Dior Designer Makes Offensive Comments

The Story

Dior fashion designer John Galliano is caught on video  saying "I love Hitler," among other offensive comments, during a drunken tirade. The company reacted quickly, terminating Galliano and issuing a statement. Watch the news report, below.

Video source.

Discussion Starters

• Did Dior do the right thing by firing Galliano? Why or why not? 
• What are the potential consequences to actors, such as Nicole Kidman, who wore Dior at The Academy Awards?
• What is your reaction to people who defend Galliano's comments, for example, the writer who posted, "If you are breaker of taboos, then antisemitism is only another taboo, no different from any other. It's the saying of the unsayable. It has become the last frontier for those demanding freedom of speech, for whom everything, even the Holocaust, is fair game."

Assignment Ideas

• Write a memo to your instructor explaining why you consider Galliano's comments inappropriate according to principles of intercultural communication.
• Assess Dior President Sidney Toledano's statement: "The House of Dior declares with the greatest firmness its policy of zero-tolerance regarding any anti-Semitic or racist statement or attitude." Write a brief assessment of the statement, write your own version, and explain why yours is better.

Comments on BBC Program Called "Outrageous, Vulgar, and Inexcusable"

The Story

Did the BBC motoring show, Top Gear, go too far with its irreverent humor?  In describing Mexican cars, Richard Hammond said they would reflect "national characteristics" and would be "lazy, feckless, flatulent."  Negative comments about Mexicans continued on the show.  After much criticism, BBC apologized for the offensive comments.

 Discussion Starters

• After listening to the news clip, how do you assess the comments about Mexicans?  Do they offend you?  Can you see how they might offend others?
• Read BBC's response to the incident.  The statement acknowledges an apology but also defends the practice of "national stereotyping" as part of the show -- as well as part of British humor.  Do you buy this explanation? 

Assignment Ideas

• Read some of the comments posted about the incident.  Choose 2-3 that you most agree with and, in an email to your instructor, explain why they have merit.  Alternatively, you may choose 2-3 that you most disagree with and explain your reasoning.
• Write an email to Top Gear presenters to either criticize or defend their comments.

High Youth Unemployment in the U.K.

 The Story

Youth unemployment jumped to over 900,000, the highest since 1992.  One out of 5 people aged 16-24 is now out of work.

 Discussion Starters

• What advice would you give young people in the U.K. in seeking employment?  Focus, particularly, on how people can differentiate themselves in a competitive market.  And what can unemployed young people do while not working (in addition to looking for a job, of course)?
• Have you ever looked for a job or internship and had difficulty finding one?  In the end, what did you learn from the experience?  If you ultimately did get a job, how did it finally happen?

 Assignment Ideas

• Research differences between U.S. and European employment communications.  For example, what are the differences between a resume and a C.V. for business jobs? What other differences would you expect, knowing about each culture?  Assume that a friend or colleague is exploring job opportunities in Europe.  Write an email to him or her summarizing your findings.
• Imagine that you're applying for a job in the U.K.  If you have a U.S.-centric resume, adapt it for a European company.

No "Email" for Chinese Media

The Story

According to a BBC report, China has banned the use of English words in media, such as newspapers, books, and websites. Included in the ban are foreign abbreviations (for example, NBA), English words (for example,  email), and "Chinglish," which mixes Chinese and English.  Chinglish (for example, "3q," meaning "thank you") has become more commonly used, while the Chinese government prefers to keep the language pure.  Grammatical errors in translation are also becoming more common.  Read more here.

 
NY Times "Chinglish" Slideshow

Discussion Starters

• What are the potential consequences of China's ban?  How do you think newspapers and website owners will react?
• What examples of combined-language words have you heard or used yourself?  What, if any, words does your family use that don't represent traditional English?  Which of these words would you consider inappropriate for a business situation?

Assignment Ideas

• Take a position on the ban.  Write a letter to the Chinese government (which you do not need to send!) either supporting the ban or encouraging the government to remove the ban.  Be sure to support your perspective with examples from the media.
• Debate the ban in class.  Have one side of the room take the position of the Chinese government, while the other side opposes the ban.  First, research your side of the issue before class.  Individually, find at least three objective sources to support your position.  Share your sources with your teammates via email,  Google Docs, or a wiki.  Then, identify one team member to synthesize all of your research and compile a list of arguments.  In class, before the debate starts, meet with your team for about 10 minutes to finalize your plan and decide who will state which argument and in what order.  Finally, when you begin the debate in class, have one person present one of your arguments.  Alternate sides (and people on the team) until you can come to an agreement -- or when you have nothing left to say.  Which side made the strongest argument?

