Monthly Archives: May 2010

May 10 2010

How Should Sports Teams Deal With Speculation?

“Psst..did you hear that LeBron James isn’t really hurt? How about that Big Papi is going to be released this week?”

As a sports fan, these are the types of stories we read about throughout the week. Whether it’s about the status of an underperforming player or discussion around if a team will fire their coach in the coming weeks (see here),  we hear more about what our favorite teams may do, as opposed to what they are currently doing. And you know what? We love it. That’s why we listen to WFAN 24/7, play fantasy sports, and argue with our friends about who is to blame for our favorite team’s dissapointing record.

But there’s another side to the story. I’d be willing to bet the average blood pressure of coaches and front office executives are higher than the normal adult due to the reports they read in the newspaper and the commentary they hear about online regarding their teams. This begs the question, what should teams do when new rumors surface? Should they ignore it? Issue a statement? Or is this simply the way their business is and they should accept it?

Personally, I’m not sure teams CAN do anything. Athletes, and the teams that pay their ridiculous salaries, are going to be scrutinized and talked about left and right for every move they make, and don’t make. Maybe it’s up to the PR dept. to issue as much positive news as possible in an effort to combat any negativity that might come out about the team or one of its players? Maybe they already do this and it doesn’t work?

Please comment and let me know your thoughts on what teams should do when new rumors and speculation surface.

May 6 2010

Poll: Does Your Agency Have Summer Fridays This Year?

With the weather getting warmer, baseball season underway, and the electric fans on full blast in your office, it can only mean one thing … summer Fridays* are almost here!

Just one year after some agencies cut back on this perk after having to let go of some employees and needing the remaining workers to take on more responsibility, the economy is slowing improving and I’m wondering if this benefit has returned. Of course, you don’t have to be in PR to vote in this poll as companies across all industries take part in this annual tradition.

*Summer Fridays are when you get to leave work early every Friday between Memorial Day and Labor Day

May 3 2010

Celebrity Rehab: PR Edition

Every week there’s a new headline involving a celebrity that screams damage control from the PR team. Whether it’s Tom Cruise and his infamous couch-jumping incident or being caught on camera boozing it up and cussing left and right (too many to pick just one celeb!), this happens way too often. Is it because they don’t care? Do they ignore their PR team? Is their PR team not capable of getting through to difficult celebs?

With that in mind, I think one of the broadcast networks would be wise to start a new ‘reality’ show where they put celebs through PR rehab. They’ll learn the intricacies of how to handle difficult media questions, the right/wrong ways of having a press conference, and how to say ‘no’ to bad movie roles. Ok, maybe not that last part, but they’ll walk away from rehab with much better PR IQ. And the best part of this? They won’t be learning from celebs that have learned from past mistakes. No, no, no. They’ll be guided by celebs with clean PR records!

Here’s who I propose for the inaugural season:

The Patients:

1. Tom Cruise – Still a mega-star, but the negative press he’s been getting for years now is taking a toll on his legacy.

2. Lindsay Lohan – She’s not a major celeb, but you can’t really have a list like this without her being on it.

3. Kanye West – No one will forget his outburst on the 2009 MTV VMA Awards.

4. The Olsen Twins – Now 23-years-old, these two are still “everywhere you look” … and never for good reasons.

5. Tiger Woods – Crisis communications took way too long when news first broke of his scandal back in November.

The Doctors:

1. Sandra Bullock – Praised for the way she has handled the news of husband Jesse James cheating on her, the Oscar winner is an ideal candidate for the show.

2. Tom Hanks – Another Oscar winner on this list, the last time Hanks received negative press was back in the ’80s when he accepted roles in movies such as The ‘burbs.

3. Johnny Depp – Similar to Axl Rose, he can be a bit of a recluse. Unlike Axl, his reputation has never been better.

4. Adam Sandler – Needing to add a dose of humor to this group, Sandler is the perfect mix of comedy genuis combined with a clean PR bill of health.

5. Anne Hathaway – Can you find anything bad to say about her?