Auto Industry Turning a New 'Leaf'

I don't know about the rest of you, but when Nissan started advertising their zero-emission's car, my heart skipped a beat. Even more, I immediately clicked the 'become a fan' button on their Facebook page. I may be biased, being the daughter of a middle-aged couple with an envy-enducing Prius. However, I really do think that the Leaf is a top contender for greatness in the EV industry.

Enter the Nissan Leaf. A classy and fairly affordable (roughly $30K) newcomer to the electric auto industry. This vehicle is a welcome addition to the motor vehicle stage especially in the wake of Toyota's accelerator problems. Nissan should be at the forefront of the electric vehicle race and (one of) the first people think of at this time, correct? Unfortunately, not so fast.

Greencarreports.com mentioned their worry for the automaker due to an "underwhelming" display at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show. True, Nissan should have definitely kicked it up a notch considering the hype/excitement surrounding the car. Many environmentalists want to see Nissan succeed with promoting the Leaf before its release in 2012. However, they are going to have to work a bit harder if they want to impress the onlookers at Electric Avenue next year.

It will be interesting to see what Nissan does to create more buzz for this car in the coming months. I would love to see this car as a prominent vehicle on the road in the next two years. C'mon, Nissan! While Toyota's working on other problems, this could really be your chance!

Pick Up The Phone, Lance.

Lance Armstrong & Co.'s recent duping by a woman pretending to be a cancer victim could have happened to anyone. Unfortunately for him, this was not the first time he'd been fooled. When the woman contacted Armstrong with intentions of making her life story into a play, he believed her. When the same woman contacted the head of Livestrong, they, too believed her. Organizations should never just turn down inquiries like this, but this situation contained one big problem.

No one decided to check her credentials.

Apparently, this thesbian-of-sorts also contacted both Armstrong and Livestrong headquarters pretending to be the princess of Spain. However, the only mode of contact in this case: Armstrong's Twitter account. Did anyone even think to call the Spanish government concerning the princess' support for the cancer victim-turned playwright? It just seems rather ridiculous to me that user 'Adriana J.' was not confronted until money was going to be transacted.

As far as Livestrong's and Armstrong's communication teams, what roles did they play during this Twitter attack? Shouldn't they be responsible for checking up on contacts to Armstrong's Twitter profile? Or are we to assume that Lance tweets all of those witty comments by himself?

Though Armstong's squad did catch Adriana J. at her own game, it should not have taken so long. Money may not have been handed over, but there was still damage done. His reputation as a spokesperson for cancer patients has taken a big hit.

Brookline Police in the News

Last summer Cambridge Police had an incident involving alleged racism, and quickly became a nationwide issue. The media swarmed on the topic and after a while, the Cambridge Police Department had the situation under control, at least as much as possible. In the end, one officer was fired and investigations continue.

In my last blog post, I spoke of the Boston Police Department's blog/website and how transparency keeps the Boston Police Department in control from stories. This transparency hides nothing from the media, thus there are no "dirty secrets" to dig up.

Now it is time to focus on the Brookline Police Department, most specifically an incident that occurred this past weekend and involved four off-duty officers, a exotic dancer and a "chaperone." To read the story, click here.

I did some information digging myself, starting with the Brookline Police Blog. There is no record of this, although there are detailed accounts of the other incidents reported or investigated the night of the incident. News stories are reporting that the off-duty police officers have been placed on paid-administrative leave. According to the Boston Globe, the dancer's chaperone "suffered a broken eye socket, broken nose, and a laceration on his left brow during the alleged attack..."

According to the Brookline TAB, Brookline Police Chief Dan O'Leary made his first statement yesterday, two days AFTER the incident. The union representing the Brookline Police has yet to make a statement. In other words, there is a severe lack of communication, which may tarnish the image of the Brookline Police Department.

From a public affairs and crisis communication standpoint, they are dragging this out and making the situation worse. Because they did not address Sunday morning's incident, and seem to be covering up details, it broadcasts that the Brookline Police Department is protecting their own, rather than the safety of their community.

The Brookline Police Department should take notes from the Boston Police Department: transparency is key. They should make public details of the incident, reassure the community, and begin rebuilding their reputation.

From a public affairs standpoint, what are your thoughts of how the Brookline Police Department has handled Sunday morning's incident?

Do you consider yourself a Global Citizen?

People Who Know Foreigners or Travel More Likely to See Themselves as Global Citizens

A WorldPublicOpinion.org survey of people in 21 nations from around the world finds that people who get to know people from other countries or who travel outside their country are more likely to view themselves as global citizens.

See full article.

Doctor Shortage

It appears that one of the consequences of the new health care reform is the fact that there is now (or has been for a while) a shortage of primary care physicians to cope with the amount of newly insured patients. An article on AOL news stated that even in Massachusetts doctors have to shut their doors because they can't cope with the amount of patients that are seeking treatment. According to the article some people have to wait 50 days for an appointment.

I was thinking about the problem and I wondered whether a solution to this might be for the government to set up some sort of program like Teach for America where the government forgives some of medical students' debt if they work as a primary care doctor. Since being a primary care physician isn't as attractive to people right now because the pay is less and medical school debt is high, perhaps offering to pay off some of that debt and gain some experience might entice at least some medical students. I know the government (and everyone else) is strapped for cash but maybe investing such a program would be worth it since it could alleviate some of the problems facing the system.


Source: http://www.aolnews.com/opinion/article/opinion-what-good-is-health-reform-if-you-cant-see-a-doctor/19419684?icid=main|main|dl1|link3|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aolnews.com%2Fopinion%2Farticle%2Fopinion-what-good-is-health-reform-if-you-cant-see-a-doctor%2F19419684

Bullying at South Hadley High School

I saw this article in the Boston Globe this morning, about students being charged for bullying Phoebe Prince, and it getting so out of control that it led to her committing suicide. I think, and hope, a story like this one really makes schools more aware of the amount of bullying that actually occurs, and to what degree. Hopefully this will make people realize the limit that bullying pushes some students to, in this case to a student committing suicide. This should make school administrators more aware of it and step up to do something about it before it gets out of control.

The need for students to be able to defend themselves is important, however, when bullying gets to a point as serious as this case, school administrators need to find a way to discover what is happening, how it is occurring, to what degree it is affecting the student being bullied- and to do something about it. Strongly enforcing anti-bullying in schools clearly needs to take place.

"Groupthink"

Erykah Badu makes a statement against "groupthink" in her new song "window seat". The singer explains that "groupthink" is an "unwritten rule" that "i will not express my true opinion if it opposes those i love and fear."
So basically she encourages her audiences to liberate their souls and minds and express their opinions.
Personally, I like the song and I think she has a point but do we did all of this visual to get that point? That's the first question I thought of when I saw the video. Also I think there is a reason why society adheres to certain social norms so we can coexist. Are we really free to express our opinions even if it goes against the grain, against the people we love or express the unpopular opinion?