New UBS Dress Code: No Earrings for Men

The Story

In a pilot for five UBS locations, the company created a 43-page dress code.  No black nail polish  or too-short skirts if UBS employees want to get ahead.  The code advises employees how to "enhance your personality" and "increase your popularity" by wearing "discreet lipstick" and getting a "stylish haircut."  The new code may be part of UBS's attempts to rebuild their image, like the commercial, "We Will Not Rest."

Discussion Starters

• What was the dress code for previous places where you have worked?  Did you think the attire was appropriate, too formal, or too informal for the business, considering the industry and company culture?
• Could such a dress code, which promotes conservative banking attire rebuild USB's image?  Does USB's recent commercial, "We Will Not Rest."

Assignment Ideas

• Working in small groups, draft a list of instructions that you believe should be included in a company's dress code.  Of course, every company is different, so choose a company that all of you know.  After you have drafted a list, work on an organizational structure: how can you group topics clearly and logically?
• Write an email to employees to introduce your new dress code.  What will be important for employees to know about the code (which you can attach)?  How can you present the code in the best possible light, so that employees understand the rationale and buy into the change.

Irish PwC Employees Email "Top 10" Women

The Story

Employees at the accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers in Dublin shared emails identifying their picks for best looking female employees.  Seventeen male PwC employees are said to be involved in the incident, which is now being investigated by firm management.

Discussion Starters

• What do you think of the 17 employees' behavior?  Would you characterize this as inappropriate, sexist, harmless fun-or something else? 
• How do you think the women reacted when they found out about the email?
• The email that was circulated had the standard boilerplate at the end of the message, including the following message: "Voted one of the Best Workplaces in Ireland for 8 years running."  Should the company change this? 

Assignment Ideas

• This is management's official statement about the incident: 

"We are taking this matter extremely seriously and are launching a full investigation. We will take all necessary steps and actions in line with our firm's polices and procedures."

Imagine that, after completing an investigation, you find the evidence to be true: 17 employees did circulate this email with photos of the "Top 10."  Now write an article for the company blog addressing the situation.

• Imagine that you're one of the men who was involved in the incident.  Write an apology email to women at PwC.  This should include women who were on "the list" and those who were not-it's likely that women in both groups would take offense.
• Write a report to analyze whether this situation would have been different in an American company.  You might research differences in pay and status for women and men in corporations.  Or, you could take the legal route and explore differences in legislation, which might impact how this situation unfolded and how it should be handled.   Or, you could analyze cultural differences and explain your perspective through a cultural lens.

German Companies Block Social Networks

The Story

To reduce security threats and address concerns about productivity, several German companies are blocking employees' access to social networks.

 

Discussion Starters

• If you have worked in an office environment, how active were you on social networks like Facebook? Did this affect your productivity?
• Will this action stop employees from participating in social networks?  Why or why not?
• The move addresses concerns about viruses and employees revealing trade secrets online. How will blocking access to social networks address these concerns?  How will they fail to address these issues?
• What are the downsides of blocking employees' access?  What are the benefits to companies of having employees contribute information about their brand on social networks?

Assignment Ideas

• Employees can speak positively on behalf on their companies, which could promote a brand.  Contribute a positive comment about a company or brand on a social network. 
• Review a Facebook fan page for your favorite brand or product.  Analyze the comments: are most comments positive or negative?  What can you conclude about this?
• How does this policy of German companies compare with common policies of U.S. companies?  Review a few social media policies of U.S. companies and write a report to summarize your findings.

News Analyst Fired Over Comments about Muslims

The Story

Juan Williams, longtime analyst for NPR News, was fired by the agency for remarks he made on Fox News' "The O'Reilly Factor."  Although Williams warned Bill O'Reilly, the program host, against blaming all Muslims for the actions of a few extremists on 9/11, he did admit to feeling "worried" and "nervous" when he sees people in "Muslim garb" on an airplane.  The context for this comment (below) was Bill O'Reilly's dispute on the TV program, "The View," where he said "Muslims killed us on 9/11."

Discussion Starters

• Williams' termination is highly controversial, with some Republican representatives calling for Congress to cut federal funding of NPR.  Why would someone take this position? Republican Rep. Peter King said, "This is political correctness carried to its extreme form." What does he mean by this?
• Williams denies that his comments are "bigoted" and disputes his termination.   Watch his response to the firing, below.  How would you describe Williams' point of view?

