The sudden reversal by the Susan G. Komen For The Cure foundation will likely not end the controversy over its temporary withdrawal of funding for mammograms from Planned Parenthood. Without taking a position on the decision itself, and on the reversal, as communications consultants we at CommCore have several observations:
·Why did they make the original announcement in the midst of a bitterly contested Presidential and Congressional election year in which Culture War issues such as abortion – which Planned Parenthood provides on-demand – are among the most divisive?
When the fabled Montreal Canadiens NHL hockey team hired Randy Cunneyworth as their interim head coach in December, they knocked over a hornet’s nest of controversy so fierce that General Manager Pierre Gauthier – himself French Canadian – had to issue a rare public apology.
The Pulse’s Top 10 Social Media Influencers of 2011 illustrates the variety and importance of social media engagement. Included are professional bloggers, corporate communicators, marketers, consultants, authors, and ordinary citizens. Some favor Facebook, others Twitter and Google+.
Social media is now such a standard communications and PR tool that lists such as Advertising Age’s top-10 social media blunders are annual postings. The snafus listed in this 2011 edition are instantly recognizable in fewer words than it takes to fill a 140-character Twitter feed.
New York celebrity chef Mario Batali stepped into a real stew of his own making last week after he equated bankers with Hitler and Stalin during remarks at a Time Magazine event to propose Persons of the Year.
At CommCore we try to avoid stepping into the political fray. The office is not the voting booth. Yet, politicians inspire us to think about issues, communications and crisis. We don’t know where this week’s issue -allegations of Herm Cain sexually harassing employees – will end up. Read more
Republican candidates are trying to score political points on President Obama for his oratorical style. The same man who is often lauded for his effective speechmaking is being criticized as president for what political opponents are calling over reliance on the TelePrompter.
When FEMA officials assess the need for aid after a weather disaster in the Mid-Atlantic or Southeastern US, they consult two barometers: The Saffir-Simpson Wind Scale, andhow many Waffle Houses are open.
Esquire’s Ross McCammon was intentionally making light of corporate message brainstorming sessions in his recent blog“What’s The Secret to Brainstorming?”
We took the tongue-in-cheek approach in stride — “You could put a bottle of tequila in the middle of the table” – after all, we at CommCore have our own message development methodology and techniques that do produce results.
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