Yale Sex Survey Debunked

Who can resist a compelling headline? "Nine Percent of Yale Students Surveyed Say They've Accepted Money for Sex," an article in The College Fix, didn't give us the full picture. Skeptics might ask questions such as, "Who was surveyed and under what conditions?" and "How many people were included in the sample?"

As it turns out, the survey was taken during a "Sex Weekend" workshop for participants to "learn about masochistic sexual practices such as those depicted in 50 Shades of Grey," according to a Yale Daily News reporter. Does this group represent the typical Yale student?

How many students at the workshop completed the survey is unclear. The Yale Daily News reports that 55 students attended the workshop, but Business Insider claims that only 40 students were asked to complete the survey. Using Business Insider's numbers, four students said they were paid for sex.

Bottom line: Don't believe everything you read.

Image source.

Discussion Starters:

• What would be a better way to administer a survey to Yale students to get a more representative sample? What categories of students would need to be included?
• How many responses would you consider before making a claim about students' sexual behavior?

Dr. Oz's Advice "Borders on Quackery"

Dr. Mehmet Oz was propelled into stardom by his popular appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Now, he has his own television show, which seems to be an avenue for promoting strange products.

For business communication students, the example reminds us how important it is to check facts. Does the board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon not review research of the products he promotes?

Slate describes Dr. Oz's enthusiasm for garcinia extract, which he says will finally help people "burn fat without spending every waking moment exercising and dieting":

"He then told his audience about a 'breakthrough,' 'magic,' 'holy grail,' even 'revolutionary' new fat buster. 'I want you to write it down,' America's doctor urged his audience with a serious and trustworthy stare. After carefully wrapping his lips around the exotic words 'Garcinia cambogia,' he added, sternly: 'It may be the simple solution you've been looking for to bust your body fat for good.'"

But garcinia cambogia has been studied for more than 15 years, and a JAMA article calls its anti-obesity results no better than a placebo. One of the study's authors, Edzard Ernst, said the product could have negative gastrointestinal effects and told Slate, "Dr. Oz's promotion of this and other unproven or disproven alternative treatments is irresponsible and borders on quackery."

Educated at Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Oz presents himself as a credible source, but research does not support what he promotes. Slate compares more of Dr. Oz's recommendations to the "best available research." In most cases, his advice (e.g., to take zinc, Vitamin D, and DHA) doesn't match up. The so-called "Oz Effect"-people spending lots of money on products presented on his show-can be dangerous. As Ernst says, "Using bogus treatments for serious conditions may cost lives."

Image source.

Discussion Starters:

• Watch some of Dr. Oz's show. In addition to his status as a doctor, how else does he present himself as a credible promoter of these products. Pay attention to his language, dress, mannerisms, etc.
• Why do people so easily believe Dr. Oz? What is the audience's responsibility in the "Oz Effect"?

Google Puzzles Build Search Skills

Want to hone your Googling skills? A Google-a-Day puzzle tests web search skills by presenting daily challenges for users. 

Winding up the year on December 31, today's puzzle is multi-layered for the diligent searcher. To tackle this question, we would first need to know for which play Neil Simon won a Pulitzer. Then, we can figure out the actor who won a Tony. Finally, we can ferret out the actor's older sister. Not too complicated, but as with any problem to be solved, breaking down the question is important before the searching can begin.  

Assignment Ideas:

• Try a few of the puzzles. How did you do? Compare your search process with those of your classmates. What strategies did you use to find the correct answer, and how successful were you?
• Write a few puzzles of your own, and have your classmates try to find the answers. Was the question clear? How can you make it clearer to avoid ambiguity?

Burger King Loses in Drive-Thru Experience

QSR Magazine just published the latest data comparing quick-service restaurants' drive-thru experience-and Burger King came in last overall. For the 2012 Drive-Thru Performance Study, seven restaurants were rated on these criteria:

• Average Service Time
• Order Accuracy with OCB
• Order Accuracy without OCB
• Impact of Pre-Sell Menu
  on Timing
• Favorable Exterior
• Visibility of Dumpsters
• Cleanliness of Menuboard
• Condition of Landscaping
• Customer Service
• Service Attributes
• Order Confirmation Board
  In Place
• Speaker Clarity

The drive-thrus didn't fare too well on the customer service dimension. Brian Baker, president of Insula Research, the firm that led the study, said, "Even with pleasant demeanor, I'm thinking, why would that not be 100 percent? OK, so maybe 98 percent because everybody has a bad day, but it just seems like a no brainer to me. I'm still scratching my head on that."

