction: "With the supplement, the very name reminds you that this is supplemental to other health protective behavior. They think [losing weight] is something they have to do as well … but people believe that the drug alone will take care of the problem."

Image source.

Discussion Starters:

• What, if any, responsibility do diet drug companies have in advertising?
• The Bureau of Consumer Protection published a website to help people spot false claims of weight loss products. How useful do you find the site?

Spirit Airlines Offers Miles for Hate

Here's a new marketing strategy: Ask customers why they hate you and reward them for it. Spirit Airlines encouraged responses in exchange for 8,000 frequent flier miles: hate for eight, or H8. The company received more than 30,000 comments.

In a press release, the company promotes its "State of Hate Report." According to Spirit's President and CEO Ben Baldanza, "I think if any organization asks for feedback you would expect the vast majority of responses would be directed at the company that seeks it. But in this case we were surprised that most consumers chose to share their frustrations about other airlines." In an infographic, Spirit explains the campaign and the results. One of the graphics shows the distribution of hate.

On another video, a cartoon character news reporter reviews the survey results and encourages more responses.

Discussion Starters:

• Describe the company's strategy for the campaign. What do you think Spirit's management team hoped to accomplish?
• Would you consider the campaign successful?
• What's your view of the two videos and the infographic? Consider Spirit's audience and the company's messages.

Missing Comma Causes Twitter Outpour

A New York Times book reviewer missed a comma, according to the book author, implying that she is married to her dog.

Ragan's PR Daily presents the situation as an example of how Twitter users with relatively few followers can make a large impact. With only 981 followers, one user received more than 2,700 retweets. 

PR Daily also describes an issue of style:

The [Baltimore] Sun shrugged off the comma, but took issue with the Times' sentence structure:

[T]he reviewer's unfortunate implication rose not from failure to provide an uncommon comma, but from unthinkingly resorting to the ranging from construction.

A range, dammit, is a series of discrete bounded elements. From a to z and from soup to nuts describe the ranges of the alphabet and the dinner menu.

Discussion Starters:

• Why do you think this topic generated so much interest on Twitter? It's only a comma, after all.
• Do you think the comma is missing?
• What's your view of the "from...to" construction: harmless, overused, or something else?

Being "PC" Boosts Team Performance

When male-female groups were instructed to be politically correct, they more readily shared creative ideas. Published in Administrative Science Quarterly, a Cornell University study of 582 participants disproves what many believe about political correctness. According to Jack Goncalo, associate professor of organizational behavior in the ILR School, "Our work challenges the widespread assumption that true creativity requires a kind of anarchy in which people are permitted to speak their minds, whatever the consequence."

In the study, some teams of three were asked to be "politically correct" or "polite," while other teams received no instructions. Teams then generated ideas, and researchers tracked the number of unique ideas.

Goncalo summarized the results: 

"[Political correctness] facilitates idea expression by reducing the uncertainty that people tend to experience while interacting with the opposite sex. The PC norm, by establishing a clear guideline for how to behave appropriately in mixed-sex groups, made both men and women more comfortable sharing their creative ideas."

Discussion Starters: 

• What, if anything, about the study results surprise you? 
• How does this affect your own participation in teams? Would you do anything differently?

Climate Change Management Linked to Higher Performance

A new report by CDP links climate change initiatives to higher corporate performance. The report starts with introductions by Hewlett Packard Chairman, President, and CEO Meg Whitman and CDP CEO Paul Simpson. HP has partnered with CDP, a non-profit organization that helps companies and cities measure, manage, and share information about environmental impact.

In the executive summary, the report highlights results of major corporations' initiaves to address climate change:

Our analysis shows that, on climate change management, S&P 500 industry leaders:

• generate superior profitability: ROE3 18% higher than low scoring peers and 67% higher than non-responders
• with more stability: 50% lower volatility of earnings over the past decade than low scoring peers
• grow dividends to shareholders: 21% stronger than low scoring peers
• exhibit value attributes attractive to equity investors

Although the results are impressive, the report warns that "correlation does not imply causation." Rather, the study authors conclude that top companies make climate change initiatives and communication a priority.  

Discussion Starters: 

• How is the report organized and formatted? Which principles from Chapter 10 are followed, and which are not? 
• How readable do you find the report? Consider the audience and writing style throughout. 

