ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, January 1, 1997 TAG: 9701020020
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-8 EDITION: HOLIDAY
COLUMN: Marketplace
SOURCE: MEGAN SCHNABEL
Sometimes, even the biggest companies with the fattest public relations budgets do stupid things and tarnish their reputations in the public eye.
Last year was marked by some exceptional blunders. Remember, for instance, when AT&T announced the layoff of 30,000 workers - while company executives were getting bigger bonuses than ever?
And remember TWA's handling of the crash of Flight 800 off Long Island? For Lin Chaff, president of Lin Chaff Public Relations in Roanoke, that July disaster tops the list of the year's bad PR moves. Some family members, she said, had to wait as long as 24 hours for information about victims, a fact quickly picked up by national media.
"When something like that happens, there needs to be immediate access to information," she said. "That's the whole crux of public relations - it's access to information. It's being proactive, not reactive."
A San Francisco public relations firm, Fineman Associates, each year compiles a collection of companies or people it thinks made the year's worst public relations gaffes. Here are some selections from Fineman's list:
America West Airlines: In October, an America West flight was in the air when it turned back to pick up the California Angels baseball team, whose charter flight had been grounded. At first, passengers were excited at the prospect of sharing the plane with baseball stars. That was until the passengers were dumped to give the team the plane to itself. The outraged passengers had to wait for other flights.
"I don't think it's a public relations disaster," an America West spokesperson told the Associated Press.
R.J. Reynolds chairman Charles Harper: At RJR's annual meeting in Winston-Salem, N.C., in April, the chairman was asked about children and second-hand smoke. He said that if children don't like to be in a smoky room, they'll leave. Told that infants can't leave, he said, "At some point, they will learn to crawl." The remark was covered nationally, brought yet more outrage from public interest groups and overshadowed other news about the meeting.
WPYX-FM, Latham, N.Y.: As a promotion, the radio station holds what it calls "Ugliest Bride" contests. From newspaper wedding announcements, the radio hosts pick the bride they deem the ugliest. Callers win by guessing which photograph was chosen. Last August, in a departure from usual practices, the station aired the bride's full name and place of employment. The result? A $300,000 lawsuit, an AP story and a mean-spirited image.
Mitsubishi Motor Manufacturing of America, Normal, Ill.: Sued by the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission last spring for failure to address hundreds of alleged instances of sexual harassment, Mitsubishi paid employees to picket the nearest EEOC office. The national press reported that Mitsubishi employees were given a choice: join the protest or spend the day in a sexual harassment workshop. According to the media, 2,000 employees opted to duck the training and join the parade. The effect of the protest was to create a corporate image of defiance, intimidation and opposition to problem-solving, Fineman said.
American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers: Oh say, can you sing? Last summer, it was reported in the press that ASCAP sent a letter to summer camps - including the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts - informing them that a fee was required to use any of its members' copyrighted songs. As a result, several Girl Scout camps, which wouldn't pay the fees, stopped singing around the campfire. The national media warmed to this story. ASCAP had to take out full-page newspaper ads denying it had ever intended to strong-arm the Scouts and prevent campfire singing.
Nationwide Mutual Insurance, Columbus, Ohio: Nationwide offered two Mercedes-Benzes and a trip for two around the world to the creator of the best slogan for one of its regional conventions. When David Mears won, he was told the prizes were just a joke. Mears sued - and won - and Nationwide's credibility was undermined. The Wall Street Journal reported the story.
Of course, public relations had its shining moments, too. Like the Tickle Me Elmo blitz.
"When people say, 'Does PR work?' there's a perfect example," Chaff said.
To promote the stuffed animal, a New York public relations firm sent a box of Elmos to new talk-show host - and new mom - Rosie O'Donnell. She was so taken by the doll that she raved about it on their air and gave away free Elmos to audience members. Other media picked up on the stunt, and the publicity snowballed.
"It didn't 'just happen,''' Chaff said. "It was a concerted effort of a very creative public relations firm."
LENGTH: Medium: 91 lines ILLUSTRATION: GRAPHIC: Chart: Winners and losers. color. KEYWORDS: MGRby CNB