Grassroots, on-site promotions, especially those aimed at teens
and young adults, are typically very effective. But always insist
that you have the final say over what promoters on-site are saying,
doing and distributing.
That lesson was driven home powerfully last week at the
University of Louisville, where Bank One was banned from selling
its credit cards after two on-site workers distributed a T-shirt
with a shocking Top 10 list.
The shirt, detailing the "10 Reasons a Beer is Better than a
Black Man," was handed out to students in exchange for credit card
applications. Once offended students had alerted university
officials, all organizations involved entered crisis mode:
University of Louisville, which found itself in a race-related
crisis late last year when white fraternity members were sighted in
black face at a Halloween party, kicked the credit card issuer off
campus.
The chairman of Bank One expressed his disgust and fired the
firm handling its on-campus promotions. The president of that firm,
FrontLine Event Marketing in Philadelphia, called the promotion
repugnant and fired the contract worker assigned to train and
supervise on-campus workers. Bank One is in the process of working
with the University and its advisors on diversity efforts to try to
make up for its offense.
But the situation raises one core question: Why didn't a
senior-level communications exec, at least at FrontLine, but more
appropriately at Bank One, pre-approve all promotional materials
and handouts, which would have prevented the crisis to begin with?
When we put the question to Kelly Becker, spokeswoman for
FrontLine, she said she would have to consider her answer and call
us back. When she called back, she referred us to a faxed statement
from FrontLine President Ed Solomon saying, "The individuals who
initiated this activity ... did so without our knowledge and
consent." We asked if FrontLine has a policy of approving materials
the company distributes on campuses. Becker replied, "Absolutely."
Bank One media relations professionals were not available to
respond by press time.
The bottom line: Make approvals of materials and tchotchkes your
business, not the promotional agency's contract worker's business.
Review your agency's policies, and if you aren't comfortable that
your account team is working closely enough with contracters or
other workers (i.e. students hired to hand out T-shirts on a
college campus), then reconsider whether it's wise to continue your
relationship with that organization. In the end, getting involved
in the details will pay off in averted crises.