Virgin's Response to the SpaceShip Two Crash

Virgin Group has been defending the Galactic brand since the SpaceShipTwo crashed, killing the colot and injuring the pilot. Communications have been steady and varied from Virgin founder Richard Branson and Galatic CEO George T. Whitesides. 

In a series of statements on its website, Virgin Galactic explained information as it was understood. Whitesides also held a press conference. 

On its website, Virgin (the parent company) acknowledged the tragedy and described how the company was learning from the incident:

This is a very tough time for all of us at Virgin Galactic, The Spaceship Company and Scaled Composites, and our thoughts remain with the families of the brave Scaled pilots, and all those affected by this tragedy. We are determined to find out what went wrong and are working with the authorities to get that information. It is too early for me to add any details of the investigation at this stage. Read more.

In videos and interviews, Richard Branson expressed his continued confidence in the space program.

Discussion Starters: 

• What are the main messages you take from Virgin's communications? 
• Assess each message, including the company's webpage dedicated to the incident. Compare how the page includes text and graphics with the text-only statements. 

Arguments over a $3,750 Bottle of Wine

When a diner at Bobbie Flay Steak at the Borgata in Atlantic City heard the price of a wine, he thought it was $37.50, not $3,570. The host asked Joe Lentini to order a bottle, and here's how he explained the situation to NJ.com: 

"I asked the waitress if she could recommend something decent because I don't have experience with wine. She pointed to a bottle on the menu. I didn't have my glasses. I asked how much and she said, 'Thirty-seven fifty.'"

Lentini then tasted the Screaming Eagle, Oakville 2011, from the sommelier: "It was okay. It was good. It wasn't great. It wasn't terrible. It was fine."

Borgata executive vice president Joseph Lupo insists that protocol was followed:

"As the leading culinary destination in this region, we consistently serve as many, if not more high-end wine and spirits without incident. In this isolated case, both the server and sommelier verified the bottle requested with the patron."

Lupo also said:

"Due to these factors along with very detailed accounts from multiple sources regarding the incident, Borgata is confident there was no misunderstanding regarding the selection. We simply will not allow the threat of a negative story that includes so many unaccounted and questionable statements to disparage our integrity and standards, which Borgata takes great pride in practicing every day."

The wine list shows wines in the hundreds but plenty in the $30 - $50 range too. The Screaming Eagle was by far one of the most expensive wines in the restaurant.

Discussion Starters:

• Some believe the server should be held responsible. What do you think? Does seeing the wine list influence your thinking?
• What should guests do to avoid this situation? What should servers do?

Google Teaches Employees About Unconscious Bias

In talks and videos, Google is teaching its employees about unconscious bias. Puzzled by its lack of employee diversity, the company has identified bias as a possible contributor. SVP of People Operations Laszlo Bock is leading the effort based on research from Yale University, which found that, "science professors at American universities widely regard female undergraduates as less competent than male students with the same accomplishments and skills." 

An employee video asks, "What would the world like like if everybody were aware of the stereotypes that they have and the biases that they have?"

The initiative, further explained on Google's blog, encourages people to take four steps to reduce bias: 

• Gather facts.
• Create a structure for making decisions. 
• Be mindful of subtle cues.
• Foster awareness. Hold yourself - and your colleagues - accountable. 

Discussion Starters:

• Watch the video. What messages do you find useful, and which are not? What could improve the video for employees?
• What's your view of Google's approach? Will it help the company reach its objectives, in part, to increase the number of women in leadership positions?

Republicans Use Technology for the Election

Catching up to Democrats' use of technoloy in previous elections, the G.O.P. is making inroads this time.  

In the 2012 presidential election, the Obama campaign had far more digital staffers and people analyzing voter data than did the Romney campaign. Since then, Republicans have been investing in analytics and a "Comms College" for social media interactions with the press.  

The G.O.P. is also using mobile and web technologies to reach voters. With display ads, the campaign is sending pop-up messages to users on YourTube and browsing news.

With this mobile approach, the campaign is skirting issues of privacy and invasiveness. Catherine Tucker, a professor from the Sloan School of Management at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, told The New York Times. "If you're going to do this incredibly specific and intrusive form of advertising, the way you can make it successful is by making it feel less like advertising. You're sacrificing the pushiness. It has to feel like a conversation." 