You can read more about how the video was shot at http://www.the33tv.com/news/kdaf-erykah-badu-naked-downtown-dealey-jfk-story,0,3145095.htmlstory

Lessons Learned: The Importance of Brand

Last week we were fortunate to meet Elaine Driscoll – Spokesperson for the Boston Police Department. As most other speakers have told us, it is important to brand yourself, your company, etc. And in order to see results we must put ourselves out there, highlight our talents, and never give up – all while staying updated on the latest technology and social media trends. Truth be told, this can be extremely difficult to juggle – especially when it is on top of schoolwork, jobs, and other responsibilities. But Driscoll let us know it is possible, and branding ourselves is imperative to achieving our goals.

Driscoll went a step further than most other speakers: she used her quirky personality to tell story after story. These stories not only provided insight into the ways of the communication industry, but also how we should brand ourselves to reach our goals and create a network. Although we have heard this numerous times, her stories of a clueless college graduate turned accomplished communications professional made me feel like there is hope after all. Instead of sharing only her successes, she shared how she learned from each life experience. She was open and honest with us, even sharing her career embarrassments, and she reiterated the importance of a distinctive brand.

I researched the blog Driscoll created for the Boston Police Department (BPD), which has now transformed into a large informational site, and found that the blog allows BPD to highlight news stories – both good and bad – and communicate with the community. Driscoll told us that, on average, the site receives over 40,000 hits per day. The brand Driscoll created for BPD is trusted by both the media and local community, and because of this they have control of their external image.

Branding is everywhere – we are told to create our own blog; have a LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook account; utilize Digg and other social media sites. I have heard this from numerous people and speakers. But it didn’t hit home until Driscoll spoke last week and used story after entertaining story to illustrate the importance of branding. The brand we create for ourselves, combined with hard work and determination, is what will get us to our career destination.

What role do you think brand plays in the success of an individual or organization?

Health Care

President Obama signed health care reform into law yet the debate seems unending. All over the news unhappy Americans and republicans continue to voice displeasure about this bill. Various reports have democratic leaders complaining about hate mail and the infamous "baby killer" outburst is among the ongoing hate rhetoric on the newly signed health care bill. Amidst all of this debate lies the possibility of republicans trying to repel the bill. This debate centers around government interference where people really don't need them - forcing people to get health insurance and perhaps which doctors they can see.

So the concern on deck is whether the government can force people to have health insurance. I could be wrong but isn't this mandate similar to the seat belt mandate? Maybe the seat belt comparison is a bad one. What about having car insurance if you drive? The point is everyone keeps asking if its constitutional for the government to force people to get insurance. I really don't think this is such a far fetched idea but what do I know. Maybe I need my American friends to help me understand the constitution better.
So should the government be able to force you to have health insurance?
Check out cnn.com/caffertyfile

The Future is a Place - Paris-Val de Marne by CuldeSac

Over the weekend, I got an e-mail telling me about a new place branding campaign for Paris Val-de-Marne - "The Future is a Place". A Spanish creative agency, CuldeSac, prepared the following video as part of their promotional activities. I was pretty excited to learn about this initiative. Because prior to "The Future is a Place", I didn't know anything about Val de Marne. The video clip, the website and the press release are my only sources of information.

This video clip clearly demonstrates one fact: Place branding campaigns have different missions and the messages/images should change accordingly. This particular campaign wants to attract capital to the region, and all related arguments are quite convincing (i.e. infrastructure, proximity to Paris, transportation, existing businesses etc.). The images (airport, transportation, other facilities) used in the video clip bolster the arguments.

At the very same time, the video clip shows us the difficulty of branding only one aspect of a place. I tried to think like an entrepreneur while watching the video. Although I was convinced in business terms to invest in the region, I wanted to know more about the place. Who lives there? What do people do for a living? Any important landmarks? Moreover, especially during the first part (up to 01:30 min) of the clip, I was highly depressed by the dark images, crowded places, lack of faces, and indoor images. In fact, I started thinking of the movie Noi albinoi (The movie is about a socially misfit teenager in a small fishing town in Iceland).

Everyone knows and talks about importance of audience. Your message should be tailored to fit your audiences' needs. As this video shows, not only the content of your message but also your medium and even technical details you use should attract your audiences' interest and gain their respect. The quality of the images will appeal to business owners. However, I am not sure whether online media platforms (Youtube, Vimeo) are the best ways to reach this specific audience.

In a place branding campaign, we shouldn't forget that there will be many people who have no idea about what we are talking about. Therefore, it is important to refrain from unclear images and symbols. Frankly speaking, I am not sure what is happening between 2:10 and 2:30 in the video. I don't know the people, I just assume that they are important figures in the development agency. They are sitting in post-modern chairs (I don't know how to call those chairs), so they should be innovative and creative. But seriously, who are they? Why are they there?

As far as I can see the website and video are produced by two different agencies. Still, I would like to see a consistent message in terms of content and packaging. The colors of the website are different from the colors I saw in the video. As a person who has never been to the region, I don't know what to expect from Val de Marne. The website also lays out five areas of expertise - five prominent industries. Though I don't think I saw all five in the video. I saw some themes (life, sustainability etc) on the video which were not mentioned in the website.

Lastly, I think the music has made me think even more of Noi albinoi. Especially together with the darker images, I was a little bit depressed.

Long story short, I would say, The Future is a Place is likely to be successful in reaching its target audiences provided that appropriate media platforms are chosen. The clip looks professional, it is short, and dynamic. In other words, it attracts attention and doesn't bore the audience. The line of reasoning is quite clear and persuasive. The professional imagery boosts the credibility of the messages. However, especially after seeing CuldeSac's website, I cannot understand why there were so many cloudy scenes in the video.

This blog post is also posted on http://efesevin.wordpress.com/ and http://placebranding.ning.com/.

Knowing your costumers emotions

As I've written in earlier posts, the sales of the larger beer companies such as Anheuser-Busch Inbev have dropped this last year. One interesting possibility as to why specifically Bud Light has lost sales is their new approach in marketing their product. No longer is Bud Light trying to market on just the emotional level, but they are now focusing on the "drinkability" of their product. An example of this would be the Bud Light commercial that aired during the superbowl: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuSjNwqPFOk
While this commercial is humorous, the whole commercial is focused on pushing how drinkable the beer is. Now look at a commercial from 2007.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJJL5dxgVaM
They both are focused on making the audience laugh, but the commercial from 2007 does not at any point discuss the taste, quality, or "drinkability" of Bud Light. It seems that Anheuser-Busch should try not to highlight the taste of their product, but instead should through their marketing create an image of those who do drink their product. They have been doing this already noticeably in both commercials, because the actors are men in their 20's, which is probably the main consumer group they market to. Once the focus changed from creating this image of a typical Bud Light drinker to the actual taste sales decreased. I don't know if they were doing this to try to compete with craft beers, but it can't work. They may have wanted to do this, because their consumer age group is now coming to like and enjoy craft beers. If the Bud Light is trying to compete in taste with craft beers then there is no contest. It will be interesting to see how Bud Light markets itself in the coming years. Well for me at least, they can try to get my attention, but if they think they can grab me by the "drinkability" of their product, it won't work.

