ID Tags

Since New York Rep. Anthony Weiner sent scandal to the Twittersphere last weekend, social and traditional media alike are struck with another famous frenzy. As PR pros, our first thoughts and fascinations with the story likely center around our common crisis thought: “Imagine handling his PR now…”

After one photo in one tweet revealed a virtual e-ffair across social media platforms, Weiner denied his direct message vs. public tweet mistake and claimed his online social networking accounts had been hacked. After story skeptics exposed more, he had no other choice but to come clean and attempt to choose his next move.

Great article in Advertising Age on the PR gaffe du jour: Kenneth Cole facetiously tweeting that the rioting in Cairo was caused by news that the company’s spring collection had found its way online. Ugh. What’s interesting, apart from what the author describes as quickening pace by which PR gaffes travel through the same 7 [...]

Is a crisis still a crisis if the majority of the audience is laughing? Many of us have already heard of the disgruntled JetBlue flight attendant who made a daring escape from a flight yesterday. JetBlue has had its fair share of crises over the past few years but to me, this story isn’t so [...]

Toyota’s recently well publicized PR problems provide a timely reminder: It can take 20 years to build your reputation, and 20 minutes to ruin it. For as long as I can remember, Toyota has been regarded as the pillar of quality, the standard bearer when it came to safety, reliability and durability. Along comes a [...]

In a recent effort to show the effectiveness of outdoor advertising, the Outdoor Advertising Association (OAA) launched a campaign in London aimed at working mothers.  Not smart. The campaign featured large signs on buses and buildings that read, “Career women make bad mothers.” The idea was to get attention and it did.  In an extremely [...]