PR Disasters of 2013

Lauren Hannaford

As fast as PR disasters come and go and with the perpetuation of these “disasters” by social media, there’s no surprise we continue to see an increase from year to year. This year, we saw everything from “foot-in-mouth” fiascos to social media meltdowns. Here’s a recap of the worst! 

1. Paula Deen. Enough said.
2. The Abercrombie & Fitch “Cool kids” viral video, based on a horrific interview by the CEO in 2006. 
3. Toronto Mayor Rob Ford smokes crack. 
4. Lululemon’s pants controversy, and ensuing comments by the company’s CEO.
5. Carnival’s PR nightmare. 

Other highly-debated examples include comments in a GQ article by Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson, the failure of Healthcare.gov and Lance Armstrong finally coming clean during an interview with Oprah Winfree.

Social media saw its fair share of blunders. These were truly heinous: 

1. Kenneth Cole puts his foot in his mouth again with offensive tweet. #Cairo 
2. The most epic meltdown on social media, ever. #amysbakingcompany 
3. Justine Sacco’s “the tweet heard round the world.” 
4. This terrible idea by J.P. Morgan 
5. Home Depot’s racist Twitter photo and tweet 

A Deep-Fried PR Disaster

Kristen Orsborn

Poor Paula Deen. Within weeks, she went from high priestess of deep-fried food to pop culture pariah. She’s courted controversy before. (Remember that diabetes diagnosis/endorsement deal? Or her throw-down with Anthony Bourdain?). But she’s never seen anything quite like this. Earlier this summer, Deen testified under oath during a discrimination lawsuit that she had used racial slurs in the past. Soon after, more allegations—of the racist variety and beyond—surfaced. Within days, her business empire began to crumble. So what did she do wrong? And how could she have handled it better? Here are some thoughts:

1. Don’t put yourself in that position in the first place. 
   Everyone’s entitled to an opinion – no matter how ugly or wrong it is. But keep it to yourself. This applies to politics, too. Don’t assume everyone agrees with what you have to say or that they share your worldview. Chances are, they don’t. And that’s OK. 
2. Always assume you are being watched or that someone’s listening.
   Follow the Thumper rule: If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all! That’s especially true at work in front of your employees or co-workers. If you wouldn’t feel comfortable having it broadcast, don’t do it or say it at work.
3. Face the music.
   Deen’s PR campaign took an early nosedive when she canceled an appearance on the TODAY show. Matt Lauer called her out for it and rightly so. Deen should have embraced that opportunity to regain ownership of the story and explain herself. Instead, by canceling, she let the media and the public fill in the blanks for her.
4. Apologize… and get it right the first time.
   Deen’s PR team hastily uploaded an “apology” video to YouTube. It quickly garnered criticism for its shoddy production value – bad edits, poor lighting and a very “scripted” feel. When the world is watching, speak from the heart. Spend some time on it and get it RIGHT. Don’t apologize to the world on an iPhone video shot in a cluttered office with fluorescent lighting.
5. Start planning your comeback.
   It’s been said that the only thing America loves more than a meltdown… is a comeback. Deen may be on the right track. She recently fired the PR team that mishandled this scandal. Here’s hoping she found professionals who can work with her behind the scenes to help her return to the spotlight.

A PR Problem

Kelli Eason Brignac

Paula Deen has a PR problem. At some point Tiger Woods and Martha Stewart have had PR problems. You could even argue that the New England Patriots have a PR problem, what with all their players being arrested for various things. But what is a PR problem, really?

Most people don’t really understand public relations, although they often talk about this seemingly prevalent “PR problem.” I recently attended a luncheon put on by the Public Relations Society of America’s Memphis chapter, and our speaker was Dr. Kevin Trowbridge, who teaches public relations at Belmont University in Nashville. His presentation brought me back to the days of sitting in my college classes. He started with the definition of public relations.

According to PRSA, public relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics. Anyone who studied the subject in college probably once heard it defined as a management function, but PRSA opted to call it a process instead – noting the importance of having all levels of a business involved for a well-rounded, successful communication strategy.

Back to the PR problem. This term often comes up in a crisis, not unlike the one Paula Deen is dealing with now. As Dr. Trowbridge discussed, Paula’s problem stemmed from two little words in a deposition – “of course” – which she uttered after admitting to using racial slurs at some point in her life. Had she simply said yes or admitted to it but expressed regret immediately, she might still have a show on the Food Network and her name associated with any number of the sponsors who have now dropped her.

But the problem isn’t really PR, is it? In fact, PR is the solution. The problem often arises when someone does or says something that the public finds unacceptable. You could argue that the Florida courts have had lots of these problems with the public pressure put on them during the Casey Anthony and George Zimmerman trials. Celebrities often atone for their problems by checking into rehab. The problem wouldn’t exist, or its effects may be less pronounced, if an organization employs good public relations to start with.

Someone at the PRSA meeting brought up a good question – would Paula Deen’s deposition have resulted in such a backlash if she had already been considered trustworthy? Maybe not. But consider that it wasn’t that long ago that the public discovered she’d been hiding a diabetes diagnosis for several years.

Crises happen. People make mistakes. But it doesn’t have to ruin you. Make sure you have a plan. Make public relations part of your ongoing communications strategy. And don’t make the crisis the first time people hear from you. PR is not a problem. PR is a solution and an ongoing strategy that is always good for business.