Reference:
Mullman, Jeremy. (2010, March 26). How Research flatten bud ligh. Advertising Age.

Sea World Crisis

It seems like what the real story is as to what happen at Sea World a couple of weeks ago is still unclear. An article from the NYTimes says that the killer whale pulled the Sea World trainer off the poolside platform; and the trainers weren’t suppose to get in the water with him because of his size and weight. While another article from the New York Times shows a video of the trainer in the water with the whale just seconds before he pulled her underwater by her hair.

Personally I think so far, Sea World has handled this crisis well. As soon has they discovered what happened, they directed visitors out of the area. I think the only problem they made was later in the day of when the crisis occurred, there was an announcement on that the trainer tripped and fell into the water…which was not true.

In my opinion, I know being able to see killer whales draws people to Sea World, but the truth is that they are a wild animal, and should be left in the wild. People brought him out of his natural habitat, and put him into a captive surrounding, a place where they don’t belong. This particular killer whale has also killed two other people. At this point, he probably can’t be put back into his natural habitat and survive, but he probably should have been left there from the beginning.

SDM Campaign - A Story of 'Sex Sells' Marketing

As the competition gets tougher, I guess people started to run out of new ideas to promote places. Recently, I ran into this very interesting campaign from Israel - Size Doesn't Matter (SDM). I believe this video is only a viral advertisement product (it is 'too hot' for the TV maybe, who knows?).







I don't know where to start. Now, the idea is interesting because this particular marketing understanding is not widely used in place branding. But at the end of the say, 'sex sells' is one of the oldest advertising pseudo-strategies. Several products, from toilet paper to underwear, were advertised with sexual imagery. SDM campaign most probably used these suggestive scenes and dialogues to attract young people's attention. Yet, is it the right way to go in place marketing? If you look at the images in SDM's website intro, you will see many more nice looking men and women. Though once you are in the website, the campaign starts telling you about how Israel has big ideas, how the country is big on the environment, and on diversity. In fact, there is information on the website - once you pass the photos.


As far as I can see, SDM is a global PR campaign. I would love to hear Israeli people's reactions. I won't be very happy if a PR agency decides to promote my country in a similar way.

I understand that Israel is trying to diversify the news coverage and arguments on the country, but there are so many other things that could and should be introduced. I am not sure why such a suggestive and a little bit disturbing way is chosen. Some of the slogans and lines even don't make sense unless you constantly think about the sex analogy. Why don't you go to a small country for vacation? (Several exotic travel destinations are small countries). Why are you surprised when someone tells you Israel is small? (It is less than 0.01% of the world's total area) What is wrong about going south in winter? Why small size big appetite for peace? (Who says small countries don't like peace?) Last but not the least, who said anything about size and countries?

Israeli branding attempts and public diplomacy understanding taught me a lot of things. SDM, the newest piece, taught me how not to use bad marketing/advertising moves in place/nation branding.

This blog post is also posted on http://efesevin.wordpress.com/ and http://placebranding.ning.com/.

Census 2010: Race terms and identity

Given that the racial categorization of human beings is an eternal Pandora's box, with serious implications in the realm of Public Affairs, Public Relations, Public Diplomacy and communication in general, I thought I would share my recent Facebook stream on the topic of the racial categories available on the 2010 Census Form and open up the conversation for more comments:

Sara Bruya Have you filled out the Census form? I love in the race question how there's just a general "White" category, a "Black, African American or Negro" category and then you can choose whether you're Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, etc. Since when are nationalities racial categories? And how come someone from Africa has to count as African American--as if there are no cultural differences?

Eli Bierwag

Yeah, that's interesting. I took an African American History class, and my teacher was born and educated in Kenya. On the first day of class we had a discussion about whether we would consider him 'African American.' Many of us (me included, possibly...) initially thought "yes he is African American. He is an American citizen, born in Africa." But ... See Morehe was quick to point out that being black, and even being from Africa did not make him 'African American' in his eyes. He felt that 'African American' is a term specifically for those black Americans whose roots go back to the slave trade. He said that even though he identified himself as an American citizen, his heritage was African, and he considered himself such if someone were to ask him.

Sara Bruya

That's great Eli, I'm glad your professor distinguished that for your class. The "African American" experience is quite distinct from the experience of Africans who come to the U.S. It would be so helpful if more of the U.S. population (particularly those in government) understood that!

Eli Bierwag

I searched and searched my census form for German, German American, or even Teuton American...but alas...

Sara Bruya

I actually asked Reynolds Farley, a Research Scientist at the University of Michigan’s Population Studies Center (he teaches a course onthe Census 2010) about the categories and here's what he said:

Robert Matsui served in Congress representing Sacramento for 20 years or so. He feared that some Asians would not mark down Asian for their race if they did not see their national origin specifically listed. Many Filipinos and some from India may not often think of themselves as Asians. In the late 1980s, Congressman Matsui added a rider to a military appropriations bill specifying that the census form list 29 Asian nationalities as if they were races. The Reagan Administration needed funds for defense so they caved and asked him what was the minimum he would accept. That is how we got that list. Once a name is on the form, no administration wants to remove it for fear of alienating some voters.

The Census Bureau is experimenting with a different race question that will allow us to identify with a major race such as White, Black or Asian and then write a term for our identity such as Irish, Ibo or Cambodian. If these tests are successful, that will likely be the format of the race question next time around. Representative Matsui crossed over
to the other side but some other member of Congress could do something similar.

Bearcat Brant

I was wondering the same thing. thanks for the research!

Steve Robertson

What happens to Hispanic, Scottish, Irish, Welsh, Luxemborg, Native Americans then? Tell me that pleeease......

Matar K Alotaibi

loooooooool ... Im trying to figure out where Arabs fit in the categories....

Sara Bruya

Wow Matar, there was NO category for Arabs! That's amazing! This country has such a f*ing blind spot when it comes to its Arab population!

The Civil Rights Act of the 21st Century

Upon completion of the overhaul of the US healthcare system through the passage of the House bill, James Clyburn D-South Carolina described the bill as the Civil Rights Act of the 21st Century. This seems an appropriate christening since so many aspects of this legislation are similar to the Civil Rights Act since it treats healthcare as a right and not a privilege. For one thing, although the legislation’s measures won’t take effect until 2014, it still stops insurance companies from discriminating against people with disabilities and makes healthcare more affordable.

Further parallels to the Civil Rights Act and the current reform bill are the public’s reaction to the legislation. It goes without saying that Americans were angry about the Civil Rights Act in the same way some are angry now about this bill. I’m just hoping the anger surrounding the current legislation won’t go as far as causing people to resort to riot/murder to show their discontent. Perhaps, after a time, a wider majority of people will come to see the bill as a good thing. It’s taken a long time but I think there is now a larger amount of Americans who would agree that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a very positive change. I’m hoping that maybe someday more people will look back and see that this new healthcare legislation is for the best and can do so much for so many people.

