Michael Vick And PETA: Like Cats And Dogs?
When it showed up on my Twitter feed, I thought it was a joke. Michael Vick, the onetime NFL star who went to jail, while his public image went to the dogs, after being convicted of particularly disgusting acts of cruelty to animals, is reportedly in talks to become a public spokesperson for People for […]
Read MoreBranding A Pandemic Or “Aporkalypse Now”
The media buzz surrounding the influenza virus formerly known as swine flu has resulted in an epidemic of both controversy and criticism. Is it overkill? Many think so. But over the past 24 hours, the PR offensive around the flu hasn’t been about prevention or panic…it’s about the virus’s brand. As of yesterday, the World […]
Read MoreFord Throws A Social Media Fiesta
At last, some good news from Detroit…or at least, an interesting move in which the words “bailout” and “bankruptcy” have no place. Ford recently announced that it will offer Fiesta subcompact cars to 100 Web types – bloggers, Twitter rockstars, and social media influencers – for six months. The lucky 100 will receive car insurance and gas, so they can test-drive the Fiestas […]
Read MoreWhen Bad Things Happen To Good Brands
Too often, a company’s own failings can put its brand at risk. But, as the world knows, sometimes — well, stuff just happens. Earlier this week, Domino’s Pizza found itself facing a brand reputation crisis when two North Carolina store employees videotaped themselves doing disgusting things to food and placed the video on YouTube Although […]
Read MoreAmazon Turns Up The Gaydar?
Last week a friend joked that, based on her Caucasian husband’s onetime purchase of a novel by bestselling author Toni Morrison as a gift on amazon.com, the site now “thinks he’s an African-American lesbian,” and we had a laugh about the advantages (and drawbacks) of collaborative filtering software. So, I was unaware of the furor surrounding an apparent change […]
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