Assignment Ideas

• In small groups, discuss your own view.  Should Williams have been fired?  Why or why not?
• How does this story relate to the discussion of unbiased language in Chapter 2?  Discuss your perspective with a partner.

some Republican representatives calling for Congress to cut federal funding of NPR

New American CEO Brings Good News for BP

The Story

Bob Dudley finally replaces Tony Hayward, the former CEO of BP.  Hayward has been held responsible for the oil spill in the Gulf -- and for a host of public relations failures, which added embarrassment to the company.  BP shares rose 3% on Friday as Dudley took the company lead and suggested that shareholder dividends, which had been suspended, may be reinstated.

Read more here and here.  Image source.

Discussion Starters

• What is the significance of Dudley, as BP's first American CEO, taking the lead at this point? How do you think this move might be received by people in the Gulf?  How might people within BP react?
• What are Dudley's challenges in rebuilding BP's image? 
• How can Dudley use the positive news of dividends to fuel (sorry) his positive messages?

Assignment Ideas

• Analyze a segment of Dudley's interview on BCC News. As a media consultant, provide your feedback: what did Dudley do well, and what changes do you suggest?  Write a memo summarizing your feedback to him directly.
• Write an article for BP's website announcing Bob Dudley's new role.  How will you position him and address Tony Hayward's departure?  After you finish a draft of your article, review BP's version of the announcement.  How does yours compare?  What, if any, changes would you make to your draft after seeing the official announcement?
• Write an email to employees about the 3% increase in share price. How can you promote this as a first step in BP's recovery?
• Imagine that you're Dudley.  Start a CEO blog and write your first entry.  How will you introduce yourself to the customers, investors, and the public?

NYT Article: In Serious Company Crisis, "P.R. May Only 'Get People to Hate Them Less.'"

The Story

The New York Times reported quite the story about the recent P.R. failings of BP, Toyota, and Goldman Sachs, citing both missteps and what sounds like hopelessness.  Some crises, the article concludes, may be beyond repair through communication. This paints a dim picture of corporations' attempts to recapture trust and rebuild a brand. 

 

Discussion Starters

• Do you agree with the conclusions drawn in the article? Why or why not?
• If these companies-BP, Toyota, and Goldman-hadn't made mistakes in their communication, would public perception be different?
• Thinking as a customer or client of each business, what, if anything could each company have done differently to win you over?
• What principles of persuasion (from Chapter 7) did each company use? Which could it have used more or less?

Assignment Ideas

• As a group, watch viewers' perceptions of CEO Akio Toyoda, as he discusses Toyota's issues. Why do you think the viewers gave him mixed reviews, with "skepticism" their most common reaction? At what points did viewers' ratings decrease and increase? What do you think caused these changes?
• After reading the NY Times article, choose one of the three companies and do your own research about how it handled the crisis. Write a report to the CEO with your analysis and recommendations for communicating during a crisis in the future.
• Find a speech or commercial from one of these companies about its crisis. You'll find several on MediaCurves.com, on YouTube, and on each company's website. Analyze the video in terms of persuasion techniques discussed in Chapter 7. Write a memo summarizing your analysis.

Shooting at McDonald's in Finland

The Story

Three people died this week during a shooting incident while on line at McDonald's drive-through in southern Finland.  Although McDonald's may not have liability for the situation -- the shooting resulted from an argument between drivers -- this would be considered a crisis situation for the company.

Read the full story.

Discussion Starters

• What is the local McDonald's responsibility during an incident like this?  How should management respond?
• Who are McDonald's internal and external consistuencies?  How should McDonald's communicate with each after this incident?
• What, if any, action should McDonald's Corporate (in the U.S.) take?  How do you see the Finnish store interacting with McDonald's headquarters during this situation?

Assignment Ideas

• Imagine you're the store manager of this McDonald's.  Write an email to your manager (probably a regional director for all McDonald's stores in Finland) describing what happened and your response.  Consider that your manager may forward this on to the Corporate office.
• As the store manager, write an email to your employees.  You'll want to explain what happened, reinforce emergency procedures, and assure employees of store safety.
• As the store manager, imagine that you and Fagerholm, the detective inspector, are planning a news conference about the incident.  What will you say to explain what happened and reassure the public that your McDonald's is safe?  Write a script and deliver the news conference.