Nike "Get High" T-Shirts Anger Boston Mayor

Mayor of Boston Thomas Menino doesn't like Nike's new T-shirts. He believes that messages such as "Get High" and "Dope" promote drug use. In a letter to the general manager of Niketown Boston, Menino urges the company to remove the T-shirts.

Nike has responded to my tweet about the situation:

Discussion Starters:

• What is your opinion of Nike's new T-shirts: dangerous or just clever marketing?
• Analyze the mayor's letter. What principles of persuasion does he use? Do you consider this an effective letter? Why or why not?
• How do you think Nike should respond to the mayor's letter? What are the consequences of the company removing -- or keeping -- the T-shirts?
• How do you assess Nike's tweets to BizCom in the News?

Fixing Typos in Online Reviews May Improve Sales

The Story

New research shows that well-written online reviews -- even if they are negative -- may increase sales. At first, this may seem counter-intuitive. But the research proves an interesting point for business communicators: posts that are grammatically correct have more credibility. The discovery also has raised an ethical issue: should companies change online reviews, even if they edit them only for accuracy without changing the content of the review? By one estimate, Zappos, for example, has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars looking at 5 million reviews and has seen possibly millions in revenue increases as a result.  Read more.

 Discussion Starters

• How are you influenced by online reviews? Do you find well-written reviews more credible? Why or why not? Although the above (fabricated) example is poorly written, the customer rated the product with five stars. Would you find it helpful?
• Do you consider Zappos' corrections ethical? Use the ethical decision-making guidelines in Chapter 1 as your guide.

Assignment Ideas

• For quick editing practice, correct the above (fabricated) review. Perfect it so that, according to the research, more people will find it helpful.
• Do a few searches online for reviews of products you may consider buying. Which reviews do you find most helpful? Does the quality of the writing affect your perspective?

Fiesta Bowl Responds to Accusations

The Story

The Fiesta Bowl, a college football game, is charged with reimbursing employees for political contributions totaling more than $46,000. These employee donations -- and political fundraisers hosted at Fiesta Bowl facilities -- apparently violate federal election laws. A watchdog group has encouraged the Federal Election Commission to investigate the situation. CEO John Junker was terminated in light of other improper expenditures and reimbursements, including this example: "In March 2010, the bowl paid for $75 worth of flowers sent to an admissions official at University of Texas-Austin where Junker's daughter was accepted into the honors program." Read more.

Discussion Starters

• From your understanding of ethical decision making and gift giving, how do you assess the examples of impropriety at the Fiesta Bowl?
• What are the consequences of this situation for brands associated with the Fiesta Bowl: Tostitos and Frito-Lay? See the Bowl's sponsor page.
• Read the Fiesta Bowl's press release about the situation. What do you consider the most and least convincing arguments of this company's message?

Assignment Ideas

• Write a policy for giving gifts for Fiesta Bowl employees. Draft your own version first, and then search online for similar policies. Revise yours to include topics you may have missed.
• Write a shorter version of the Fiesta Bowl's press release for employees. How can you adapt this message for an internal audience?
• Review the full report and analyze the features, organization, and writing style. Write a memo to the authors with your analysis. What do you see as strengths of the report, and how can it be improved?

FTC Fines Company for Fake Reviews

The Story

The Federal Trade Commission has fined Legacy Learning, maker of instructional DVDs, $250,000. Legacy's affiliates are paid commission when consumers buy Legacy products. The complaint accuses these affiliates of writing misleading reviews to encourage consumers to buy the products. In these reviews, the affiliates failed to state that they were paid by Legacy. The ruling follows FTC Guides, updated in 2009 to apply to testimonial advertisements and bloggers, particularly for social media outlets. 

 
 Discussion Starters

• To what extent do you currently rely on reviews and other online posts when deciding whether to buy a product?
• How do you decide whether an online post is credible?
• Read the above summary of the FTC complaint (posted by the Bureau of Consumer Protection blog, a government website). After reading the sample reviews in the summary of the complaint, do you believe the FTC Guides are appropriate? Is the fine fair? Why or why not?

Assignment Ideas

• Write a letter to small businesses in your community to warn them about this issue. How will you explain the FTC ruling and encourage business owners to operate within the Guides?
• Working in small groups, identify criteria to determine the credibility of an online review.  How can you assess objectivity? Or, what clues might tell you that a review is not objective?

Aflac Duck Gets Docked

The Story

Gilbert Gottfried, comedian and voice of the Aflac Insurance duck, got fired for what the company considered inappropriate jokes about the Japanese earthquake. 