Rather than 100%, ratings for "very friendly" ranged from 27% ro 57%, with Burger King receiving the most "rude" ratings: 2.8%

Denny Lynch, Wendy's senior vice president of communications, blamed service failures on limitations in hiring: 

"Part of it is to make certain we are hiring the right people. Wouldn't it be nice if [the drive-thru crewmember] had a great personality? Wouldn't it be nice if they could smile at you? Wouldn't it be nice if they could say, ‘Thank you, come back again'? So you hire people that have that personality and the skill level to be able to do that. … You can't just assume that they can handle every situation until they've done thorough training."

The study reported good news about drive-thru cleaniness. Brands generally did well in measures such as whether the dumpsters were visible and how clean the menu board appeared.

Discussion Starters and Assignment Idea:

• What can QSRs do to improve their customer service at the drive-thru windows? Consider the restaurants' hiring practices, training, performance standards, and management.  
• Create a visual chart from the customer service data above. If you wanted to convince Burger King management to focus on improving the drive-thru experience for customers, which data would you include? What type of chart would you use? Assume that your chart appeared on a PowerPoint slide, and include a talking headline to convey your main point. 

Beware of "Exploding" Studies

Twice in two weeks I've read a similar headline about a Northwestern University study: "Study Explodes the Myth of Internet-Based Information Overload." Authors of these articles should be mindful of the implications of research-and look more carefully at the methodology.

The study, involving a mere seven focus groups of 77 participants on vacation in Las Vegas, asked people about information they receive through the web and other media sources and how they feel about it. A relatively small study that doesn't look at behavior should be considered cautiously. Eszter Hargittai, lead author of the study, drew this conclusion:

"There's definitely some frustration with the quality of some of the information available. But these frustrations were accompanied by enthusiasm and excitement on a more general level about overall media choices."

Fair enough. But articles such as Social Media Today's is not exactly in line with the study's reach and impact. Northwestern University's own descriptions seem more appropriate:

"'Information overload' may be an exaggerated way to describe today's always-on media environment. Actually, very few Americans seem to feel bogged down or overwhelmed by the volume of news and information at their fingertips and on their screens, according to a new Northwestern University study."

"Most of the participants said television was their most used form of media, followed closely by websites. When asked how they felt about the amount of information available to them, few mentioned feeling overwhelmed or that they suffered from 'information overload.'"

On the other hand, the Social Media Today article raises a good point about exaggeration on the other side of the argument:

"Listen to enough hysterical warnings and dire forecasts and you'd think that information overload is leading us to some kind of bleak, post-apocalyptic future. In an Advertising Age column he wrote back in 2007, Edelman Senior VP Steve Rubel said, 'A crash is coming, folks. But this time it's not financial-it's personal.' The attention crisis, he said, is an epidemic. "There's no more room at the inn. People will cut back."

Perhaps we can learn lessons about both sides of the debate.

Image source.

Discussion Starters:

• What's your own view about "information overload"?
• What could have been a better headline for the story in Social Media Today?

Harvard Responds to Cheating Scandal

Harvard University is investigating whether students wrongly collaborated and plagiarized each other's work on a take-home exam in a Government class last spring. Almost half of the 279 students' exams in "Government 1310: Introduction to Congress" are under further review. The course faculty member, Professor Matthew B. Platt, noticed similar responses and drew attention to the possibility of widespread cheating. 

The Harvard Crimson posted an image of the exam instructions:

 

The Crimson quoted students who were frustrated by the lack of support in preparing for the exam:

"'Almost all of [the students at office hours] had been awake the entire night, and none of us could figure out what an entire question (worth 20% of the grade) was asking,' the student wrote. 'On top of this, one of the questions asked us about a term that had never been defined in any of our readings and had not been properly defined in class, so the TF [teaching fellow] had to give us a definition to use for the question.'