The fact that there is so much anger about this bill may attest to the effectiveness of the opposition in drumming up this anger. Since this new reform is complex people have seemed to accept what opposition parties have told them about the bill. Certainly, the Republicans repeated their message that the bill would raise taxes and the deficit and reduce peoples’ freedoms, to such an extent that it’s understandable that some would probably be swayed by these ideas since they were constantly reinforced.

I think also that unless you know someone who has really needed health insurance because of serious illness or you’ve needed insurance and been denied it because of a pre-existing condition, it can be difficult to understand why the legislation is necessary. Nevertheless, even though the opposition was able to get people angry about the legislation, evidently this anger wasn’t enough to stop the bill.

I have to say that I feel rather ashamed of the way some of the Republicans were reported to have egged on protesters outside of Congress after the healthcare bill was passed. I realize they were angry but I also think that as law makers they’re supposed to set a positive example and instead Republicans just seem like mobsters intent on opposing the bill through any means necessary. I have to believe that there’s a better way to oppose the bill. I see that raising peoples’ anger and fear levels is effective in getting people against a bill for a time but surely if Republicans really wanted to pose a really threatening opposition they should have come up with a healthcare plan that was even more effective than the Democrat-supported plan. If they had had a better plan then people could have advocated for that plan and maybe even stopped the current plan from passing.

As it stands, I can’t express how happy I am that the health reform bill passed. Healthcare isn’t and should never have been regarded as a privilege, it’s a right and now it’s a right that’s guaranteed to all Americans.

Sources: Clyburn's reaction to legislation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C65Q3LmBVKU

Civil Rights Act 1965 background information: http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/civilrights/cost.htm

Giovanna Negretti: Oiste?

Wow. What an inspiring Emersonian!

On March 22, Giovanna Negretti was awarded the Walter Littlefield Distinguished Speaker in Rhetoric and Communication Award at Emerson College.

Negretti, an Emerson alumna (1995), is the Executive Director of Oiste? (Have You Heard?), a statewide Latino political organization that she founded ten years ago. The organization works "to build an educated, participatory electoral base of Latinos active in civic and electoral processes at local, state and federal levels."

In her comments to the Emerson community about civic engaement, Negretti emphasiszed several key messages (summarized below) that she wanted to impart, particularly to the students:

1. Identify your passion.
2. Find others who share your passion and connect with them. Network.
3. Everyone has the ability to display leadership qualities.
4. With the privilege of education, we have the obligation to give back to the community.
   

Through stories illustrating her own passion, and the opportunities she encountered at Emerson, Negretti spoke about her childhood influences growing up in Vieques, Puerto Rico where she first experienced injustice and the desire to make the world a better place. She described her difficult cultural transition to Boston/Emerson and her initial desire to become an actress. Through her volunteer efforts in the local community her path took a turn toward politics, and she became the first Latina legislative aide in the Massachusetts State Senate.

There, she began to take stock of the challenges facing the Latino community when it came to having the tools necessary to fully and effectively participate in civic life. In 2000, she founded Oiste? and now, ten years later, is working to launch the organization in five additional states.

Most impressively, Negretti does not limit her work to the Latino population of Massachusetts. She also volunteers her political training expertise to groups around the world, free of charge, to those who are willing to pay her airfare.

It's a lot to live up to, Emersonians! But a brilliant, shining example of what we all can achieve if we engage our passion and the communication skills we're in the process of learning.

Toast to the American people with my non-American beer

Nothings better than seeing a bunch of men in suits discussing their differences over American beer? Sadly this isn't the case. This story may not be the latest in the news, but with the attention is was given, it is still relevant for the beer industry. The interest in what beer was going to be chosen for the "beer summit' was interesting enough to be covered by many of news media outlets. The beer chosen though was speculated to be a political move made by the president to show his identification with the working man. What beer you wonder associates with the working man why its Bud Light owned by the massive Belgian conglomerate Inbev. Now I can believe that Obama's political advisers may have wanted him to drink this and if that is the case then it is a shame that they didn't pick the largest American owned beer company Boston Beer Works (makers of Samuel Adams) and also the area where the incident took place. Just in case you missed what happened Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. was trying to get into his house and Cambridge, Mass., police Sgt. Joseph Crowley accidentally confused him for trying to break in and arrested Professor Gates. This minuscule action of choosing Bud Light for the summit does show though that the choice in beer by the supposedly "average Joe beer drinker" has not changed at least for the Obama administration. Even with sales being down in the larger beer companies and a rise in the craft beer industry. In this "craft beer" industry it should be noted that not all of them are microbreweries anymore such as Boston Beer Works or Sierra Nevada. These are macro-breweries. A microbrewery by definition is only allowed to produce 15,000 barrels a year. While Boston Beer Works made a little over 2 million barrels in 2009.
The other beers drank that day were Red Stripe for Professor gates which is owned by a massive international company, a Blue Moon for Officer Crowley, and a Buckler for Vice President Biden. All of these beers are as well internationally owned. Blue Moon is owned by MillerCoors (Joint venture between SabMiller British owned and Molson Coors a Canadian company). Vice President Biden's drink Buckler is owned by the behemoth from Holland, Heineken. If the Obama administration really wants to appeal to the average American why not have a nice Samuel Adams Boston Lager.



Beer Info:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111373030
http://www.faqs.org/sec-filings/100309/BOSTON-BEER-CO-INC_10-K/
http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=8148986&page=1
http://www.millercoors.com/who-we-are.aspx
http://www.nytimes.com/1997/05/07/garden/3100-gallons-of-good-beer-down-a-drain.html?pagewanted=1

Tiger Takes Questions

Tiger Woods opened himself up to the media on Sunday with two interviews with ESPN and the Golf Channel speaking out against the extramarital affairs that dominated tabloid headlines for months. Tiger's only public comment since the release of the scandal was his no-questions-please statement on February 19 that was as tightly controlled as they get. Following his announcement that he would return to golf at the upcoming Master's, it was inevitable that Tiger was going to have to conduct interviews.

Since this is what we have all been waiting for....what do we think?

Well, atleast now he can say he conducted interviews...and not one, but two. Reporters were free to ask whatever questions they wanted but were limited to a five minute time limit. CBS turned down the opportunity to interview Tiger under such restricted circumstances. Let's take a deeper look at his interviews-

• The interviews were aired simultaneously with little advanced notice- probably to prevent the potential hype that would surround such events. His no-questions-please statement was very highly anticipated, publicized, and strongly criticized.
• The timing of the interviews was very strategic- the whole country was focused on the healthcare bill. Most people probably did not know about the interviews until after they happened.
• The interviews did not contain anything particularly newsworthy, other than the interviews occuring in and of themselves- we didn't learn anything that we didn't already know. Any details about what Tiger had really done was off limits. He deflected questions inquiring about the nature of his treatment, calling it a "private matter." He refused to give any details about what happened the night of the car accident outside his home, saying "it's all in the police report. Beyond that, everything's between Elin and myself and that's private." He gave no details of the sex scandal or the countless women who have claimed to have had a sexual relationship with him. He also asserted that details of repairing his relationship with his wife Elin would remain private.
• Compared to the ESPN interview, the Golf Channel's interview had a more "personal" tone. They asked questions about what his father would say, restoring himself as a role model, and how he will explain it to his children. Though he didn't really give any details, I found this interview to be a bit more compelling as it seemed less scripted and rehearsed than the ESPN interview.

