OSU Promises Payout for Doctor’s Victims
Ohio State University has added its brand to the list of colleges and universities paying for reports of sexual abuse by members of its staff or paid contractors. According to recent media reports, OSU has promised a “monetary resolution” related to accounts of men being sexually abused by disgraced and now-deceased team doctor, Richard Strauss. At this point, the message is more about getting out ahead of the story and trying to grab some control of the narrative than it is about offering contrition or specifics. As of this writing, no settlement has been reached in any lawsuits which allege school officials “ignored complaints” or “failed to stop” Strauss’s abuse. That’s not to say blame has not been levied or…
Read MoreOSU Star Out While Team Takes Run at Playoff
Just days after the first college football playoff ranking came out, the NCAA was rocked by the news that one of the best players on one of the best teams in all of college football may not be eligible to play. Ohio State defensive end Chase Young was said to be facing a two-game suspension – and potentially more – just as his team was headed into the home stretch of the season that would determine if OSU received a playoff bid. The infraction? Accepting a personal loan, something NCAA players are expressly forbidden. Media swarmed. Would the upcoming game against Rutgers prove to be a spoiler? No one really thought so, but that didn’t stop the questions or the…
Read MoreMcDonald’s PR Woes Go Global
McDonald’s workers in the UK staged a walkout this week, joining a global day of protests against pay inequity. Similar protests were reported in the US, France, Germany, Chile and Brazil. The burger giant has also been hit with legal action in the US, with a lawsuit alleging rampant harassment at a Michigan McDonald’s franchise that went ignored by management and proved “emblematic” of a broader problem at the multinational firm. This latest filing joins some 50 sexual harassment complaints filed against McDonald’s in recent years, according to the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund working on the suit. In response to sexual harassment claims, McDonald’s has claimed to have overhauled its harassment training and policies in recent years, and says…
Read MoreSports Broadcaster Resigns After Immigrant Comments
Live TV can be a cruel mistress. While, yes, being on live television as a newscaster or broadcast commentator can be exhilarating, there are plenty of opportunities to create a PR fiasco or to torpedo your career. There have been many notable on-air collapses or implosions over the years, but few will sting as much to loyal Canadian hockey fans as the recent resignation of longtime announcer Don Cherry. According to several sports media reports, Cherry will “no longer appear” on Canada’s number one sports network, Sportsnet, or the popular “Hockey Night in Canada” program. This announcement comes after Cherry resigned in the midst of a public relations dustup after he was heard making what the network described as “divisive”…
Read MorePopular YouTube and Gaming Star Apologizes for Cheating
In many cases, PR crises or scandals happen due to accidents or otherwise unforeseen consequences. Sometimes, they are the result of clearly poor choices creating consequences people should have seen coming. While it doesn’t help to point fingers, it is instructive to review the response to those situations when the opportunity arises. Fortnite player and YouTube superstar FaZe Jarvis recently provided such an opportunity. According to various media reports, Jarvis was caught “cheating” by using in-game aimbots, a strategy that allows players to automatically target opponents, thus “greatly increasing” shooting accuracy. The use of these bots is strictly prohibited in bigtime competition, so Jarvis was forced to face the music after receiving a very public lifetime ban by Epic Games,…
Read MoreGarbage Crisis
Garbage in, garbage out is a well-worn phrase that originated in the early days of computers when first-adapter users had to write their own paths and batch commands. But unlike old sayings that come and go, GIGO, as it’s also known, is even more appropriate today with the advent of artificial intelligence or AI. Some law enforcement agencies have come under intense criticism because their facial recognition programs leaned toward people of color. Why? AI reacts and responds according to the information that’s entered into it. If is weighed more heavily with information on people of color, that’s the kind of results it will deliver. Apple was one of the latest companies to get caught up in this because of…
Read MoreMetrics To Check Before Contracting an Influencer
Influencer marketing is a wonderful corner of the digital marketing industry because of its ability to be tailored to whatever the needs of a brand are. Influence is acquired by creating content — and finding the best ways to share it with as many people as possible — that resonates and connects with consumers. Whether the content connects on an aspirational level — ”I want to feel like that person does! That product might help me accomplish that.” — or on a more emotional level — “This person really gets me. I would like to be more like them.” — the precious metric that is loyalty can be accomplished with just one single Instagram post. Because of the influence these…
Read MoreHAMED WARDAK: A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS
The meaning of this title from a play about Sir Thomas Moore has evolved over the years to now describe a person who’s ready to calmly deal with just about every situation imaginable. That title is indeed fitting for Harmed Wardak who was born in Afghanistan two years before the Soviet Union invaded the country in December 1979 , the son of General Abdul Rahim Wardak. His father fought the Russians in the 1980’s during the Soviet occupation and was later named the country’s Defense Minister in 2004. Though just 42 years of age, Harmed Wardak has accomplished enough to last several lifetimes according to an interview by digital marketing firm ContentHow. Wardak was one of more than 6 million…
Read MoreTake the Lead
So, the company board of directors or senior management directed marketing to take the lead in the company being seen as an industry leader by recommending that it advocate for something aligned with their industry. Now what? Next Steps What a tall order! Before walking down the plank alone, here are some ideas. The biggest challenge will be in coming up with something provocative and novel, a position or road that’s never been taken before. Achieving this will set a company apart from everyone else. Tap every trustworthy asset and ally available. These may include loyal clients or customers, vendors, partners, and suppliers. Get their input, including not just about one or more possible products, but also potential events, conferences,…
Read MoreLet’s Have an Open Relationship
This may not be what one may wish to hear from a significant other, but in the digital world, “open”, as it relates to emails, are important. Even more critical is the click-to-open rate (CTOR) because it better reflects customer interest and engagement in a company’s products or services. Effective CTORs are generally indicators of good design and copy. One study showed a direct correlation between that and click-to-open rates. That same study showed the mean CTOR globally at 14.1% and with the US at 12.7%. If a company is a member of a large trade or professional association, they need to discover what the average CTOR is for their industry and compare it with theirs. Next Steps If the…
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