"That same student also expressed frustration that Platt had canceled his office hours the morning before the exam was due. In a brief email to the class just after 10 a.m. on May 3, Platt apologized for having to cancel his office hours on short notice that day due to an appointment."

An article in the Harvard Gazette included a response by the school dean: 

The article also quoted university President Drew Faust:

"These allegations, if proven, represent totally unacceptable behavior that betrays the trust upon which intellectual inquiry at Harvard depends. We must deal with this fairly and through a deliberative process. At the same time, the scope of the allegations suggests that there is work to be done to ensure that every student at Harvard understands and embraces the values that are fundamental to its community of scholars."

While the investigation is under way, Harvard is stepping up communications around academic integrity. The College Committee on Academic Integrity also will make recommendations to the faculty to reinforce school policies, and the committee may propose new policies or an honor code.

Discussion Starters:

• With the information you have, what's your view of the situation? For example, are the instructions clear? Do you understand why students could have shared answers during the take-home exam?
• What is the definition of plagiarism? How might that apply in this case?

Who Topped Olympics Social Media Conversations?

Using data from 150 million sources, Salesforce Radian6 tracked social media conversations about the Olympics on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and others sites.

 

The chart shows social media mentions of the top medal-winning countries during the second week of the Olympics. Consistent with the number of wins in the actual games, the United States ranks first. 

From a business communication perspective, the chart is rather easy to understand, but it can be improved. Also, at least one description of the chart is questionable:

"But Great Britain, fourth in the medal standings, surges to the second spot in social media mentions."

For participants, the press, and others writing about the games, the International Olympic Committee published social media guidelines. The guidelines encourage social media participation and explain acceptable uses of photographs and trademark symbols. As expected, the guidelines warn writers about violations of policy:

"The IOC will continue to monitor Olympic on-line content to ensure that the integrity of rights-holding broadcasters and sponsor rights as well as the Olympic Charter is maintained. The IOC asks for the support of all participants and other accredited persons in halting any ambush activity or any sites engaged in conduct which is offensive to or adversely affects the goodwill associated with the Olympic Games and the Olympic Movement. The IOC asks that participants and other accredited persons discovering unauthorised content, please report it immediately to www.olympicgamesmonitoring.com."

As we know from some examples, not everyone respected these guidelines.

Discussion Starters:

• In what ways can the chart be improved to improve readability and accuracy?
• What is potentially questionable about the article quote, above, about Great Britain? How should this be fixed?
• How effective are the social media guidelines? What, if anything, would you suggest that the International Olympic Committee change for next year?

Coca-Cola President Argues Against Soda Limit

Last week, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg proposed limiting sugary drinks to 16 ounces. This change would apply to sodas and other beverages sold in NY restaurants, at movies, and by street vendors.

USA Today interviewed Katie Bayne, Coca-Cola's president of sparkling beverages in North America. Bayne's response to the proposal focused on what people "need"-an interesting argument-and the lack of evidence to support the Mayor's proposal.

Here are excerpts from the interview:

Q: But critics call soft drinks "empty" calories.

A: A calorie is a calorie. What our drinks offer is hydration. That's essential to the human body. We offer great taste and benefits whether it's an uplift or carbohydrates or energy. We don't believe in empty calories. We believe in hydration.

The Mayo Clinic agrees that soda hydrates; however, nutritionists recommend water over soda.

Q: What do you say to those who believe that sugar - particularly in soft drinks - works on the brain like an addictive substance?

A: There is no scientific evidence.

Discussion Starters:

• Do your own research about whether sugar in soft drinks has addictive qualities. What do you find? Does it support or contradict Katie Bayne's response that there's no scientific evidence linking the two?
• Read the entire interview. Overall, how do assess Bayne's responses?
• Part of the Mayor Bloomberg's argument, in the video above, is that the size of drinks has increased. How do you assess this argument? Is this a convincing data point for his decision to cap the size of soft-drinks? 

Twitter: Flat Percentage of Users, but Deeper Engagement

New research shows that only 15% of online adults use Twitter, and only 8% use the service every day. Although the percentage of users remains fairly stable and is fairly small, the number of daily users has doubled since May 2011 and quadrupled since late 2010.