Despite Tiger's attempt to create an illusion that he is opening himself up to the media and public, I think that he conducted these interviews out of obligation (or perceived obligation). There's no question that he will be facing heavy scrutiny in Augusta and this was likely an attempt to lessen the impact of that scrutiny. Overall, despite the journalistic freedom allowed to the reporters, Tiger obviously granted these interviews in such a way that they minimized the impact.

What do you think about his five-minute time restriction? If you were CBS would you have denied the interview?How do you think these interviews will be received? Was it too little-too late?

-ev

Name-calling on the House Floor -- Is it Professional?

When elected into office, I expect my representatives to act professionally and rationally. Last time I checked name-calling was left on the playground in third grade, and was not appropriate in a professional setting. This is something taught to us at a young age, and you would think adults, especially those who are elected to represent their constituents, would know better and act in a more professional manner.

According to CNN, last night while in House chamber “baby killer” was shouted as Rep. Bart Stupak (D) spoke. Although it is unknown who shouted this, it is not the first time this has happened – anyone remember “You lie!” being shouted on the floor last fall?

Further, CNN reported that Stupak (D-Michigan) is actually an anti-abortion Democrat and originally rejected the bill because “they said it would allow federal funding for abortions beyond the current limits of cases of rape, incest or if the mother’s life is in danger.”

According to the Boston Globe, Stupak, the White House, and party leaders reached an agreement prior to yesterday’s House vote. The agreement ensured that health care legislation “does not permit the use of federal funds for elective abortions.”

So why the name-calling? Regardless of the disapproval, names-calling is not acceptable in any way, shape, or form, regardless of which party shouted it. The American public does not elect representatives to shout childish accusations in the sacred House chamber, while voting on something that could change their constituents’ lives. Shouting derogatory names or comments never solves anything.

What do you think about the “baby killer” comment last night? Do you think representatives should be required to take an etiquette class? How do you think this should be handled from a public affairs perspective?

Fair and Balanced -- Or Agenda-Pushing?

A few weeks ago in class we watched a video on YouTube investigating the reporting and management style of FoxNews, who considers itself to be “Fair & Balanced.” This morning the Boston Globe reported an AP story stating that House Majority Leader Steny Hoyers predicted that the health care bill will be passed “because the majority of Americans want it.” In the Globe article the Republican House Majority Leader John Boehner believes that “the plan is a government takeover opposed by the vast majority of Americans” and the Democrats have not locked in the 216 votes necessary to the plan’s passing.

Switch to FoxNews’ report of the story: “He [Obama] faces unanimous opposition from Republicans, who say the plan amounts to a government takeover of health care that will lead to higher deficits and taxes.” In addition to this, FoxNews also states in the story that this issue “has left the country deeply divided.” Are these statements true?

Although I have not been closely following the health care bill debates, I still know that even if these statements are true, it is not appropriate for a news story to report it with that phrasing, because it is biased.

The FoxNews story makes it seem as though the Democrats a waging an uphill battle. Instead of reporting the news “fair and balanced”, FoxNews is influencing the opinion of the American viewers, instead of letting those opinions be determined on their own.

Before watching the video in class, I had knew that FoxNews was conservative, I had even interned at FoxNews for a semester while in undergrad, but I did not realize the extent to which they pushed their own agenda.

After watching the video, I have begun comparing AP stories with what I find FoxNews reporting. Although the stories somewhat align, there is still the overwhelming sense that a conservative agenda is being pushed through, which is not how news should be reported. This also goes hand in hand with Jamieson’s The Press Effect – how much of the news reported can we trust?

How has your view of FoxNews changed since watching the video in class?

Sweet Surprise

Is anyone else fascinated by the campaign to change the public opinion of high fructose corn syrup? I wonder is it working.

I think it's very clever how it promotes the idea that health concerns about high fructose corn syrup have no basis in fact and that people who prefer to avoid it are ill-informed and, frankly, a bit foolish and sheepish just following the crowd.

Two bits of it make me laugh. The first is the suggestion that because it's made from corn it's natural so it can't really be all that bad for you. And, isn't corn actually supposed to be good for you? This is argument is ridiculous. Lots of natural things are poisonous and in terms of chemical structure high fructose corn syrup bears very little resemblance to the corn it comes from.

The King Corn High Fructose Corn Syrup commercial spoof makes the same point humorously.



Secondly, the suggestion that it's no worse for us than sugar. If you have to resort to saying that it's no worse than sugar then you know you've lost.

The web-site Sweet Surprise is full of the same sort of disingenuous arguments with carefully chosen bits and pieces taken from friendly scientific studies - most of which are funded by the sugar industry in the same way as most tobacco studies are funded by the tobacco industry.

At best the scientific evidence is inconclusive while the anecdotal evidence seems quite compelling. Americans are consuming huge - and I mean HUGE - amounts of sugars, huge numbers of Americans are becoming obese, huge numbers of obese Americans are developing type 2 diabetes. Go figure.

Reaching the finish line?

It seems so interesting that the US government has been trying for almost a century to reform this country's healthcare system and perhaps now that feat is ready to be accomplished. Although I'm not sure I like the idea of the President and the Democrats pushing the bill through with only a simple majority vote but then again I feel like they don't have many other options. If the legislation was brought out for a full debate it might take months to pass.

I can see how the process could anger people though. It probably seems like Congress or at least the Democrats are going behind peoples' backs just to get the legislation through. As it stands, it seems like the only way to go is to have the House pass the bill approved by the Senate and then add further measures. I think the additional measures the Democrats want to add do include some of the Republican reform but I do wish there could be more bipartisan support just because that seems only fair, but I can't say that I really sympathize with Republicans. They can't seem to come up with an original argument against the bill other than repeating like a broken record that the bill will raise taxes and the deficit. Their argument has been the same throughout this debate, even when some of their reforms were included in Obama's legislation. Though I can see how powerful an effect the idea of raised taxes and big government is since its sparked a whole "tea party" protest movement because people feel like their government no longer represents them.

On a slightly different note, I saw on PBS's the News Hour they had an interview with a health insurance executive. Some of the arguments he had did make some sense to me. He talked about how insurance costs are only part of a larger problem and that there are many other costly portions that have to be dealt with. I rather agree with that since I feel like we do use a lot of procedures like CT scans and MRIs when they might not be so necessary and those costs have to be dealt with. However, I can't also help feeling that the insurance industry has a lot to answer for. The executive on the program kept claiming that the insurance industry has supported covering people with pre-existing conditions as proposed when the public option was still on the table. When he was questioned about how insurance companies routinely drop people from coverage, the executive claimed that some people did not want coverage and that the industry has made efforts to cover more people. I can see how all of that might be true but I also see that because the insurance industry is out to make a profit and if they cover more people they really only want to cover only those people who are least needy. In that sense I feel like health insurance lives up to its name since the only people the industry wants to cover are those that are healthy.

