Penn State Investigates Sorority's Mexican-Themed Party

The women of Chi Omega Nu Gamma at Penn State may be regretting their Mexican-themed party. Sporting ponchos, sombreros and a few mustaches, women held signs that read "Will Mow Lawn for Weed + Beer" and "I Don't Cut Grass. I Smoke It."

The university is investigating the situation and, according to one source, is considering suspending the sorority. The Panhellenic Council executive board released a statement about the incident:

"The Penn State Panhellenic Council recognizes the offensive nature of the photo and is therefore taking the matter very seriously. We are addressing the situation immediately with the members of the chapter in conjunction with their national headquarters. The Penn State Panhellenic Council does not condone any form of derogatory behavior from any of our members. Our Council and all its members strive to hold ourselves to a high standard and are disappointed by any failure to meet these expectations."

Vice President of the Mexican American Student Association, Cesar Sanchez Lopez, also commented on the incident:

"The Mexican American Student Association is disappointed in the attire chosen by this sorority. It in no way represents our culture. Not only have they chosen to stereotype our culture with serapes and sombreros, but the insinuation about drug usage makes this image more offensive. Our country is plagued by a drug war that has led to the death of an estimated 50,000 people, which is nothing to be joked about."

Jessica Riccardi, president of the sorority chapter, issued this apology:

"Our chapter of Chi Omega sincerely apologizes for portraying inappropriate and untrue stereotypes. The picture in question does not support any of Chi Omega's values or reflect what the organization aspires to be."

The sorority has suffered some backlash. Posters criticizing the photo are circulated around campus. 

Discussion Starters:

• What's your reaction to the party? Is it offensive, just plain fun, or something else?
  
• What, if any, action do you think the university should take?

Victoria's Secret: "Spitting on Our Culture"

Victoria's Secret has apologized for outfitting a runway model in a Native American-style headdress, leopard-print underwear, turquoise jewelry, and high heels. A Chicago Tribune article explained the significance of a headdress, which may explain why the get-up was called offensive:

"Headdresses historically are a symbol of respect, worn by Native American war chiefs and warriors. For many Plains tribes, for example, each feather placed on a headdress has significance and had to be earned through an act of compassion or bravery. Some modern-day Native American leaders have been gifted war bonnets in ceremonies accompanied by prayers and songs."

A Navajo Nation spokesperson further explained, "Any mockery, whether it's Halloween, Victoria's Secret-they are spitting on us. They are spitting on our culture, and it's upsetting."

The company responded to criticism with a rather generic apology: "We sincerely apologize as we absolutely had no intention to offend anyone." In addition, model Karlie Kloss tweeted her own apology:

 

Discussion Starters:

• As you might expect, not everyone agrees that Victoria's Secret needed to apologize. Online comments suggested that people should "grow a thicker skin" and that "Indians should get over themselves." What's your view?
• How do you assess Victoria's Secret's apology? Is this enough? If not, what else should the company do or say?  

Fujitsu's Laptop for Women: Sexist or Smart Marketing?

A marketing team at Fujitsu thought that a laptop "aimed at female users" was a good idea, but the company isfacing ridicule. Among the "Floral Kiss" features is "a flip latch that can easily open the display-even by users with long fingernails."

In its press release, the company says that its female employees designed the laptop to include the following: 

1. Elegant design down to the details

2. Custom-designed applications

3. Design collaboration model with the jewelry brand ''agete"

Applications include Scrapbook, Diary, and Horoscopes, presumably activities that interest women.

The design, too, is tailored to the gentler sex:

The top casing has been constructed with an elegant and refined gradation with gold trim, and it features a flip latch that can easily open the display-even by users with long fingernails. The power button is adorned with a pearl-like accent, and the power status LED and Caps Lock key are decorated with diamond-cut stone for a sophisticated look. An exquisite gold ring frames each key on the transparent keyboard, highlighting its elegant style. In addition, the outtake and intake vents all feature a floral motif design.

A writer for Business Insider points out the absurdity of the product:

I can't count the number of times I've been typing away on my Mac Book Pro and thought, wow, this consumer experience sure would be enhanced if my caps lock key were bedazzled and there was a built-in daily horoscope app. … This computer comes with both.

Image source.