Discussion Starters

• What's your reaction to Gottfried's tweets? Do you find them inappropriate, offensive, or no big deal? 
• Do you agree with Aflac's decision to fire Gottfried as the voice of the duck? Consider that Aflac does 75% of its business in Japan.

Assignment Ideas

• To practice your skills in revising writing, rewrite Gottfried's brief apology. Imagine that you have to deliver a longer statement -- in person. Write a script and prepare to deliver it in class.

• Evaluate Aflac's response to Gottfried's tweets: "Gilbert's recent comments about the crisis in Japan were lacking in humor and certainly do not represent the thoughts and feelings of anyone at Aflac. Aflac Japan -- and, by extension, Japan itself -- is part of the Aflac family, and there is no place for anything but compassion and concern during these difficult times." Rewrite this statement in your own words. What would you say differently and why? Submit your revision and explain your changes to your instructor.

CNBC Host Compares "Human" and "Economic" Toll of Earthquake

The Story

Viewers didn't appreciate Lawrence Kudlow's analysis of the Japanese earthquake: "The human toll here looks to be much worse than the economic toll, and we can be grateful for that." The host of The Kudlow Report on CNBC went on to say, "The human toll is a tragedy; we all know that." After criticism about Kudlow's comparison, he issued an apology on Twitter.

Discussion Starters

• After watching the video, above, do you find Kudlow's comment offensive? Why or why not?
• Consider that Kudlow's comment was made as part of an economic report. Does that change your opinion? Why or why not?

Assignment Ideas

• In his tweet, Kudlow said that he "flubbed the line." Rewrite what he said on the show. How could Kudlow have conveyed his point about the economic impact of the earthquake differently?

• In small groups, discuss Kudlow's response.  How would you evaluate his apology via tweet?  What works well about the statement, and what would you change?
• Individually, rewrite Kudlow's tweet. In a memo to your instructor, explain your changes. 

Wisconsin Governor Gets "Punked"

The Story

In the midst of heated debate over the Wisconsin budget bill about workers' collective bargaining rights, Governor Scott Walker, received a phone call from someone impersonating a major campaign donor.  Walker addressed the incident in a news conference, below.  On The Daily Show, Jon Stewart mocked the governor's response.

Discussion Starters

• View the video of the governor's response to the prank call. How well do you think he handled the situation? What tactics is he using to recover from the potentially embarrassing call? 
• Listen to part of the call or read the full transcript of the call.  In your opinion, do you think the governor should have known better that the call was a prank?  What evidence do you see--or not?

 Assignment Ideas

• In small groups, discuss the value of interpersonal communication via the telephone.  If this call were from a real donor, why do you think the phone would be a more effective means of communication than, for example, email, and what are the downsides?
• With the rest of the class as your audience, prepare and deliver a two-minute presentation to the governor, recommending ways that he can protect himself in the future against this type of prank.

Kenneth Cole's Tweet Links Cairo Crisis to Clothes

The Story

In a failed attempt to use humor for marketing, fashion designer Kenneth Cole tweeted about the uprising in Cairo.  After strong online reactions, Cole removed the tweet and apologized.   Advertising Age summarized the event, which, fortunately for Kenneth Cole, was over quickly. 

 

 Discussion Starters

• What is your reaction to Kenneth Cole's tweet?  Do you consider it acceptable, in poor taste, unethical -- or something else?
• How do you assess Kenneth Cole's apology (below)?  In what ways is the apology effective or ineffective?

 

 Assignment Ideas

• Write a few tweets on Kenneth Cole's behalf.  Try using humor more tastefully to promote the brand.
• During this incident, someone created a fake Kenneth Cole Twitter account.  In small groups, discuss how Kenneth Cole could handle this embarrassment.  You might consider BP's fake Twitter account, which was created after the company's PR failings following the oil spill.

1700 Holiday Layoffs, via Conference Call

The Story

Companies make many difficult decisions, but they don't always communicate them well.  To share the "news quickly and consistently," Sanofi-Aventis pharmaceutical company announced 1700 employee layoffs via two conference calls: one for those staying and one for those leaving.  The company's holiday season timing didn't win them any new friends.

 

Discussion Starters

• Conference calls may not have been the best choice, but was the company's unethical?  Where do you see the lines in this situation between unprofessional, insensitive, and unethical?
• Jack Cox, senior director of media relations, explained the decision to The Huffington Post: " 'Rather than cascade these announcements and stretch the notifications over the course of days, we decided to address these colleagues at one time, to explain the rationale for the reductions and express appreciation for the contributions they've made to the organization,' he said. 'We acknowledged in the call that delivering this news on a teleconference wasn't ideal, but given the scope and scale of the reductions, there was no other way to share this news quickly and consistently.' "  

Although the medium caused Sanofi-Aventis bad publicity, can you see Cox's point?  What might be a good compromise solution?  You might want to revisit Communication Media Choices from Chapter 1.