For PBS's coverage see: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/health/jan-june10/healthcare_03-15.html

I didn't say it - Lippmann said: Ethical Concerns in Nation Branding

Walter Lippmann's Public Opinion theory is one of my guiding theories in my thesis. While discussing the impacts of 'the real world' vs. 'the pictures in our heads' on nation branding, I felt the urge to differentiate rhetoric explicitly from deception. Shortly speaking, Lippmann claims that we are too lazy, the world is too big, and the couch is too comfortable, so we will not have the opportunity to contact a huge part of the real world. We will hear about events happening in the other parts of the world. We will read newspapers, watch TV, follow tweets (no, Lippmann was not talking about tweeting), and then interpret the information we get in a personal way to create a picture of the world in our heads.



It is called a fictional reality, reported reality, mediated reality, and several other names. In short, we don't witness events, we witness how they are reported by some others. When we add up our own perceptive criteria on top of this manufactured reality, we end up with 'our world' (a.k.a. the picture in our heads). Putnam argues for the decreasing levels of social interaction. In daily parlance, it means the couch is more comfortable than ever. So, less real world, more perceived world through reported information.



Nation branding, in this sense, is providing a narrative to this reported world. Many people don't know the reality about your nation (see the video below). Nation branding can try to:

- make a nation relevant to people (first step into the picture)

- help people know more about a nation (maintaining your spot)

- tell something else about a nation (repositioning)

- diversity the arguments (creating more spots in the picture)

- keep some issues off-the radar (shifting the discussions)



Persuasiveness, or rhetoric, is important in creating and restoring images in people’s minds. All these communication processes in nation branding take place not in the real world but in the perceived reality. Given the complexity of the real world, and the decreasing levels of social interaction , ideas are formed with the help of the mediated reality. Now after talking about the same issue in my thesis, I felt the urge to say "This research does not, in any way, argue for defamation, deception, or manipulation of the reality. Because of the fact that people’s views about a nation are created in this mediated reality, the author argues that nations should be actively involved in providing their narratives." Even in keeping issues off-the-radar, the main aim is to avoid being associated with an issue which does not reflect the reality of a nation (i.e. Greece might want to keep discussions over current financial situation off-the-radar by promoting another issue. In long term, Greece and financial crisis should not be associated. Similarly, US tries to divert the attention away from domestic political discussions). The main aim is not to lie, to manipulate reality but to provide your narrative for your own image.



Rhetoric is all about persuasion. Yet, first rule of communication, if you cannot support what you say, don't say. Communication takes place in several platforms, so nation branding messages should be present in all these with the aims of increasing the relevance of a nation and putting pictures in the perception, not of deceiving people. Branding campaigns do not (should not) censor other news sources, but should compete with them in terms of credibility, legitimacy, and efficiency.



Now I pretty much understand why Dr. Nancy Snow insists on saying 'persuasion with principle' and 'truth is the best propaganda'.





Here are the books I talked about:

Lippmann, W. (1922). Public opinion (1st ed.). New York: Free Press Paperbacks.

Putnam, R. (2001). Bowling alone : the collapse and revival of American community (1st ed.). New York: Touchstone.



Here is the video:


Nation Of Andorra Not In Africa, Shocked U.S. State Dept. Reports



And my cross-posting announcement:

This blog post is also posted on http://efesevin.wordpress.com/ and http://placebranding.ning.com/.

Padraig Flynn: Death of a Political Career

I was reminded of this interview recently and thought it was a good, and reasonably entertaining example, of how a political career can be destroyed in a few short minutes by a careless display of arrogance and hubris.





From Flynn's wikipedia entry:

On 15 January 1999 Flynn made comments on a live chat show (The Late Late Show) regarding Tom Gilmartin and a donation of £50,000 to the Fianna Fáil party. On the same programme, Flynn made comments about his own lifestyle (following a question by journalist Barry O'Halloran); he boasted of having a salary of £100,000 (Punts) together with three houses, cars and housekeepers and traveled regularly, yet complained about the hassle involved. The performance which was seen as eccentric and out of touch - at a time when house prices were rising significantly. In effect, Flynn was interpreted as behaving in a manner more befitting the Irish stereotype known as the Dublin 4 mentality, complaining of the costs incurred in the pursuit of extravagance.

The show presenter, Gay Byrne, then asked Flynn if he knew of Gilmartin. Flynn responded that he knew him well. Flynn seemed to be making an attack of Gilmartin's emotional stability, based on the effect of sickness of Gilmartin's wife. This hurt Gilmartin a great deal, while also bringing the illness of his wife into the picture as the real driving force behind Gilmartin's testimony against Flynn. If it was to be interpreted as an attack of Gilmartin's credibility, then it backfired in a spectacular manner against Flynn. Also, unknown to Flynn, Gilmartin was actually watching the Late Late on Tara Television at his home in Luton. This was seen as the end of any possible return to politics in Ireland, although this was previously expected.

It's generally assumed that Flynn, normally a very polished media performer, had had a few drinks in the green room before the show and let his guard down.

Don't you love car crash TV.

Public Diplomacy: Searching for a definition

Another chapter in my search for definitions of public diplomacy...

In the debate over whether public diplomacy, as a practice, should essentially function as a governmental action or a non-governmental action, I tend to favor the latter, and appreciate the following definitions from Manuel Castells' (2008) article "The new public sphere: Global civil society, communication networks, and global governance"*:

"The implicit project behind the idea of public diplomacy is not to assert the power of a state or of a social actor in the form of 'soft power.' It is, instead, to harness the dialogue between different social collectives and their cultures in the hope of sharing meaning and understanding. The aim of the practice of public diplomacy is not to convince but to communicate, not to declare but to listen."

"The goal of public diplomacy, in constrast to government diplomacy, is not to assert power or to negotiate a rearrangment of power relationships. It is to induce a communication space in which a new, common language could emerge as a precondition for diplomacy, so that when the time for diplomacy comes, it reflects not only interests and power making but also meaning and sharing."

*The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 616(1), 78-93.

McDonalds Branding - Men vs. Women

All I have heard for the past month is “Give me back that Filet ‘O Fish, Give me that fish…” or some version of those lyrics. Why? Because the men in my life have decided that they enjoy the catchy tune. Do they know the lyrics? No. Do they know the brand? Yes.

McDonalds.

This is a case of branding. Not only do they have THE Golden Arches, Ronald McDonald, and the Hamburgler, but they also have commercials that burn into your brain. Now, when I see the Golden Arches, I can’t help but here “Give me back that Filet ‘O fish, Give me that Fish.”

Does that mean I am going to run to the closet McDonalds and buy a Filet ‘O Fish. No. Would my male counterparts? Possibly. If not a Filet ‘O Fish, maybe a burger and fries.

This commercial seems to target men more than women. This begs the question: Why? Are men more likely to eat McDonalds than women? And why did McDonalds decide to target men with their Filet ‘O Fish?