Discussion Starters:

• What's your view of the laptop focus: a silly idea, a shrewd marketing tactic, or something else?
• Critics of the product say that women don't need a special laptop, particularly one bejeweled and pink. What's your view?

Nordstrom Email Supporting Gay Marriage

After the Chick-fil-A controversy this summer, companies are on edge about the issue of same-sex marriage. Rather than oppose the issue, the Nordstrom brothers have taken a strong stance, supporting a Washington state "Freedom to Marry" referendum.

In an email sent to all employees, three Nordstrom executive brothers declared their support:

From: Nordstrom, Blake

Sent: Thursday, October 11, 2012 8:03 AM

To: Leadership 2012

Subject: Freedom to Marry

October 11, 2012

To all employees:

We have long had a philosophical approach to our business to be inclusive about the way we serve customers as well as how we work to create a workplace where every employee is welcomed and respected. It's simply how we operate.

With respect to our gay and lesbian employees, Nordstrom was an early adopter of adding sexual orientation to our anti-discrimination policy, which means we guarantee the same legal rights and protections in our workplace to gay and lesbian employees just as we do for other employees regardless of sex, race, color, creed, national origin, religion, age, marital status, pregnancy, physical, mental or sensory disability, and gender identity. This goes beyond the Federal government's protection in Title VII, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which still excludes sexual orientation. In 1998, we began offering life partner benefits to employees.

We feel the next step in this journey is to now support freedom to marry, also called marriage equality. There is a lot of awareness of this issue across the country and we've heard from many employees and customers. We gave this thoughtful consideration and felt the time was right to come out in support of this civil rights issue. It is our belief that our gay and lesbian employees are entitled to the same rights and protections marriage provides under the law as our other employees. We also believe supporting freedom to marry will help us create a more attractive and inclusive workplace for our current and prospective employees. Again – this decision is consistent with our long-time philosophy of inclusivity and equality for our customers and employees.

We recognize there are differing opinions about freedom to marry. We hope we've been clear about why we made this decision. To all of our employees – if you choose to talk about this with each other, please do so respectfully. We want you to be informed about our position so you can also respectfully answer any customer questions that come your way.

Thank you.

Blake, Pete, Erik

Blake Nordstrom, President, Nordstrom, Inc

Pete Nordstrom, President of Merchandising, Nordstrom

Erik Nordstrom, President of Stores, Nordstrom

According to GLAAD (The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation), several companies have shown active support of same-sex marriage:

"Nordstrom joins many Washington-based companies who have come out in support for marriage equality, including REI, Expedia, Amazon, Starbucks, Microsoft, and Nike. In Minnesota, General Mills and Thomson Reuters have come out agains the proposed marriage amendment that would limit the freedom to marry. Carlson Company Chairman, Marilyn Carlson Nelson has been actively campaigning against the amendment. Additionally, GOP Hedge Fund billionaire Paul Singer made a donation to advocate for marriage equality in Maine."

GLAAD also cites a Washington poll showing support for Referendum 74 at 55%, compared to 40% opposed. Although this isn't a huge spread, the data may indicate that Nordstrom and other supporting companies are on the popular side of the vote.

Discussion Starters:

• What are the benefits and risks to Nordstrom, as a company, of showing its support for the referendum? 
• In the email, how do the Nordstrom brothers connect their beliefs to the mission and values of the company?

#FirstWorldProblems Become a Clean Water PSA

The Haitian charity "Water Is Life" has co-opted ironic #FirstWorldProblems tweets into a public service announcement for clean water. In the video, Haitians read the tweets, which are shown as captions. On the charity's website, Water Is Life, one of the photo captions reads, "Donate to help solve real problems."

The campaign is the work of ad agency DDB New York, which has been both applauded and criticized for the messaging. Business Insider posted an article, "Poor Haitians Reading #FirstWorldProblems Tweets Might Be The Best Ad Of The Year," calling the effect "both funny and moving."

Critics of the campaign accused DDB of misunderstanding the irony of the tweets: #FirstWorldProblems aren't problems at all-that's the point. But Matt Eastwood, who led the campaign, told Business Insider, "We totally understand the irony of it. People are doing it as a joke. It leads to a desensitization around the issue." He also said, "We knew we were going to upset a few people. People in Haiti don't have the luxuries these guys do."

