bad pr

The Art of Being an Asshat

Sometimes you read something, or you hear something, and it just makes you stop and say, “Seriously?!?”.

Often this is from a pitch selling a company’s products or services. It can be from the company directly, or it can be from their marketing or PR agency.

Note – there are many great PR and marketing agencies out there doing great work. This just makes the crappy ones stand out even more.

So it was when I heard about this pitch. Sent to Lani Rosales, Editor-in-Chief of AGBeat, it’s a great example of either crass stupidity or outright superiority. Here’s the full exchange:

On Fri, June 17, 2011 at 5:31 AM,?Joseph Smith?<josephsmith99over@gmail.com> wrote:
Dear Lani,
I would like to send you our press release but I will need you to personally sign a?non disclosure agreement?first.
Signed,
JS
On Fri, June 17, 2011 at 11:00 AM, Lani Rosales <lani.rosales@gmail.com> wrote:
Hi Joseph, I didn’t catch the company name?
LR
On Fri, June 17, 2011 at 11:01 AM, Joseph Smith <josephsmith99over@gmail.com> wrote:
You are required to sign an NDA prior to any communication with me or my client.
On Fri, June 17, 2011 at 11:08 AM, Lani Rosales <lani.rosales@gmail.com> wrote:
Joseph,
I am happy to sign any NDA that we deem to have merit but cannot do so without knowing basic details like a company name. I’m sure you don’t mean to waste my time and I certainly don’t intend on wasting yours, so company name or it didn’t happen.
LR
On Fri, June 17, 2011 at 11:20 AM, Joseph Smith <josephsmith99over@gmail.com> wrote:
[blank email with NDA attached, naming company as “Company Name Withheld”]
On Fri, June 17, 2011 at 11:21 AM, Lani Rosales <lani.rosales@gmail.com> wrote:
Joseph,
I am not authorized to sign that as I have made clear and I feel that you are aware. When you are prepared to share your company name or any basic hints of information, you have my email, otherwise please do not waste any more of my time.
LR
On Fri, June 17, 2011 at 11:25 AM, Joseph Smith <josephsmith99over@gmail.com> wrote:
Lani, you will be missing out on an incredible opportonity [sic] as we have not approached any other news outlet. Perhaps your competitor would be more interested. We will not forget your lack of kindness.
Most sincerely,
Joseph

I have to admit, when I read it, I thought Lani was extremely professional in her patience – I would have really been tempted to have some fun. Something about Joseph signing my NDA about his mom and girlfriend, and the polaroids from Stripper Joe’s…

Seriously, though, is this what we’ve now come to? Asking people to sign a non-disclosure agreement before they even know what they’re signing up for? And then ignoring the person you want to write about you, and sending the NDA anyway? Then, just to top it off, basically using a threat as a closing statement?

No wonder the PR industry gets such a tough time (though, to be honest, I’m wary of this even coming from a PR agency, but it’s not impossible).

Unfortunately, “Joseph Smith” is the John Doe of the communications industry, as a reverse email search doesn’t bring up any information about him. Probably just as well – it’d be pretty embarrassing to find he’s a member of your PR team or business.

So, some simple tips when looking to get people and publications to write about you.

Respect their time and intelligence.
Don’t be bolshy.
Don’t come across as asshat-ish as Joseph Smith.
NDA’s are all well and good, but you need to let us know who we’re being approached about first.
Did I mention don’t be an asshat?

Honestly, it’s not all that hard. And you’re more than likely to get the kind of promotion you’re after…

image: Lh3

Audi and the Super Bowl Social Media Shit Storm

German car manufacturer Audi may be about to enter a PR shit storm, thanks to the naming of their social media campaign in the run-up to their Super Bowl ad.

The campaign (run by Audi of America) is based around a new creation called the Green Police, who will spearhead a social media program to build interest in Audi’s ad at this year’s football showcase. The Green Police enforce ways to protect the environment, and encourage people to a better understanding of environmental issues. There’s currently a series of YouTube mock education videos as part of the program, as well as a Green Police Twitter account.

The problem is, there’s already been a Green Police enforcement organization, but not one that you’d want to be associated with. This Green Police was part of the Nazi persecution and execution of millions of Jews in the Holocaust of the Second World War.

The implications of Audi’s choice of name for their campaign could be huge, especially since Audi is a German company. The first question is obvious – didn’t anyone at Audi’s PR or advertising arm/agency do any research?

It’ll be interesting to see how this unfolds and what Audi’s response will be as the connections to an unwanted history become clear, especially as today marks the 65th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp.

What’s your take on what Audi should do next?