When they were promoting salads and healthier fares, women were the target audience, but those commercials were not memorable, nor did they have any real creativity behind them.

This isn’t the first time McDonald’s has targeted men or children with a catchy tune or a laughable quality. Does anyone remember the Cha Cha Slide Ad? Clap, clap, clap your hands. The son and husband are shown enjoying McDonalds, while the women look on. It makes it look like eating the food is fun. What they don’t tell you are how many calories are in each bite. Maybe that’s why men and children are targeted. Use branding to attract men and children to their restaurants, and give women the option of a salad.

Have you seen any memorable McDonald’s commercials? Why do you think children and men are most frequently targeted in their ads?

The Changing Shape of High- Fashion

In an industry dominated by teenagers, high- fashion is saturated with girls that are size zero- 2. Designers claim that they are designing for women, but with the average American woman weighing in at 162.9 lbs. and sporting a size 14*, high- fashion is hardly using identification to appeal to American women. The average runway model is estimated to be 5 feet 9 inches tall and weigh in at 110lbs** and the average sample size is a 0***. On the street a size 4 is skinny, at castings these women have been historically criticized for being too fat for fashion. An ideal so strongly coveted that some fashion shows have instituted rules requiring models to eat before they take the catwalk; a response to 22-year-old Uruguayan model Luisel Ramos reportedly dying of heart failure after stepping off the runway during Fashion Week in Montevideo in 2006.

Perhaps using models that every day women cannot identify with has been a means by which the high-fashion industry has perpetuated the perception of elitism (well that, and the price tag associated with the goods!) Reverse identification?

But now, for whatever reason, designers including Chanel, Prada, and Marc Jacobs are pioneering a much needed change. In an industry that notoriously alienates a high percentage of women with purchasing power, top fashion designers are jumpstarting a movement to replace these toothpick models- most recently at the Paris Womenswear Fashion Week in Paris, France this past week. Marc Jacobs cast women of all ages and physiques in his show- including Elle MacPherson, 47, Karolina Kurkova, 26, and Adriana Lima, 28, among others.

For years fashion designers have been deathly afraid that regular women might like to actually look like the models and wear the clothes that they're modeling. Thus, the emergence of the 15 year old, rail-thin, models. Considering the high-fashion industry used to embrace these "larger" models, what is causing the reemergence of these body types? Are these designers finally realizing that they are alienating a large portion of the population that would actually buy the product; economic motivation? Or is it that the unhealthy ways of many in the fashion industry are setting an unrealistic ideal for women in society; an ethical motivation?

Whatever the reason, I hope that this change is here to stay. For too long women have been comparing themselves to an unrealistic ideal that has been shaped by the fashion and entertainment industries. Though many women still cannot identify with a size 4 model, atleast they are no longer comparing themselves to the 15-year-old superskinnies. High-fashion is returning to its roots-- supermodels. These women are real. They are wives and mothers- just like the women in the audience- instead of little girls dressed up in grown-up clothes. They are babes, not babies.

-ev

*http://articles.latimes.com/2009/mar/01/image/ig-size1

**http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story?id=2450069&page=1

***http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/35336098

I can drink my beer while living my on-the-go lifestyle

Trends and fads seem to fluctuate in our society as people interests wain in and out. One that seems to have stuck though is our need to be thinner and thinner. The American people want to be skinny, but having to actually have to work at it doesn't seem fun. That is probably why in 2006 the weight-loss product industry made $36 billion dollars. It just seems so much easier just eating food by Jenny Craig or any other various weigh company. There are also whole body cleanses, drinks, shakes, and any other possible product that is supposed to help you lose weight. The idea of having fewer calories in a product has been available in the beer industry since the '70s. Coors light came out in 1975 while Bud light wasn't until 1982. Now the newest product is MGD 64, which boasts being the lowest calorie beer out there. There commercials are hard to miss with one person at a beer ordering MGD 64, while the other person gets another alcoholic drink and the shape of the glass is distorted to show how little they will get. Here is the Link:(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ6HeFrlp0c) I thought what was the most interesting part about MGD 64 is their target audience. On the MGD64 website in their about section they say that beer lovers can now have a beer that "complements their on-the-go lifestyles." I had never associated MGD64 as a trendy drink. It is interesting to see that the beer industry has such a encompassing market that they are able to market to various audiences. It just seems a shame to me though to waste the quality of a product so that people won't feel fat while enjoying a cold beer. I think that people can enjoy beer and live a healthy lifestyle, it's actually quite easy drink in moderation. Instead of drinking 3 to 4 MGD64, have a nice pint of Guinness with only 153 calories!

Using stereotypes to Brand

The stereotypes associated with the larger breweries such as Budweiser and Millercoors is that the taste isn't that good, but the price is. It also is associated with the working class or blue collar worker, enjoying his brew after a long day of work or during a football game slamming them down with his buddies. While the microbrewed beer is enjoyed by the upper middle class, those who drink it for taste and inevitably pay a higher price for it. These stereotypes are pushed by the "blue collar" beer companies and the microbreweries. This can be seen in the various commercials and advertising that is used to try to persuade consumers to buy from them.
The slogan for Stella artois is "perfection has its price." The emphasis is on the quality of the beer and how this product is the pinnacle of beer, which I would disagree with. While Budweiser is known to be supportive of NASCAR racing and Football. This is not to say that the all viewers of these sports are lower class, but how Budweiser markets to them is to emphasis is blue collar market. Their advertising may mention the quality of the product, but they usually evolve around humorous situations or incidents. A great example of this is the Budweiser frogs who together would chirp "Bud-wei-ser" or even the Whassup commercial when people would shout this phrase over and over again.
However though Anheuser-Busch does own a few beers which could be considered a higher quality product. This would be Shock top which a Wheat Ale and they have created specialty kinds of Michelob for the four seasons which would be Michelob Bavarian Wheat (summer), Michelob Marzen (fall), Michelob Porter (winter), and Michelob Pale Ale (spring). These products are not nearly as marketed, but Budweiser has created a Bud Light Golden Wheat which has been pushed more in the media.
Millercoors on the other hand did not create its own microbrews, but bought up such international beers as Killian Irish Red, Bluemoon (Canada), and Pilsner Urquell (Czech Republic). They also sell interestingly the lost quality of beers with Keystone Light, Red dog, and a malt-beverage called Sparks. Encompassing various kinds of beer seems to be a wise decision, because as the market changes, they can put emphasis on certain products that are more popular at the time. The only problem is that the specialty beer or microbrewed beer area is becoming more and more competitive everyday.

Public Affairs Council Announces 2010 Grassroot Innovation Award Winners

Target, Walmart, Feeding American, and Edelman have been recognized by the Public Affairs Council for their inventive and strong grassroots efforts to build a sense of community and empower others to take action. Here's the lowdown on this year's winner:

'Corporate' category
-Target: won for creating tools & events to encourage community action at the level and state levels via several Twitter initiatives.
-Walmart: awarded for their internet-based "Community Action Network" to educate customers and others about news, legislation, and other develops that might affect the company and its stakeholders.