In a press release, the agency described its mission:

 "DDB New York announced today that it is attempting to eliminate the #FirstWorldProblems hashtag on Twitter – the first mission to wipe out, instead of promote, a trending hashtag. #FirstWorldProblems showcases concerns that seem important to those living in wealthy, industrialized countries, yet are, in fact, trivial compared to the issues faced by those struggling to survive in many parts of the world. Though meant in jest, these tweets about "problems"-such as having to get up to change the TV channel or a phone charger that won't reach the bed - also reveal a lack of sensitivity or awareness about serious social and health concerns and the ways that social media users can help alleviate real problems."

AdWeek sums up the issue well: "Harnessing a spoof hashtag in PSAs to drum up press coverage, popular support, and donations-how first world can you get?"

  

Discussion Starters:

• What's your opinion of the video: funny, moving, insensitive, or something else?
• Do you think the ad will be effective is encouraging people to donate to Water Is Life?

Hollister Models Insult Asian Customers

Retailer Hollister has apologized for their models' offensive behavior during a store opening in South Korea.

The company brought in four foreign models to take pictures with customers. But the associates embarrassed the company by "making squinty eyes," "flipping their middle finger to photographers, and mocking Asian pronunciation of English appeared on their Twitter accounts," according to KoreaBANG.  

On its Facebook page, Hollister apologized for the incident:

On its website, in a section on careers, the company does have an extensive page about "Diversity and Inclusion."

Discussion Starters:

• How do you assess Hollister's response? Do you find it effective, empty, or something else?
• Some people have theorized that this incident could actually help the company's image, reinforcing the brand as edgy. What do you think?
• What about the company's Diversity and Inclusion webpage do you find most and least convincing?

McDonald's Slips on Communicating with the Hmong

Known for adapting its marketing campaigns to different cultures and countries, McDonald's has missed on at least one advertisement to the Hmong people in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Although the billboard translates roughly to "Coffee gets you up. Breakfast gets you going," locals say the grammar is incorrect, and "It sounds weird in Hmong because we don't really talk like that." A doctor at a St. Paul hospital said, "The text is also wrong, missing key breaks in the language" and "As it stands right now, it doesn't make sense at all."

The doctor also expressed concerns about McDonald's food:

"I think it's great that more mainstream businesses are realizing the buying (and) consumer power of the Hmong community. [But] chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension and obesity are already a major health concern in the Hmong community. Most of this is attributed to the changing westernized eating behaviors that Hmong people have adapted to. McDonald's should instead focus more on healthy eating."

A representative from Arnold Advertising, which works with McDonald's restaurants in the area, said, "This is the first time that McDonald's anywhere in the country has advertised in Hmong." McDonald's targeted the Hmong people as one consumer group and "wanted to make sure we were communicating effectively with them." With tens of thousands of Hmong living in St. Paul, the area has more Hmong people than any other U.S. city.

In a statement by McDonald's regional marketing director, the company acknowledged that it fell short:

"We strive to reach our guests in relevant ways including the use of in-language messaging. While it was our intention to create a special message for our Hmong population in Minnesota, we now realize that an error was made in the translation of 'Coffee Gets You Up, Breakfast Gets You Going.' It was not our intention to offend anyone, and we apologize for the error. We are working with our local advertising agency to correct these billboards and will re-post next week."

Image source.

Discussion Starters:

• How could McDonald's have avoided this embarrassing situation?
• The company chose not to respond to the doctor's point about health concerns within the Hmong community. Should McDonald's have included a statement regarding this issue? Why or why not?

In Yearbook, Students Called "Mentally Retarded"

Mesquite High School in Texas printed yearbooks that referred to some students with special needs as "mentally retarded." "People-first language" is preferable to such labels. Parents and students were "shocked" and "appalled" at the use of the word. In addition, some students' photos were printed without permission.

Laura, Jobe, the district's communication director, blamed the editorial process: "There was an oversight in the editing approval process. Those who work inside the special education department know these requirements." She also said, "Some of the disabilities the students in the Special Education Program have are being blind, deaf or non-verbal … (students' names) are both blind and deaf, as well as mentally retarded." Did she miss the point?