Assignment Ideas

• If an employee who reports to you complained about the conference call, what would you say?  How would you balance explaining the decision and empathizing with the employee about the bad news?  Role play with a partner in class.
• Write an apology email to employees.  Be honest and empathetic, and be careful about getting yourself in legal trouble.

Gap in Ethics? Made in U.S.A. = Made in China

The Story

Gap, consistently rated one of Ethisphere's Most Ethical Companies, is under fire.  The company's "Feed USA" campaign promised to donate $5 to school lunches for each bag sold.   Although the poster advertising the campaign is stamped "Made in the U.S.A.," the bags themselves have a label that reads "Made in China."

Discussion Starters

• What do you think of this situation?  Looking at the images posted, do you think the campaign is misleading, or is this no big deal?
• How do you think this bodes for the Gap's rating as one of the most ethical companies? Would you withdraw this distinction, or keep it for other reasons?

Assignment Ideas

• A representative for the Gap responded to the story: "'We regret any misunderstanding,' a rep for The Gap tells Consumerist, adding that the Feed USA Canvas Tote bag and the Bandana Bag are actually both made here in the good old U S of A. 'However, the FEED USA Denim Bucket bags are made in China, and should not have been connected to the made in the USA signs.... We apologize for any inaccurate messaging.'"  However, the signage doesn't indicate that some of the bags were made in China, and bags made in China still have the "Feed USA" logo.  Try another approach for Gap.  What could you say instead, which might be better received, considering the situation? 
• Write an email to Gap explaining your position on the topic.  You choose: either urge the company to change the campaign or show your support for their efforts.

WikiLeaks: Is Big Business Next?

The Story

After over 250,000 U.S. State Department documents became public by WikiLeaks, the organization's founder warns that big business may be next in line for a security breach.  Companies have reason to worry.  The WikiLeaks documents revealed embarrassing information, such as references to the prime minister of Italy as "feckless and vain" and to North Korea's leader as a "flabby old chap."  If documents and internal communications of "a major American bank" are revealed, as Julian Assange promises, a company may suffer deep embarrassment.

 Discussion Starters

• What are the ethical considerations of making companies' documents and internal communications public?  What is the value to society?  What are the potential risks?
• Does the possibility of your email or other documents becoming public concern you?  Does this encourage you to rethink how you write messages?  How?
• How can individual managers working for a company protect themselves from these attacks?

Assignment Ideas

• Look at emails you have sent over the past six months.  Which would cause you embarrassment if they were published in the Wall Street Journal?
• Write an email to Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks.  Take a position: either convince Assange to continue his pursuit of business OR convince him to stop his pursuit.  Be sure to explain and support your position.

TSA Video Responds to "Pat Down" Criticism

The Story

Travelers who decline a full-body scan at the airport will be subjected to a "pat-down."  Facing customers' concerns and confrontations at the airport, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Administrator John S. Pistole issued a video, "Helpful Hints for Holiday Travelers."

 

 Discussion Starters

• What are your impressions of Pistole's video?  At what point are you most convinced and reassured?  least?  Download the script.
• Before the new procedure was in the news, on October 28, 2010, the TSA had issued this statement: "TSA is in the process of implementing new pat-down procedures at checkpoints nationwide as one of our many layers of security to keep the traveling public safe. Pat-downs are one important tool to help TSA detect hidden and dangerous items such as explosives. Passengers should continue to expect an unpredictable mix of security layers that include explosives trace detection, advanced imaging technology, canine teams, among others."  Is this enough for people to understand?  What communication strategy would you have suggested for the TSA?

Assignment Ideas

• Write a script for your own video.  Or, rewrite a few lines from Pistole's video.
• Watch Matt Lauer's video interview of Pistole on the Today Show.  In small groups, discuss how well Pistole responded to the questions.  What strategies for handling questions did he use successfully?
• Rewrite the TSA's November 21 response to the controversy using business writing principles, particularly analyzing your audience and using simple, clear language.

Green = You Have a Job; Red = You're Fired?