'Association' category
-Feeding America: created a contest among its 205 food banks to engage activitists during "Hunger Action Month."

"Social Media" category (a new category this year)
-Edelman- recognized for its "social capital widget" allowing constituents to use multiple social media channels to reach lawmakers outside of official communication channels.

Learn more about these organization's initiatives.

-ev

Istanbul 2010 - An Opportunity for Branding

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine asked me what Istanbul 2010 was. She saw Istanbul 2010 ads at Heathrow Airport in London, but didn't have much idea about what exactly the ads tried to say. Istanbul has been selected as the European Capital of Culture 2010. Hosting international events, and being recognized by international organizations are good opportunities for promoting a place. Given the variety of events and images you can promote under 'culture', it is also a good branding opportunity. So how well did Turkey use it?




Okay, first of all, I have to admit one thing. I really didn't have a clear understanding of European Capital of Culture. I know there were three cities in 2010, and one was Pesc. What was the other one? (I just checked, it was Essen). Although some might be my ignorance, some might be because currently I am not in Europe but still, I am not sure how well the idea of ECOC is promoted.

Istanbul will be hosting several events throughout the year (If you plan to visit Istanbul, 2010 might be the best year to do so). You can find additional information about the event on Istanbul 2010 website. They also had interesting videos (some of which did not even show the subway system!) Although I have no idea why they chose the background music, the video below is quite good - especially the last 45-50 seconds (even the music makes sense). We see Turkish 'people' and scenes from daily life as well as important places (i.e. touristic attractions historical places). We have business people, small business owners, people walking, kids, even traffic jam on the video. The scenes pretty much describes both the modern and the historical, the Western and conservative, the serious and fun-having sides of Istanbul.


Though I do have one main question. Recently I started reading, writing, and thinking about authority and legitimacy in branding. When I look at Istanbul 2010 from that point of view, I cannot stop questioning whether they have the authority to claim brand ownership and legitimacy to brand the city. The names on the executive, advisory, and coordination boards (yes, there are three boards, maybe there is a fourth board on boards) are quite well-known people, high-level bureaucrats, and professionals. But where are the people? It seems to be an adequate project with a few shortcomings.

What Went Right
- Although public doesn't seem to be on any of the boards, everyone had the opportunity to submit a project to Istanbul 2010. In other words, if one wants to be a part of the event, it is possible.
- The domestic and (as far as I can see from my friend's anecdote) international media presence of the event was great. Everyone knows that there is something called Istanbul 2010 (we are just not so sure what it is).

What Went Wrong
- There doesn't seem to be an overarching theme. I don't like "a place where you can do everything" as a brand message and Istanbul 2010 subtly gives this message. Unfortunately can-do-everything messages never give a sense of inclusiveness. Even worse, you end up with a 'generic' place which is lost in messages. The website pretty much symbolizes this chaos.
- Project members seem to be very involved with Istanbul 2010 and be living with the idea. This is why the website fails to explain what Istanbul 2010 is. If you look at benefits for Istanbul part, you will see that Istanbul 2010 will make Istanbul the greatest place in Europe, maybe in the world. But there are no substantive explanation about why or how. (A trivia question: Which city was the ECOC 2009? What about ECOC 2011?)
- The communication methods don't go down to foreign publics. In other words, Istanbul 2010 uses mass media, and tourism fairs to promote. I couldn't find any people-to-people, Web 2.0, social media communication understanding. Right now, there doesn't seem to be much direct interaction between Istanbul 2010 and target audience.

In short, ECOC is a good regional promotion opportunity. Istanbul 2010 is a successful campaign. It might have been better if more communication/public diplomacy and less advertising techniques were used.

For those who are curious, ECOC 2009 were Vilnius and Linz, ECOC 2011 will be Turku and Tallinn.

This blog post is also posted on http://efesevin.wordpress.com/ and http://placebranding.ning.com/.

The TRUTH about the Government Health Care Bill... according to...?

I came across this video and I think it echoes what we discuss about what the "truth" is depending on the source of the message..

PETA Returns the favor

PETA is capitalizing on the SeaWorld crisis after a veteran trainer was killed by SeaWorld's 12,000-pound orca on February 24. The animal rights group is flying a large banner over the San Antonio, San Diego, and Orlando parks, calling for SeaWorld to transfer all of its dolphins-including orcas- to transitional coastal sanctuarties and stop keeping these ocean mammals to these confined unnatural habitats.

In the wake of the recent death caused by the killer whale, I will be curious to see how SeaWorld responds to PETA's message, if at all...whether they push back strongly or take a more passive approach considering the whale acting out, causing a trainer to be killer, and then being reinstated to perform. How do/will they justify entertainment at the expensive of a life?

New Toyota Commercial

While watching a show on Hulu, I saw the following Toyota commercial where a technician talks about safety and his family. It is definitely better than the "Moving Forward" motto, and includes some identification (as well as propaganda) elements.

http://www.toyota.com/recall/videos/#ronnie

When Hollywood controls your image...

This is an interesting spot I just saw on CNN:



The U.S. Military is in a tough spot vis-a-vis Hollywood, and the depiction of the military in film. Apparently, in the early days, any film using a military subject in the U.S. used to seek help (and therefore, approval) from the Pentagon to be able to use army bases, aircraft carriers, and large weaponry, etc. that they needed as locations or props in films.

Now, according to CNN, neither Hurt Locker or Avatar, (both with military themes) consulted the Pentagon in the making of their films (Hurt Locker used Jordanian government props and locations) and the Pentagon isn't happy about it. How do you do "reputation management" when the most popular film of the year is trashing your industry?

While the CNN piece doesn't go into the PR implications, it is interesting to consider the impact of such films on the industries they are representing (the military, in this case). Film depictions of "reality" can definitely create "crisis" for an organization or an entire industry (see Erin Brockovich), when they expose or create the "dark side" of an industry. This is the great power of film. It can also be a headache for the PR execs who have to manage reputations!

Wanted: A storyteller for Obama and Gov. Deval Patrick

In our class discussions we have contemplated the importance of developing an identity and creating a narrative. Narratives constrict our reality, create meaning, and align individual identity with collective pursuits. Stories are effective in engaging an audience and inspiring action.

I came across an article today in the Boston Globe that argues that Governor Deval Patrick and Obama each "lacks an overarching goal that explains, unifies, and give motive to his multiple initiatives." As I read on, I found myself considering the author's assertions.

Perhaps I found this so compelling due to my political ignorance, or that it only resonated thanks to our recent class discussions underscoring the impact of narratives (or lack of) on the construction of our reality. Who are they? What do they really stand for? What are they symbols of? And if they do not create their own narrative, we will. Obama and Deval Patrick have fallen victim to this.

For those of you that I have spoke to in class that are the 'less-than-political' type like myself, I posted this for your consumption more than the overwhelmingly-political individuals in class (I know I am definitely behind them in the political communication learning curve.) Even though it is an opinion piece, I thought it would be beneficial for us to read it and ponder its significance as we relate to these concepts in class.

-ev