On behalf of the district, Jobe offered this apology, "We earnestly regret the term ‘mentally retarded' was included… and offer our apologies to our students and their families." The school district has collected all yearbooks from students and is getting them reprinted with the errors corrected.

"Spread the Word to End the Word" strives to eliminate the use of the "r-word," which the campaign considers hate speech:

"When they were originally introduced, the terms 'mental retardation' or 'mentally retarded' were medical terms with a specifically clinical connotation; however, the pejorative forms, 'retard' and 'retarded' have been used widely in today's society to degrade and insult people with intellectual disabilities. Additionally, when 'retard' and 'retarded' are used as synonyms for 'dumb' or 'stupid' by people without disabilities, it only reinforces painful stereotypes of people with intellectual disabilities being less valued members of humanity."

Discussion Starters:

• What should be the editoral process for approving text and photos in a high school yearbook?
• Who is responsible for the error?
• What's your view of the word "retarted"? Is it offensive, outdated, funny, or something else?

Sponsors of an Award Demand that They Receive It

In an odd turn of events, the 2012 BII Scotland Annual Awards ceremony surprised attendees. The British Institute of Innkeeping Scottish Awards includes "Bar Operator of the Year," a prize that judges say was slated to go to BrewDog, a brewery in North East Scotland. However, at the last minute, the award went to Diageo, one of the event's main sponsors.

On its blog, BrewDog had quite a bit to say about the situation. From the company's perspective, BrewDog was the clear winner, in part because of comments made by Kenny Mitchell, BII's chairman of the award committee: 

"Diageo (the main sponsor) approached us at the start of the meal and said under no circumstances could the award be given to BrewDog. They said if this happened they would pull their sponsorship from all future BII events and their representatives would not present any of the awards on the evening.

"We were as gobsmacked as you by Diageo's behaviour. We made the wrong decision under extreme pressure. We should have stuck to our guns and gave the award to BrewDog."

A Diageo spokesperson issued a simple statement in response to the controversy:

"There was a serious misjudgement by Diageo staff at the awards dinner on Sunday evening in relation to the Bar Operator of the Year Award, which does not reflect in any way Diageo's corporate values and behaviour.

"We would like to apologise unreservedly to BrewDog and to the British Institute of Innkeeping for this error of judgement, and we will be contacting both organisations imminently to express our regret for this unfortunate incident."

BrewDog was unsympathetic to the apology:

"As for Diageo, once you cut through the glam veneer of pseudo corporate responsibility this incident shows them to be a band of dishonest hammerheads and dumb a** corporate freaks.  No soul and no morals, with the integrity of a rabid dog and the style of a wart hog.

Discussion Starters: 

• How do you asssess Diageo's response to the situation? What is missing from the company's response statement?
• Identify the number of words in the quotes, above, that are uncommon in the United States. What do they mean?

Communications in the Wal-Mart Bribe Inquiry

With a New York Times headline that reads, "Vast Mexico Bribery Case Hushed Up by Wal-Mart After Top-Level Struggle," news can only be bad for the world's largest corporate employer. Of course, the evidence is that revealer of so many corporate secrets: email.

The New York Times article reports the severity of the situation:

"Wal-Mart dispatched investigators to Mexico City, and within days they unearthed evidence of widespread bribery. They found a paper trail of hundreds of suspect payments totaling more than $24 million. They also found documents showing that Wal-Mart de Mexico's top executives not only knew about the payments, but had taken steps to conceal them from Wal-Mart's headquarters in Bentonville, Ark. In a confidential report to his superiors, Wal-Mart's lead investigator, a former F.B.I. special agent, summed up their initial findings this way: 'There is reasonable suspicion to believe that Mexican and USA laws have been violated.'"

"The lead investigator recommended that Wal-Mart expand the investigation.

"Instead, an examination by The New York Times found, Wal-Mart's leaders shut it down."

The article also points to several internal communications about the situation:

• Rather than hire outside, independent investigators, Wal-Mart leadership decided that its own legal counsel would oversee a "preliminary inquiry." 
• In what is referred to in the article as a "terse report," the director of corporate investigations for Wal‑Mart in 2005, says that the situation is "not looking good."

Apparently, more than $16 million dollars was paid in "donations" or "contributions" to the Mexican government since 2003 to secure permits and build several stores in Mexico.

