Public Relations

No PR disaster as Goodesy joins DJ line-up

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David Jones nameplate
Retailer David Jones is adeptly Riding the waves of transmedia indignation (from both sides) with the applomb of a PR surf god.
As embarrassing as the social media barbs at – and as spirited the defences of – Adam Goodes are, the alleged ‘PR Disaster’ actually helps DJs surf a swell of “controversy communications”, adding visibility for their new positioning campaign.
The creative, Kanye, the role model sponsorships – and even the social spat – assert DJs new brand posture: ‘The right-on choice for cashed-up consumers with a conscientous rock ‘n roll spirit’, I’m guessing?
Whatever the schtick, Goodesy’s (and others’) recruitment is an adept PR manouevre. Round 1, and both store and sports legend are countering with all the right moves.

Clumsy media release causes PR disaster for Border Force

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“ABF officers will be positioned at various locations around the CBD speaking with any individual we cross paths with…”

This is the ABF media statement (below) which saw civil (kinda) rights protesters gridlock parts of Melbourne’s CBD today. As a stakeholder engagement piece it was stupendously successful – not only were parts of the statement provocative and “Orwellian” (h/t protester sound bite) but it also directed anti-AFB activists where to congregate to spoil the (media) party. It’s also the first time I’ve queried the wisdom/value of equipping media releases with ‘social share’ buttons (foot of page). This facility possibly enabled protesters to quickly share and amass their forces to disrupt the inter-agency “initiative”. As many PRs on the planet will be musing…there but for the grace of God go I…

Bordfer Force PR disaster

"Let me-e-e-e-e, entertain you" – is rugby league Australia's longest running PR disaster?

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ACCC drugs report

ACCC drugs report

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No matter the marketing campaigns, the spin, the apologies and the ‘zero tolerance’ approach, some in the NRL’s playing cohort seem determined to let their personal tastes  run riot over their employee code of conduct contracts. Begs the question; can the ‘mongrel’ quality – so needed to make a great NRL star – ever be anything less than a sniff away from dogging the wider code with image and reputation issues?

 

TONY ABBOTT TOPS AUSTRALIA’S 2014 PR DISASTERS AWARDS

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Tony Abbott wink

 

 

 

 

 

 

Australia’s Prime Minister Tony Abbott finished 2014 with an award for Public Relations. But following his many media gaffes, it’s probably one he won’t want to claim. The PM topped the list of 2014’s biggest PR Disasters, publicity blunders and media mis-steps awarded by this very blog. After assessing media monitoring statistics and trends on sustained, negative media mentions, the PM scooped the accolade thanks largely to his “winkgate” and “shirtfront” PR nightmares. NRL – a regular feature of each year’s awards – was again well-represented thanks to a stream of contributions from Todd Carney and Greg Bird, while TV’s most lambasted ‘pop-up’ star – Blake Garvey from The Bachelor – Continue reading →

Australia's 2014 PR Disasters – Finalists

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As we assess the data for 2014’s Australian PR Disasters Awards, two heavyweight teams are emerging as the main column centimetre negativity contenders; a) Tony Abbott’s coalition government and b) the NRL’s most wayward rugby stars. While political players such as George Brandis and Scott Morrison did their best to stain and murder their personal and party reputations by seeking to punish whistleblowers and asylum seekers respectively, several rugger buggers created a trickle of bad press over their oral (Todd Carney) and public (Greg Bird) urination episodes that, in turn, created a stream/torrent of social and MSM media criticism. Some surprise contenders such as Zoos SA’s attempt to marginalise a local ice cream supplier in favour of a palm-oil favouring globalcorp raised hackles in Adelaide, while coffee and coffee magnate Phillip De Bella’s expletive-infused Facebook rants had Brizzie caffeine lovers in a froth. And while Rupert Murdoch made a late charge with his emotionally-vapid, corporation-aggrandising Tweet over the #sydneysiege, it’s increasingly looking like PM Abbott will snatch the Award with his globe-spanning “shirtfront” proclamation – we will announce the winners very soon.

Audio interview on preventing social media disasters

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Do you really understand the consequences and power of Online Reputation Management? Do you get how social media silos and scuttlebutt are the fuel that can feed global online news attention and damaging search engine finds? Ahead of a four-session seminar series for IABC International, PR analyst and author of the book ‘Public Relations Disasters’ Gerry McCusker shares his thoughts in a year of celebrity social media stuff-ups and suggests a new engagement ethos for ORM.

Crying over spilt (Halal) milk

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The power – and pain – of agenda-driven social media lobbying has curdled (pun 1) the relationship between the Fleurieu Milk and Yoghurt Company and some of its online detractors, specifically Restore Australia. Anti-IslamisationBoycott Halal baseball cap activists have targeted and bombarded the South Australian Fleurieu dairy company in many prominent social media channels; channels that offer unexpurgated commentary and unedited critiques often prove fertile breeding grounds for a culture (pun 2) of brand-bashing and, oftentimes, personally-biased and uninformed venting.

In posting this, my aim is not to defend nor attack either interest in this incident but simply to illustrate a modern PR disaster dynamic; that what starts small online, can snowball into a capital city news report and eventually move onto our national TV news screens. Social media is all about reputation, as well as stakeholder engagement and influence. Hat-tip (pun 3) to Zazzle for the image.

Bill Cosby's #socialmediafail as meme invites rape flak

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Sometimes, reputational ineptitude scales the heights of unawareness and at other times it plumbs the depths of idiocy. When Bill Cosby’s online PR team invited audiences to meme pictures of cuddly old Bill, had they never heard of this year’s recent #myNYPD social media snafu?
Yet another reason why social media reputation isn’t a game for kids, or for old blokes with allegedly chequered pasts.
Bill Cosby meme fail