This year continues to be an exciting and eventful year, especially when it comes to public relations blunders. I have to admit, I always look forward towards the finish of the year. Not only is it an excellent time to appear back at all with the good things that happened throughout the past year, but it is also good to determine what mistakes other people have made–so you don’t make them. Every year, a well-liked public relations firm publishes their list with the leading 10 public relations blunders with the year, about this time. Most years, there are plenty of public relations blunders to select from, and I am certain that they have a difficult time figuring out which blunders to place around the checklist and which will make the leading ten list. Of course there needs to be a quantity 1 on the list of top ten, so this year it’s equally impressive.
Not only possess a couple of main institutions made horrible blunders this year within the public relations field, there happen to be a couple of companies and public figures which have brought on them great harm to their reputation, which I do not think that they will ever recover from. Numerous of this year’s public relations blunders are errors that could have been averted, had they just had the right advice and foresight. But that’s maybe why all of us have to step back for a moment and make certain that we don’t make these errors. It could cost you your entire career, or perhaps worse, land you in jail.
Here is really a preview with the leading ten public relations blunders of 2011:
1. Penn State, “Your Scandal Is not Going Away”
The story of disgraced former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky’s arrest on costs of sexual abuse is really a terrible 1, but news with the university’s lack of action more than more than 10 years infuriated the public and media alike. University President Graham Spanier fanned the flames having a poorly planned preliminary statement featuring more assistance for two University officials alleged to possess been covering up a 2002 incident than for your eight abuse victims.
two. Cain Undeniably Unprepared
Republican presidential hopeful and former National Restaurant Association (NRA) head Herman Cain made a significant mistake by not dealing with questions from Politico concerning accusations of previous sexual harassment promptly and totally, leaving himself open for wave after wave of damaging speculation.
three. Oakland Mayor Quan Plays Each Sides – Against Each other
The Occupy Motion tested city officials nationwide, but none more than Oakland Mayor and former neighborhood activist Jean Quan, whose handling of the Occupy Oakland encampment was broadly and critically covered. Within the initial two weeks with the tense situation Quan flip-flopped often, first attending the encampment as a supporting speaker, then eventually authorizing a police raid to clear the site, a reversal that provoked nationwide criticism with the violent confrontation.
4. Financial institution of America Nickels and Dimes
Financial institution of America wasn’t the only financial institution preparing on bolstering revenue through new debit card charges, but it suffered significant reputational damage for being the final to abandon its plans to complete so following severe public outrage in what The Wall Street Journal termed “the newest publicity nightmare for an business that’s currently beneath fire.”
five. “Nutty View” Damages GOP Self-confidence in Perry
Whilst some might declare Rick Perry’s inability to recall his personal agenda his most memorable campaign gaffe of 2011, to numerous his most substantial – and totally preventable – blunder was dredging up the birther meme in an interview with Parade Magazine.
6. Qwikster Just a Flash within the Netflix Pan
How should management handle consumer discontent more than, say … a controversial 60% cost increase that led to hundreds of thousands of lost customers and a drop of almost half of a company’s stock worth?
seven. Facebook Complains About Lack of Transparency, Anonymously
Not only did Facebook contract a prominent PR firm to question how Google’s Social Circle collects and uses individual data, the social network allegedly insisted on client anonymity.
8. Dodger Owner’s Words “Very, Extremely Unfair” to Coma Victim, Family
Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt took a year-long pounding in the press for his handling of numerous issues, including the team’s bankruptcy proceeding and his very public divorce.
9. “Tweeting Teen” Teaches Kansas Gov. Brownback about Social Media
Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback and his employees ought to have regarded as the source before attempting “to police a teenager’s Web musings,” based on the Related Press, when 18-year-old Emma Sullivan sent a tweet to her 61 followers claiming to possess “told him he sucked.”
ten. Ben & Jerry’s Churns Ice Cream into Schweddy Balls
Popular ice cream maker Ben & Jerry’s has a longstanding tradition of edgy flavor names, but the company’s latest effort, “Schweddy Balls,” an homage to Saturday Night Live character Pete Schweddy, has some families and consumer groups, which includes American Loved ones Association affiliate 1 Million Moms, up in arms.