The first comment selected by the NY Times staff reflects public cynicism about the company:

Discussion Staters:

• Does the news about Wal-Mart in Mexico surprise you? Why or why not?
• Once again, how can people protect their communications from becoming public?
• How, if at all, should Wal-Mart respond to this situation?
• A follow-up NY Times article says that "...Bribery Is Taken in Stride" in Mexico. How, if at all, does that affect your perspective of this Wal-Mart situation?

Ben & Jerry's Lin-Sanity Gaffe

Ben & Jerry's is the latest company to join Lin-Sanity and face criticism. The company created a new frozen yogurt flavor to celebrate basketball star Jeremy Lin, "Taste The Lin-Sanity," featuring lychee honey and fortune cookie pieces. The ice cream is being sold in Harvard Square, but Ben & Jerry's has since removed the cookies from the mix.

Ryan Midden, the general manager of Ben & Jerry's in the Boston area, told Boston.com,

"There seemed to be a bit of an initial backlash about it, but we obviously weren't looking to offend anybody, and the majority of the feedback about it has been positive."

Midden also said that the fortune cookies were removed primarily because they got soggy.

Ben & Jerry's offered this official apology:

"We are proud and honored to have Jeremy Lin hail from one of our fine, local universities, and we are huge sports fans. We were swept up in the nationwide Linsanity momentum. Our intention was to create a flavor to honor Jeremy Lin's accomplishments and his meteoric rise in the NBA, and recognize that he was a local Harvard graduate. We try to demonstrate our commitment as a Boston-based, valued-led business and  if we failed in this instance, we offer our sincere apologies."

As in its recent complaint against ESPN, The Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) offered advice. This time, the AAJA sent a "Media Advisory on Jeremy Lin News Coverage." The advisory warns against "factual inaccuracies about Lin's background as well as an alarming number of references that rely on stereotypes about Asians or Asian Americans" and cautions news organizations to "Stop to think: Would a similar statement be made about an athlete who is Caucasian, African American, Latino or Native American?" The statement also provides useful information about stereotypes to avoid.

Deadspin further explained:

"Also, 'Taste The Lin-Sanity' features lychee, which is a fruit native to Southeast Asia, which is not the part of Asia that Jeremy Lin comes from. (The part of Asia that Jeremy Lin comes from is Northern California.)"

Discussion Starters:

• How do you assess Ben & Jerry's initial attempt at "Lin-Sanity" and the apology? What's your view of the situation?
• How does this situation compare to the recent ESPN comments related to Jeremy Lin?
• Read the AAJA's advice to the media. Which suggestions do you find useful, and which, if any, should be obvious? 
  

ESPN Apologizes for "Chink in the Armor" Caption and Comment

For 35 minutes, ESPN's mobile website showed the caption "Chink in the Armor" under a photo of basketball superstar Jeremy Lin. An ESPN commentator also used the phrase related to Jeremy Lin, shown in the video below the website.  

 

The Asian Americans Journalist Association (AAJA) wrote a letter including the following excerpt: 

"We at the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) find it hard to fathom how such an offensive headline appeared on your publishing platforms. The phrase was even spoken on-air.

"We are glad ESPN has recognized its mistake, and we appreciate the quick apology for the transgression. 

"Many people, not just in Asian American communities, are shocked that a news company with a long tradition of excellence would use a racial epithet. It's particularly galling because of the weeks of discussion about Lin, his heritage and even the wave of outright racism surrounding his stardom.

"We are particularly concerned that an organization as large as yours did not have the proper checks in place to prevent the mistake. It is hard to fathom how editors on so many of your platforms failed to uphold your normally high standards.

"Of course, it disappoints us to see one of our most valued and committed partners in diversity stumble. As you well know, this incident does not live up to the Leadership in Diversity Award that AAJA bestowed on ESPN in 2010. But we trust that you will transform this incident into a teachable moment."

In a statement, ESPN said, 

"We are conducting a complete review of our cross-platform editorial procedures and are determining appropriate disciplinary action to ensure this does not happen again. We regret and apologize for this mistake."

In a tweet, Rob King, ESPN's senior vice president for editorial, print and digital media, posted,

"There's no defense for the indefensible. All we can offer are our apologies, sincere though incalculably inadequate."