Update February 01 2010: Audi of America has issued a response to the post, which you can find here. While their response is sound, they may also wish to look at this resource from the Jewish Virtual Library vaults (if they haven’t already), or this report for further correlation. Additionally, Audi state that they researched and tested the ads prior to running them, and sought input from the Jewish community. Curiosity begs the question: if the research prior to the ad being run didn’t return any “red flags” about possible connotations to the term Green Police, why the need to seek input from the Jewish community about an environmentally friendly product?

Shit is Still Shit No Matter How You Dress It

Charging Bull Okay, that’s a pretty bold title, and it may put some folk off, but sometimes you have no other way of saying something without diluting it.

I was watching a conversation unfold on Twitter the other evening about public relations, and why a lot of the PR industry is in disarray.

While the “bloggers and journalists don’t like us” line was shared a few times, one of the points that came up a lot was that the industry is still seen by many as being one full of shillers.

Heck, the only industry that seems to get less favorable attention is that of social media consultants…

But to be fair, much of PR only has itself to blame (and I say this as someone with a PR background). I’ve come across way too many agency and corporate PR owners who think the sun shines out their arse. If something goes wrong, it’s often a case of blaming the intern or junior account executive. Then there are the senior executives that take the great ideas of the juniors, or interns, and pass it off as their own so they can climb the corporate ladder.

And don’t even get me started on the PR folk that still think spam is a cold meat for sandwiches, and it’s okay to throw regular regurgitated dross into your Inbox and try and pass it off as a pitch or contact. Seriously guys, I’m tempted to gather a month’s worth of junk mail and stuff it through your letterbox – it’s a similar effect.

Of course, not everyone is like this. You have great folks like Dave Fleet, Rachel Kay, Dave Mullen, Heather Whaling, Matt Batt , Arik Hanson and many more doing brilliant stuff for the PR industry. And then you have a generation-in-waiting with Sasha Muradali, Ryan Stephens, Lauren Fernandez, Stuart Foster and others leading the way for Gen Y.

But still the great work that these guys do is being diluted by the craptastic approach of others. So here’s an idea.

The next time you see a crappy PR pitch or email, challenge the sender. Ask why they sent it, and do they really think that passes as good PR. Same goes for a tweet, or blog post – question people. Don’t be aggressive about it; simply ask why they feel that approach works. Have alternative suggestions as well (nothing worse than criticizing and not having some kind of alternative).

Ask if they have any idea why you weren’t taken with the pitch. If they say, “Wrong subject matter” or similar, at least you know they’ve done their job a little bit when it comes to researching the target (you). If they have no idea why you’re disappointed, explain why and see if they can understand why your way might be better.

If it’s a junior or intern that’s sending out the various pieces of communication, find out who’s above them and challenge them – let’s not attach blame to innocent targets.

It might not change the PR industry immediately – heck, it might not change it at all. After all, like the post title mentions, shit is still shit no matter how you dress it up. And some folk just don’t take to new dress codes.

But if we can collectively change just one mindset and then work from there… Well, that’s got to be worth our time, no?

photo credit: Christopher Chan

Maybe Some Authors Should Do Their Own PR

For some reason, I’ve suddenly started to get a few pitches from PR agencies and companies regarding business and marketing books. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing, but as I like to read I’ll take it as a nice bonus.

Going through the pitches, though, I’m beginning to wonder if the authors themselves should start composing the pitches to go with them.

Maybe that would stop some of the less-than-impressive ones getting through. Here are two examples – see if you can spot the difference.

Example One:
“Hi Danny,
I thought you might be interested to hear about a book by one of my clients [insert book title here].” There’s then a slew of recommendations of the book from other business book authors, as well as what looks like standard press release copy. The PR person then signs off the email with the closing comment, “I’ve attached a PDF version of his new book. Have a look and if you enjoy the book would you consider a blog post? Best,”. No name, signature, or where the email came from (except in the email address bar).

Example Two:
“Hi Danny,
I’ve been reading your blog for a while now and really enjoy it. I particularly found (Post A), (Post B) and (Post C) refreshing as I’d actually left a comment on another blog about the topics raised in these connected posts. I hope you don’t mind me reaching out to you, but I represent an author whose book touches on these subjects and more. I don’t want to send you a long introduction that may not interest you or catch you at a good time. Therefore, if you’re curious about learning more, feel free to reply to this email and I’ll call when convenient. Thanks again, and keep up the great topics, James.”

Whose book do you think I’d be interested in looking at?

photo credit: CarbonNYC

Logan Movers Toronto and Adventures in Piss Poor Customer Service and PR

I don’t like to rant at his blog but Logan Movers of Toronto and their excuse for customer service (and incredibly bad PR) are a definite exception.

As you might know, my wife Jacki and I moved house this weekend. While this can be stressful enough, it becomes even more so when you get a moving firm that seem hell-bent on making it more stressful than dining with Hannibal Lecter.