The Story

The Daily Telegraph reported that employees at Everything Everywhere, a UK telecommunications company, communicated layoffs to employees publicly -- at a team meeting -- using a system of color coding.  The article describes the communication process: "Up to 1,200 middle managers and back office staff who could lose their jobs by the end of the Christmas holidays were shown a red light and told they were 'at risk.' Other staff saw the light go yellow, which meant they must re-apply for their existing job. Some 30 [percent] of these roles face the axe under current proposals. A blue light indicated their job had been 'mapped' into the new business plan and were being kept on. A green light showed the creation of a limited number of new roles."

An Everything Everywhere company representative called the report "sensationalist and insensitive" and describes a much more humane process.  According to the company, one color-coded slide was used as part of "a range of tools to ensure that our people know exactly what is proposed for their teams and others across the business."  The company also claims that affected employees "should have been seen on a one-on-one basis." 

Discussion Starters

• How could two versions of this story differ so much?  What do you believe is the truth?
• How does the process as reported by the Daily Telegraph match the principles for communicating bad news discussed in Chapter 8?  How does Everything Everywhere's version of the process match up?

Assignment Ideas

• Imagine that you're a consultant working with Everything Everywhere.  Write a report to the senior management team to explain an ideal process for communicating layoffs.  Draw on principles and examples discussed in Chapter 8 to identify steps a company should take to communicate this bad news.
• Write an email to employees about the Daily Telegraph article.  This is challenging!  You'll need to present the facts of the article and, of course, dispute them, while being sensitive to employees  who may believe the article was justified.  (Hint: You will probably want to provide an internal avenue for employees to provide feedback.  This is much better than finding comments on the Internet.)

Bank of America Stops Foreclosure Sales

The Story

Bank of America has stopped foreclosure sales nationwide under criticism about documentation.  Legislators and state prosecutors expressed concerns about "robo-signers," "employees who sign hundreds of documents a day, without carefully reviewing their contents, when foreclosing on homes," according to a Wall  Street Journal report.

 
Read more and watch a video report from PBS here.

 
Discussion Starters

• What are the ethics of signing documents without reading them? What are the potential consequences for homeowners? 
• Homeowners complain that loan officers assigned to their case are unresponsive.  Why is this happening, and what is the responsibility of banks to communicate with homeowners in danger of foreclosing?  

Assignment Ideas

• Review Bank of America's statement about halting foreclosure sales (below).  Rewrite the statement to use clearer, simpler language.  
  "Bank of America has extended our review of foreclosure documents to all fifty states. We will stop foreclosure sales until our assessment has been satisfactorily completed. Our ongoing assessment shows the basis for our past foreclosure decisions is accurate. We continue to serve the interests of our customers, investors and communities. Providing solutions for distressed homeowners remains our primary focus."
• Write a letter to homeowners explaining the situation.  For many homeowners this is good news: they may have more time in their home before it's foreclosed.  However, from the bank's perspective, this is not good news. Balance these messages in your letter.

Craigslist De-lists Adult Services Ads

The Story

Big news this week about Craigslist's decision to censor its adult services ads.  Craigslist has been under fire for allowing not-so-subtle ads for prostitution -- ads that people claim have facilitated human trafficking and assaults against women.  Before this decision, a CNN reporter asked Craig Newmark, the company founder, blunt questions about the ads.  Newmark didn't handle the situation very well, and the company has been criticized for its lack of communication around the censorship decision.

Read more here.

Discussion Starters

• From the company's perspective, what are the arguments for and against excluding adult services ads on Craigslist?  Do you think the company made the best decision?  Why or why not?  Read more from the Wall Street Journal here.
• On Craigslist's website, the company posted the word "censored" with a black background over the former adult services category.  Why did the company choose this way to communicate the decision (with no news statement or press release, at the same time)?

Assignment Ideas

• Watch the CNN video with Craig Newmark and evaluate his response to the reporter's questions.  In small groups, first discuss Newmark's approach.  Why did he react this way and resist her questions?  Second, discuss alternatives.  What could Newmark have done to come across more positively?
• Craigslist has not yet issued a news statement, but is expected to do so.  Before you look at the statement, write your own.  How would you represent the decision to the media?  After the company's statement is issued, compare it to your version.  What differences do you observe?

Black Employee Gets Unfairly Clipped

The Story

This week, the White House forced the resignation of Shirley Sherrod, a Department of Agriculture employee.  Her termination was based on a 39-second video clip of her at a NAACP meeting.  The White House believed her comments were racist.  Later, the entire presentation was released, which showed -- rather than her discrimination -- how she learned from an interaction with a white farmer way back in 1986.  The White House apologized and offered Sherrod her job back.

Watch the full video here.  Read more here.