Let's hope we get more of an explanation from ESPN. How does this ethnic slur get through an editorial process?

UPDATE: The ESPN editor who wrote the headline was fired. Here's his explanation. Do you believe him?

Discussion Starters:

• How do you think the phrase was intended? Was it an innocent mistake, planned as a joke, or something else?
• How do you think this happened? ESPN has writers and people who read the written comments. How could this slip by?
• What is your assessment of ESPN's apology so far?
• Read the Asian Americans Journalist Association's entire letter. What are the strongest and weakest arguments?

Brazil Addresses "Technological Slavery"

Brazil has passed a new law that makes employees eligible to request overtime pay for email and phone calls after work hours. The Brazilian government views emails to employees' smartphones as orders. The law addresses what a labor lawyer in this CNN video calls "technological slavery."

Discussion Starters:

• What's your view of the new law? 
• Is this a good idea for United States? Would it work? The video mentions difficulty in enforcement. What other challenges could you see?
• How else could we avoid the 24/7 nature of work?

Letter to Former HP CEO Revealed

In June 2010, Mark Hurd, former CEO of Hewlett-Packard,  received a letter claiming sexual harassment of a contract employee, Jodie Fisher. Hurd resigned from HP on August 6, 2010. As one article described the unveiling, "This Is The Letter That Got Mark Hurd Fired As CEO Of HP." 

An HP shareholder requested that the letter be made public as part of a lawsuit to, according to The New York Times, "investigate corporate wrongdoing and waste associated with the relationship and Mr. Hurd's resignation." Now the president of Oracle, Hurd lost his court appeal to keep the letter confidential.

All Things D received the letter, which describes in eight pages of uncomfortable detail some of Hurd and Fisher's interactions. An attorney working for HP also compiled a timeline of emails that describe more of their communications. The publicity and detail are more than a little embarrassing for all involved. Read the full letter. Download the letter.

 

 Discussion Starters:

• Imagine that you own HP stock. How might you feel about this letter becoming public?
• If you were on Oracle's Board of Directors, how would you respond to this news? What, if anything, would you say to Mark Hurd?
• This is a good time to remember that email is always discoverable. What can you do to protect yourself against your emails becoming public?

Rick Perry's Ad Called "Anti-Gay"

Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry is taking heat for his new ad that states "...there's something wrong with this country when gays can serve openly in the military but our kids can't openly celebrate Christmas and pray in school."

Let the controversy begin! The video received (as of this writing) 10, 104 "likes" and 420, 719 "dislikes," and comments are flowing in on Rick Perry's Facebook page.

 

In response to the outrage over the ad, Rick Perry's campaign told the Boston Herald,

This ad accurately reflects Governor Perry's faith and opposition to the Obama Administration's attacks on faith-based organizations. Such attacks include penalizing religious health care providers, attacking the right of churches and religious organizations to make certain hiring decisions, and refusing to defend the Defense of Marriage Act in federal court.

It is a good strong ad that accurately reflects the Governor's faith and policy positions. We believe it is a message that will resonate with a majority of Republican voters, especially Iowans.

Discussion Starters:

• What's your reaction to Rick Perry's ad? Do you find it offensive, spot-on, or something else?
• What effect, if any, do you think the ad will have on Rick Perry's campaign?
• How effective do you consider the Perry campaign's response?

Nivea Pulls Ad Considered Racist

It is a bit shocking to see a man holding just a head. As part of its "Look Like You Give a Damn" campaign, Nivea ran a image of a black man with short hair and no beard throwing what is intended to be his former self with longer hair and a full beard. The slogan reads: "Re-civilize Yourself."

Critics called the ad racist:

"Although Nivea has several other ads with the words 'Look like you give a damn,' and one where a white guy is holding a long-haired mask, none of them mention anything about civilization. The fact is, the ad itself is still racist even if it is part of a larger campaign. A person flipping through a magazine won't know the context. All they'll think of is a vicious stereotype of black people that still endures, and all they'll see is a black man trying to fit into a white world by shedding his former 'uncivilized' self."

Nivea quickly posted an apology on its Facebook wall:

"Thank you for caring enough to give us your feedback about the recent 'Re-civilized' NIVEA FOR MEN ad. This ad was inappropriate and offensive. It was never our intention to offend anyone, and for this we are deeply sorry. This ad will never be used again. Diversity and equal opportunity are crucial values of our company."