Step forward Toronto-based Logan Movers.

It’s Rude to Whisper

I guess the first warning sign should have been when I called them up prior to the move to confirm their arrival time on the Saturday morning. A guy called Alex answered and couldn’t find us.

I gave him all contact numbers it may have been booked under as well as our confirmation number. I could hear him whispering to a colleague “Why can’t I find them?”, to which I was tempted to whisper back, “I can still hear you.” Eventually he found our details and confirmed the time. Except he had the wrong pick-up address.

Which I tried to correct. Several times. Only to have Alex continuously talk over me. So, I let him finish and then corrected him. Score one to Logan Movers Toronto for poor customer service.

Lies, Lies, Damn Lies

Come moving day, I went on ahead to the new house with my wife’s mother Traci, to start getting the place ready for my wife and the moving firm. Over at the old house, the fun was beginning.

Jacki was told that the movers wanted half payment before they would put anything on the truck. In cash. And they brought over a contract to sign that had $60 per hour for moving. Okay, fine – upfront cash was never mentioned, but if that’s how you want to play, we’ll do it. Since our quote had been $420 (or seven hours work), Jacki went to the bank, withdrew the money and paid them.

She was then told that the movers hadn’t brought wardrobe boxes. Despite us asking for them. Despite the Logan Movers Toronto website stating that all their trucks are equipped daily with wardrobe boxes and that they are given to every move for free.

The two moving guys then tell Jacki that wardrobe boxes need to be ordered and are extra. This is quite clearly BS – score two to Logan Movers Toronto for poor customer service.

Inflation and Hostage Situations

Now that Logan Movers have received their deposit, they eventually load the truck and make their way over to the new home. Here the fun really begins.

Before they unload, they tell us that the cost is now $847.50. Say what?!? This is double the quote that we received. The movers inform us that it’s nothing to do with them and that the cost is $847.50, broken down as follows:

Labour – $540
Travel time – $120
Stairs – $90
Tax – $97.50

To compound matters, they won’t open the doors of their truck to start unloading until the balance is paid in full. In cash or certified check. Which basically means cash, since banks are closed on Saturday afternoons.

Traci calls the owner of Logan Movers Toronto to ask him what’s going on and why we’re being charged double our quote. He hangs up on her. The movers refuse to call him back. We’re now at the mercy of two people who couldn’t care less about our stuff on their truck, and a dick in an office who won’t pick up the phone.

We get the police involved, but they can’t really do anything in a civil matter. So, the only thing left to do is pay the movers and get the move over with.

This is when they get abusive toward my wife’s mother Traci, who is understandably upset. She says the whole situation is BS, which the movers take for abusive language so they retort with their own. Except it’s much worse.

So I tell them to quit swearing at Traci, then advise them that they’re representing their company so they should be trying to resolve this situation. They simply say, “Nothing to do with us.” Score three to Logan Movers Toronto for poor customer service.

Epilogue and Where Next

The movers then milk the unloading for what it’s worth. They bring in stupid little bits of furniture at a time. Then have rests and smoke breaks because they obviously deserve it, with the hard work they’ve put in fleecing us of cash.

Eventually, the truck is unloaded and they leave. No doubt laughing at another rip-off. In the meantime, my wife, her mother and I are left with what to do next. My money (if Logan Movers never took it all, that is!) would be on legal action. I think we have a case:

Their contract said $60 per hour. Their website states there are no hidden costs. Our quote was $420. Their actual day lasted from 9.00am until 5.00pm approximately (it was actually a little less). So, 8 hours x $60 per hour = $480. Not $847.50. Hey, maybe they got the 8 and the 4 mixed up…
Their website states “free wardrobe boxes on every truck”. Not so. At least, not on ours. We still never got any.
Their website also states that they will wrap HD-TV’s – they must have forgotten about ours.

Conveniently, Alex (the dick in the office of Logan Movers that doesn’t know proper phone etiquette) took the copy of our contract away when he dropped off some more blankets at our old place, in lieu of the wardrobe boxes they never gave us.

The copy we received from the movers at the new address was simply a generic one. So, we’re also owed our proper contract which will also show that Logan Movers Toronto took us for a ride. If they haven’t already ripped it up.

One of the things I always emphasize to clients is the need to put themselves in the customer’s shoes at all times. Customers are your best (and most inexpensive) form of marketing, advertising, PR and much more. Get it right with your customers and you’ll get a lot of it right with your sales targets.

I’m guessing Logan Movers Toronto must have skipped this part of business school. Why else would they treat customers the way they did my wife, her mother and I?

So congratulations, Logan Movers Toronto – the award for Piss Poor Customer Service and PR is all yours.

photo credit:?yewenyi