Authors of the February 2012 Pew Research Center's report credit smartphones with the increase in usage. According to Aaron Smith, Pew senior research specialist, "I do think it's notable that typical day Twitter usage is growing even as the overall usage stats have remained fairly consistent, [which] would imply that existing Twitter users are growing more engaged over time, with mobile being a big part of that story."

It took a while, but younger users are getting onboard with Twitter. Between November 2010 and February 2012, the percentage of Internet users between 18 and 24 on Twitter has increased from 16% to 31%. In addition, one in five in this age group uses Twitter.

Discussion Starters:

• Read the Pew report. What other conclusions can you draw from the study?
• What is your own use of Twitter? If you fit within the category of growing users, why has your usage increased?
• How is this new information relevant to corporate communicators?

Apple's Impressive Second-Quarter Results

With strong sales of iPads, iPhones, and Macs, Apple reported a 94% increase in year-over-year sales (compared to second-quarter a year ago).

In a company news release, CEO Tim Cook said, "We're thrilled with sales of over 35 million iPhones and almost 12 million iPads in the March quarter. The new iPad is off to a great start, and across the year you're going to see a lot more of the kind of innovation that only Apple can deliver." The news comes within a month of reports that Tim Cook is the highest paid CEO, raking in $278 million last year.

The news sounds good, but a closer look at the data shows that sales are down from the first quarter (click for the PDF).

Discussion Starters and Assignment Ideas:

• Do you believe that Tim Cook's salary is justified? Why or why not?
• Rewrite Apple's news release for employees. How would you adapt this message to an  internal email?
• Imagine that you're presenting the second-quarter results as part of a PowerPoint presentation to shareholders. Convert the table to a few charts to show the results more visually. Which data would you choose to include?

MLA (Bizarre) Standard for Citing Tweets

The Modern Language Association has announced a new standard for citing tweets:

"Begin the entry in the works-cited list with the author's real name and, in parentheses, user name, if both are known and they differ. If only the user name is known, give it alone.

"Next provide the entire text of the tweet in quotation marks, without changing the capitalization. Conclude the entry with the date and time of the message and the medium of publication (Tweet).

The word "Tweet" is rather strange to me; we don't include the words "book" or "journal" in other citations. Rather, the source is Twitter. I might also include a date when the tweet was accessed for the same reason we do so for other web content: the tweet may be deleted.

The Verge compares MLA's approach to APA's, identified two years ago:

MLA:

APA:

As The Verge writer points out, the MLA version is more helpful because it includes the real name and Twitter handle, but the APA version helps readers find the actual tweet by including a link.

The Harvard Business School Citation Guide 2012, my preferred source for business writing, doesn't include tweets at all. I imagine the theory is that tweets are considered fair use and therefore, as long as the source is clear within the text, citation is unnecessary. Or, the HBS needs updating.

Discussion Starters:

• Do you prefer the APA or MLA citation standard? Why?
• What's your view of not citing tweets for business writing?

"Strictly Confidential" Memo About Greece's Debt Is Leaked

As a new restructuring plan and bailout package for Greece are announced today, a memo about the plans marked "Strictly Confidential" was leaked. 

 (View the memo on Scribd.)

Based on the memo, Slate describes the situation as follows:

"Greece can't pay its bills. But even if Greece was relieved from the obligation to service its outstanding stock of debt, it still couldn't pay its remaining expenses. It can't devalue to try to boost its tourist sector. Instead, the rest of the Eurozone is heading into recession which hurts Greece's main shot at export earnings. Draconian as the austerity that Germany, the Netherlands, and Finland are insisting on as a condition of their charity accepting the charity is the only way to avoid an even more draconian round of austerity. This austerity will, however, only further crush the Greek economy and make it less likely that debts will be paid."

For instructors and students of communication, the memo is interesting to analyze in terms of business writing principles: audience analysis, content, visuals, organization, writing style, and editing.

Discussion Starters:

• Audience analysis: Who is the original, intended audience? How did the leak affect how the memo was interpreted?
• Content: Are the main points clear? What evidence is provided to support the major arguments?
• Visuals: How are charts used to support the main points? Are they clear and easy to understand?
• Organization: How is the memo organized, and is this effective? How is skim-value achieved?
• Writing Style: How do you assess the writing style? Is it clear and concise? How could it be improved?
• Editing: How are the attention to detail and writing mechanics?