Discussion Starters:

• Do you consider the ad racist? Why or why not? If not, can you see why people may have been offended?
• How do you assess Nivea's response? Was apologizing the right thing to do, and is the company's FB wall post effective?

Using Amy Winehouse's Death for Small Business Advice

The Huffington Post is under fire for an article, "Amy Winehouse's Untimely Death Is a Wake Up Call for Small Business Owners."  According to blogger Tricia Fox, the 27-year-old British singer's death offers business lessons:

"For small business owners there is, however, a lot to be learned from Amy's untimely death.

"Although rarely referred to as such, most musical artists and celebrities are businesses in their own right. In fact, for all those detractors out there that say that being 'self-employed' is not a 'proper' business, think again. This successful business model is one that has been proven time and time again.

"But whether you are a pop star, a plumber or a business consultant, the same rules still apply: you are the product. And if that's the case, you are going to need to take really good care for yourself if you want your business to succeed."

Critics found little in common between Winehouse's death and running a small business and accused Fox of using the pop star's death for personal gain. Fox responded to criticism partly by citing cultural differences between the U.K. and the U.S.:

"For those of you who have been offended by my use of Amy Winehouse as an example, please accept my sincere apologies. Offence was never my intent. . . . Response to this blog in the U.K. has been positive. Response from the USA has been negative. I'm not sure why different nationalities have recieved [sic] the blog differently."

Discussion Starters:

• What is your reaction to the blogger's article? Do you agree with the criticism?
• Do you buy Fox's explanation of cultural differences? Why or why not?
• How could Fox have responded differently to the criticism?

Delta Criticized for Saudi Partnership: Can Jews Fly?

Delta Airlines has formed an alliance with Saudi Arabian Airlines that is causing people to question whether Delta discriminates against Jewish people. The Saudi government does not grant visas to Israelis. The Anti-Defamation League, an organization that fights anti-Semitism, has urged the airline not to "be a party" to discriminatory practices. Delta responded to the criticism in a statement: "Delta Air Lines does not discriminate nor do we condone discrimination against any of our customers in regards to age, race, nationality, religion, or gender." Read more of Delta's response on its blog.

 Discussion Starters:

• Do you consider Delta's partnership discriminatory? Why or why not?
• How do you react to Delta's response on its blog? Which arguments do you find most and least convincing?

Customer Captures Anti-Gay Comments at Starbucks

At a Long Island Starbucks, a customer apparently overheard a manager speaking with an employee (Jeffrey) and then making disrespectful comments about him to other employees. The customer's blog post about the incident got Starbucks' attention.

Starbucks' response, "Our Dedication to Embrace Diversity,"  states, "We are disheartened by the allegations reported in an East Coast Starbucks store and are taking immediate measures to investigate and take any steps necessary to make this right. The actions reported do not correspond with our values, who we are as a company or the beliefs we try to instill in our partners."

Discussion Starters:

• How, if at all, does the customer's alleged experience and Starbucks' response affect your perspective of Starbucks as an employer or as a company?
• If you owned the Long Island Starbucks store, what, if anything, would you do in response to the customer's blog post?

Assignment Idea:

• The customer's blog post doesn't follow principles of business communication. Rewrite Missy's blog post to improve focus and organization.
  

Wal-Mart Manages the Company Crisis in Japan

The Story

The life of a CEO is particularly challenging during a crisis such as the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. The Wall Street Journal has published the experience of Toru Noda, the chief executive officer of Wal-Mart Japan Holdings.  Below is a timeline of the company's activities.

Discussion Starters

• What are Wal-Mart's major business challenges at this time?
• What are the company's major communication challenges? 
• Looking at Wal-Mart's reaction (the timeline above), what surprises you?

 Assignment Ideas

• Imagine that you are Toru Noda, the chief executive officer of Wal-Mart Japan Holdings, and need to prepare for your first meeting with the two dozen team leaders mentioned in the article. Write an outline for your meeting.
• In groups of 3 or 4, have one person, playing the role of Noda, practice the opening to this meeting. 
• Write an open letter from Noda to the public about the lack of product on Wal-Mart shelves. How will you address this bad news and inspire consumers' confidence for the future?