Image source.

Discussion Starters: 

• How would you react if you saw a pop-up ad for a political candidate?
• How could you further expand on and explain Professor Tucker's advice?

Tim Cook: "I'm proud to be gay"

In a personal op-ed in Bloomberg Businessweek, Apple CEO Tim Cook comes out. Although people have thought him to be gay, and he has not denied it, Cook states it clearly now:

"While I have never denied my sexuality, I haven't publicly acknowledged it either, until now. So let me be clear: I'm proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me."

Cook describes his difficult decision. He clearly values his privacy but also understands the difference he can make by being openly gay: 

"I don't consider myself an activist, but I realize how much I've benefited from the sacrifice of others. So if hearing that the CEO of Apple is gay can help someone struggling to come to terms with who he or she is, or bring comfort to anyone who feels alone, or inspire people to insist on their equality, then it's worth the trade-off with my own privacy."

Being openly gay in Corporate America-particularly in the executive ranks-is rare, despite that 91% of Fortune 500 companies include sexual orientation in their anti-discrimination policies. Cook also says, "Countless people, particularly kids, face fear and abuse every day because of their sexual orientation."

Discussion Starters:

• What's your view of Tim Cook's decision and how he chose to communicate it?
• How do you expect employees, shareholders, customers, and others to react?

Worst Airports for Delays

A Business Insider article tells us at which airports we'll have the longest wait.

In a series of scrollable screens, the article shows the airports and their percentage wait time. A visual would help the reader see all information at-a-glance and easily compare airports.

Discussion Starters:

• What type of visual might work best for the data? Consider the audience and objective.
• Why doesn't Business Insider include a visual to complement the article? What's the value of having online readers scroll through the information?
• How can these airports improve their image? Of course, they need to reduce wait time! What else can they do from a communication perspective?

Walmart Apologizes for "Fat Girl Costumes"

It's great that Walmart offers Halloween costumes for bigger people, but why call them "Fat Girl Costumes"? As you can imagine, people didn't appreciate the label.

Walmart has since changed the heading to "Women's Plus-Size Halloween Costumes." After almost a week of complaints, the company finally apologized:

"This never should have been on our site. It is unacceptable, and we apologize. We are working to remove it as soon as possible and ensure this never happens again."

Discussion Starters:

• How could a mistake like this happen? Consider the functions of marketing and web design.
• Assess Walmart's apology. How could it be improved?

UNC Communications About the Scandal

University of North Carolina Chancellor Carol L. Folt is on the hot seat to respond to a highly publicized scandal that the Washington Post says involved "an alarming lack of institutional oversight."  Between 1993 and 2011, more than 3,100 students, many of whom are athletes, were given inflated grades and credit in bogus courses.

In a 136-page report, former U.S. Justice Department official Kenneth Wainstein describes "paper classes" for students and the involvement of many university officials. The university now faces accreditation questions and an investigation by the NCAA.

Chancellor Folt wrote a statement, trying to separate the university from its past and calling on its 221-year history.

Discussion Starters:

• Read the report. What principles discussed in Chapter 10 of the textbook does the report follow? Which are not followed? Overall, how do you find reading the report? What are the strengths and weaknesses in content, writing style, organization, formatting, and so on?
• Read Chancellor Folt's statement. What is her strategy for managing the crisis situation? How successful is her message in improving the university's image?

How Not to Respond to a Negative Review

Taking a page from Amy's Baking Company, a Cleveland restaurant owner attacked a reviewer. The guest posted a detailed, negative review on Yelp.

Ninja Kitchen and Bar Chef Bac Nguyen didn't appreciate the comments. He found the guest's phone number and texted him. In a series of insulting messages, Bac Nguyen threatened him, disparaged his friend, insulted him, and called him names. Read the texts (NSFW).

Business owners are under tremendous pressure to deal with negative reviews. When a review is deemed reasonable, like this one, we expect the chef of a restaurant to issue a gracious response-perhaps a lot to ask of someone so invested in the food.

Discussion Starters:

• Compare this chef's response to that of Voltaire's owner. What differences and similarities do you see in the initial reviews and the responses?
• Draft a Yelp response for Chef Bac Nguyen. Consider something that would be intentionally public.
• What other advice would you give Chef Bac Nguyen about customer service and business communication?