Facebook IPO Letter and Other Communications

As analysts value Facebook in anticipation of the initial public offering, let's look at some of the company's internal and external communications. One interesting message is a poster, distributed around Facebook's offices to keep the employees focused during the IPO. This photo is of Mark Zuckerberg's desk, which he posted on Facebook (and more than 71,000 people found worthy of "liking"). 

Zuckerberg's letter to potential investors describes the vision, mission, and priorities of the company. Mashable compiled ten "standout quotes" including the following:

• "At Facebook, we're inspired by technologies that have revolutionized how people spread and consume information. We often talk about inventions like the printing press and the television - by simply making communication more efficient, they led to a complete transformation of many important parts of society. They gave more people a voice. They encouraged progress. They changed the way society was organized. They brought us closer together."
• "Simply put: we don't build services to make money; we make money to build better services."

Quotes such as the last, according to Mashable, make Facebook "sound like it's set out to deliver presents and free education to underprivileged children." 

James Pennebaker, psychology department chair at the University of Texas, analyzed Zuckerberg's letter and compared it to other CEOs' IPO letters. According to Pennebaker, the letter revealed the following about Zuckerberg, reported by Forbes:

"Zuckerberg's word use 'suggests someone who is driven by very high rates of need for achievement' but low rates for building wealth or social affiliation, Pennebaker concludes. 'Most of the Zuckerberg letter is emotionally distant,' the researcher adds. 'There are very few personal pronouns (which typically signal an emotional cognition to other humans) and virtually no I-words except for a couple of paragraphs in the middle of the letter.' Emotive words such as 'happy' or 'sad' are rare, too."

Pennebaker also found, "The author is very much in the here-and-now, as opposed to deep analysis of the past or even directions for the future."

Discussion Starters:

• Compare Zuckerberg's IPO letter to Zynga's. What differences do you notice, and how do you account for them?
• Is the letter consistent with your view of Facebook? Why or why not?
• Do you buy Pennebaker's analysis of Zuckerberg's letter as "emotionally distant"? 

EPA Report Links Water Contamination to Hydrofracking

The Environmental Protection Agency has published a "bombshell" report identifying hydraulic fracturing as the likely cause of water pollution in central Wyoming. The report adds fuel to the growing controversy about "hydrofracking"-the process of gas drilling that involves injecting large amounts of water, sand, and hundreds of chemicals into shale rock.

The EPA's findings come shortly after a November report that fracking caused two minor earthquakes.

Discussion Starters:

• Review the EPA report. What principles of report writing does the draft follow?
• How is the report organized? Do you find this organization effective? Why or why not?
• How could the report be improved for easier reading?
• Research the fracking issue further. Based on your findings, what is the significance of this report?

Hasty Tweet Damages Ashton Kutcher's Following

How about reading a little before jumping to conclusions? This is the lesson learned by Ashton Kutcher, who tweeted to his more than 8 million followers about the firing of Penn State Coach Joe Paterno:

 Kutcher explains his response: 

"Last night after returning home from work, I walked by the television and simply saw a headline that Joe Paterno had been fired. Having no more information than that, I assumed that he had been fired due to poor performance as an aging coach."

He has since hired PR firm Katalyst to manage his Twitter feed, Kutcher says, "as a secondary editorial measure, to ensure the quality of its content." Sounds like a good idea.

Discussion Starters:

• Should we expect more of someone with 8 million followers, or is it simply the nature of the medium (Twitter) that causes such misreports?
• What are the potential consequences of Kutcher hiring a firm to manage his popular Twitter feed?

QR Codes Get New Life

Just as people were questioning the impact of scannable QR codes, Starbucks has a new campaign. The company has introduced a series of codes that, for example, offer music from a particular coffee region or portray experts talking about a type of coffee. Look for the ads in stores and in popular magazines, such as People.

QR codes are getting more creative. Custom QR codes, tailored to specific companies or products, can be quite beautiful, such as these designs. Mashable also posted a few special QR codes, including these for Disney:

Discussion Starters:

• Have you used a QR code? What value do you see for companies?
• Why are QR codes slow to catch on? Why do you think people may not use them?