Discussion Starters

• What does this incident tell us about race relations in the U.S.? 
• Why would someone take Sherrod's comments out of context and publicize just a small segment of her speech?  Read the original post here.
• How does this situation relate to race relations in business?

Assignment Ideas

• Think about a time when you may have unfairly prejudged someone because of his or her race.  Talk with 2 or 3 other students about the situation and what you learned from the experience.
• Review a presentation you gave recently. Identify a small part that -- if taken out of context -- would have distorted your message.  How could you have reinforced your main message more often throughout the presentation?  Consider what you could have said and what you could have written on visuals to support your key points and possibly avoid this situation.

BP Doctors a Press Photo

The Story 

BP needs better PR advice.  A company spokesperson admitted to altering a photo of their Houston crisis center.  Photos were added where video feeds were blank. 

 
Read more here.  Image source.

Discussion Starters

• BP denies any sinister intent and blames a photographer.  What do you think?  No harm done?
• What about other altered photos?  Here's a fun tour of altered photos through history.  Take a look a few recent ones.  What about this President Obama photo-turned-Economist cover?  Or this model, whose altered image was banned in the UK by the Advertising Standards Authority?
• This Dove video became viral on YouTube very quickly.  Why would a company like Dove post a video like this?  How does this help their "Campaign for Real Beauty"?

Assignment Ideas

• Use Photoshop or another program to edit graphics and try to alter an image.  See if you can do a more professional job than BP's photographer.
• Look at photos in your favorite magazine.  How do you think they may have been altered?  Discuss with a partner how changing a photo for a cover, article, or advertisement may affect your perspective.
• As you plan your next presentation with visual support, think about what photos or other graphics you can alter to enhance your message.  What alterations could be misleading for your audience?

Best Buy Employee Insults Apple and Customers

The Story

Brian Maupin, a Best Buy employee, was reprimanded after posting videos about the company on YouTube.  His first cartoon video, which has amassed over 4.7 million views, mocked a customer of "Phone Mart," desperate for the latest version of the iPhone.  Apparently, Best Buy planned to fire Maupin, but management changed its mind after the media attention. 

 
 
Read more about the situation here on TechCrunch.
Watch the first video here (warning: very rude and lots of cursing, so you may want to skip this one) and the interaction with the corporate executive here.

Discussion Starters

• Was Maupin's behavior ethical? Was Best Buy right to suspend him? Should the company have fired him?
• If Maupin was frustrated by Best Buy's sales policies (which he addressed in another video that was removed), how could he have handled the situation differently? What internal channels may have been more appropriate for him?
• If you were the CEO of Best Buy or another company, how could you deter employees from going public with negative information?  Think about communication and management practices as well as internal, online media that may prevent a situation like this.

Assignment Ideas

• Imagine you're Brian Maupin's manager at Best Buy.  If you had a chance to speak with him about the situation, what would you say?  What questions would you ask him to learn more about his mindset?  Role play the scenario with a classmate.
• Search online for a company's social media policy.  You'll find several here.  Write a memo to the chief ethics officer with your analysis of the policy.  What works well in communicating guidelines to employees, and what could be improved? 
• Write a statement on behalf of Best Buy in response to the situation.  What would you say in a news release to give your perspective of the videos and repair the company's reputation? 

Student Fabricates Resume

The Story

A student's "life of deception," as reported by the The New York Times, finally caught up with him this week.  Adam Wheeler was accepted into Harvard as a transfer student, but the admissions staff missed a few issues: a suspension from Bowdoin, fake reference letters, and plagiarism.  The graphics below summarize Wheeler's falsifications on his resume and his claims when applying to three schools.

Click on the graphic to view the PDF. Resume graphic source.

 
Claims graphic source. 

Discussion Starters

• What would lead a student to this level of fakery, which landed him with criminal charges including larceny for accepting $50,000 in financial aid and prizes? 
• What is Harvard's responsibility in this situation?  What could the admissions staff have done differently?
• How does this situation relate to employment applications?  How does this situation compare to that of Jeffrey Chiang, who, a year earlier, lied during his job search and was black listed from many Wall Street firms? 

Assignment Ideas

• Take a fresh, objective look at your own resume.  During an interview with a sharp recruiter, will you be able to explain and justify all of your claims?  Do you need to tone down any examples?  Or, on the other hand, are you representing your "best self," as discussed in Chapter 12?  Are you unnecessarily downplaying parts of your experience?
• With a partner, practice a couple of interview questions around the items that may be a stretch on your resume.  For example, if you included membership in an organization, have your partner ask you about it to see whether you can say enough during an interview to support what you wrote on your resume.