Restaurant Owner Disputes Yelp Review

The owner of Voltaire, a Kansas City restaurant, didn't accept a critical Yelp Review. The reviewer and her lawyer-husband were busy in a meeting across the street, and Voltaire refused to package the food "to-go" for someone to pick up.

On Yelp, the reviewer gave Voltaire one star and explained the restaurant's refusal, beginning with the line, "Most unfriendly and arrogant restaurant in KC." In the owner's response, he confirmed that they don't offer take-out:

"I sincerely apologize that we don't offer "take-out" food at our restaurant. Being a Yelp user, I'm sure you were aware that on our Yelp business page, on the right side of the screen, it lists details about our establishment. There is an item listed "Take-Out : No." We have never offered take-out food as we believe the food we prepare should be presented as we see fit, (usually) on a plate inside the dining room."

The owner went on to draw an analogy between not offering take-out and not providing divorce assistance when one is a tax lawyer.

Although Voltaire reviews on Yelp are generally positive (4 out of 5 stars), a few comments may indicate other issues, such as this 2-star review:

"I'm mixed on Voltaire.

'The good: the food and drinks are incredible. Good enough to earn them back a star after a really unfortunate experience.

"The bad: the staff knows the food and drinks are good, but behave like that grants them a licence for difficult behavior. . . ."

Discussion Starters:

• Read the entire original review and the owner's response. Based on this exchange, did the owner handle the situation well?
• Even if you agree with the approach, what, if any, missteps did the restaurant make with this customer?
• Is the lawyer analogy effective? What makes an analogy false?
• What about the adage, "The customer's always right?" Has social media changed this?
• What's the customers' responsibility? How, if at all, did they act inappropriately?

NYC News Conference About Ebola

A news conference at Bellevue Hospital addressed the situation of the NYC doctor diagnosed with Ebola.  

Mayor Bill de Blasio opened the conference by immediately allaying fears: 

"Today, testing confirmed that a patient here in New York City had tested positive for Ebola. The patient is now here in Bellevue Hospital. We want to state at the outset – there is no reason for New Yorkers to be alarmed. Ebola is an extremely hard disease to contract. It is transmitted only through contact with an infected person's blood or other bodily fluids – not through casual contact. New Yorkers who have not been exposed to an infected person's bodily fluids are not at all at risk. And we want to emphasize that New York City has the world's strongest public health system, the world's leading medical experts, and the world's most advanced medical equipment.

"We have been preparing for months for the threat posed by Ebola. We have clear and strong protocols, which are being scrupulously followed and were followed in this instance. And Bellevue Hospital is specially designed for isolation, identification, and treatment of Ebola patients. Every hospital in the city is prepared in the event that other patients come forward."

Referring to the situation in New York as "a world apart from the scene that unfolded in a Dallas hospital last month," a New York Times article complimented Bellevue Hospital's handling of Dr. Craig Spencer's case. Using verbs such as "whisked," the writer explains how the New York hospital improved protocols for handling Ebola patients. The Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital is still recovering from criticism.

Discussion Starters:

• Watch the news conference or read the full transcript. What principles of persuasion did the mayor and governor use to assure the public of safety?
• What different roles did people play during the news conference? Who covered which information? 
• What else could have been included in the conference? Is anything missing?

Uber Promotes Rides from "Hot Chicks"

As the ride-sharing service Uber tries to make inroads into France, BuzzFeed criticized one of its promotions. Through an app called "Avions de Chasse," Uber promised a free, 20-minute ride with a model. The promotion is explained on the Avions de Chasse website:

"Avions de chasse" is the French term for "fighter jets," but also the colloquial term to designate an incredibly hot chick. Lucky you! the world's most beautiful "Avions" are waiting for you on this app. Seat back, relax and let them take you on cloud 9!

The website also shows provocative photos of women. 

Uber Lyon has withdrawn the promotion and announced the decision on Twitter.

The company also sent a statement to Huffington Post:

"We have decided to cancel the operation immediately, not having clearly assessed the situation, we sincerely apologize to the people who might have been offended."

Discussion Starters:

• Assess Uber's apology. What works well, and what could be improved?
• One website accusses BuzzFeed of "harassing" Uber about the campaign. First, what is "harassment," and is this an appropriate term in this situation? Second, what's your view: Is it appropriate to criticize the campaign or not?