What Does 7 Billion Look Like?

It's hard to imagine such a large number (unless you're Warren Buffett), but the world population will soon be 7 billion strong. What are some ways that we can visualize this number? This CNN video tries to help us, just as Zephyr Teachout helped us make sense of the $700 billion doled out in government funding during the financial crisis in 2008.

Discussion Starters:

• Which of the comparisons in the CNN video help you to visualize 7 billion most easily?
• What are other ways that you can help people visualize 7 billion? Imagine that you're translating this number for 5th graders, college students, and senior citizens. What comparisons might work best for each group?

Bank of America Tries to Repair Its Image

As the target of some "Occupy Wall Street" demonstrations, Bank of America is fighting back. The company's image has suffered in part because of many foreclosed homes (and "robo-signers"), a recent announcement of $5 monthly fees for debit cards, 30,000 layoffs, and a poorly timed website outage. Now Bank of America is running ads in major cities to focus on its good work: charitable donations, small business loans, and loan modifications to help homeowners prevent foreclosure.

Bank spokesperson T.J. Crawford explains, "The campaign aims to deliver the facts about Bank of America's local impact. Sharing the significant work we do at the local level and critical role we play is more important than ever." An ad that ran in Charlotte, NC, the bank's headquarters, had the tagline, "We're working to help keep the North Carolina economy moving forward."

In July 2011, Bank of America published its first Corporate Responsibility Report. On its website, the bank reaffirms its "commitment to shareholders, customers, and clients." In a video on the site, the company gives several examples of how it has served local communities.

 

(View video transcript.)

Discussion Starters and Assignment Ideas:

• The "Executive Summary" of Bank of America's Corporate Social Responsibility report is 16 pages (download). How does this differ from a typical executive summary? Why do you believe Bank of America took this approach?
• Convert the executive summary to a more typical one-page executive summary. What is most important to include, and how can you present this information? For variety, write two versions: one as paragraph text and another in presentation software format (e.g., PowerPoint).
• How do you assess Bank of America's messages? Do you buy its image as a socially responsible company? Which messages in the CSR video do you find most and least convincing?

Reebok Pays $25 Million Because of Deceptive Ads

As it turns out, you can't get toned just by wearing a pair of shoes. Reebok is paying big refunds because claims about their RunTone and EasyTone shoes cannot be substantiated. The company marketed these products on claims such as "You can work your hamstrings and calves up to 11% harder." Lacking evidence to prove these results, Reebok was fined $25 million by the Federal Trade Commission. Customers may apply for a refund via the FTC website.

Although Reebok agreed to the settlement, the company stands by its products and will continue selling the shoes. In a statement, Reebok affirms, 

"We have received overwhelmingly enthusiastic feedback from thousands of EasyTone customers, and we remain committed to the continued development of our EasyTone line of products."

 

Discussion Starters:

• How did Reebok fall short in its claims? What questions would you have after hearing the data about the shoes?
• Do you consider Reebok's advertising to be deceptive? Why or why or not?

AP Issues Situational Style Guide for 9/11 Anniversary

Associated Press is known for its style guide to help journalists decide between "smart phone" and "smartphone," but now the organization has created something new: a so-called "situational stylebook" in preparation for the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. The Sept. 11 Style and Reference Guide may ensure that journalists writing about the events conform to certain standards, for example, "twin towers" (lowercase) and al-Qaida (pronounced al-KY'-ee-duh).

In addition to promoting consistency in writing style, the guide will help journalists accurately report about 9/11-related events. The guide includes common sense advice such as this:

"Do not make up names, however. There is no Boston Airport, for example. The Boston airport (lowercase airport) would be acceptable if for some reason the proper name, Logan International Airport, were not used."

The guide's timeline of events is also helpful; after all, it has been a decade since the events, and memories fade.

Discussion Starters:

• Looking at the AP Sept. 11 Style and Reference Guide, which advice do you think will be most important for people reporting about the 9/11 anniversary? 
• Does any of the advice surprise you? Why?
• For what other situations or events do you think a situational style guide might be useful?