Interesting Times for Brands: We should have known it was going to be a bizarre week (loaded with PR lessons) when a completely serious press release from Care2, a social networking site for activists, hit our desk late Feb. 10 informing us that a petition supporting Rosie O’Donnell’s bid to play White House advisor Steve Bannonon Saturday Night Live had gained thousands of signatures in just a few hours. PR Lesson: It can be difficult for journalists to interpret email messages from organizations they’re unfamiliar with. Provide context or cues. This release seemed like a joke on first glance. It wasn’t. Item 2: Late on Valentine’s Day a highly reputable D.C. PR shop sent us an email saying: “Just wanted to make sure you saw this statement from Allied Progress” [an advocacy group] “calling on Oprah Winfrey to release footage of [President] Trump[’s] Labor nominee Andy Puzder’s former wife detailing allegations of domestic violence on” Oprah. (You know how that turned out.) PR Lesson: This threw us totally. The language used was so familiar it sounded as if it came from a friend/source, but it was from someone we’d not heard of. Perhaps the familiar language was a cute tactic (it got us to read the release), although some journalists might be turned off by it. Item 3: Need more evidence that brands have become political animals (with all the obvious PR implications that entails)? Note IBM chief Ginni Rometty releasing a statement to employees and media prior to her visit explaining why she was heading to D.C. Item 4: A Wall St Journal story, tucked far back in the paper, reports on editor-in-chief Gerard Baker’s meeting with 100+ staff as he responds to staff allegations that the paper’s reporting on Trump had been “soft.” A Baker email that advised against use of the phrase “Muslim-majority countries” in reporting on the president’s immigration ban prompted the tumult. Baker, the article says, admitted “he didn’t choose his words carefully when he sent the late-night email.” A big PR lesson there. He “subsequently clarified” his argument “in an internal memo to staff,” the paper says. During the meeting, Baker said the paper’s reporting on Trump was “extremely tough.” (Hmm...we thought journalists were supposed to get facts and print them. Instead of reporting hard or soft on the president, just report.) Baker also noted the administration’s hostile attitude toward the press and said the president and his staff “peddle falsehoods on a daily basis.” A few sentences later the article says Baker told reporters they can use the word “‘lie’ in connection with Mr. Trump or his administration,” but added “the bar is high, because the word connotes an intention to deceive that is hard to prove.” Huh? Mind you, this meeting took place three days before the president’s Feb. 16 criticism of the press. Yes, a wild week and more proof that the rules of PR are changing at the speed of a presidential tweet.
Reorg and More: Last month Ogilvy Worldwide chairman/CEO John Seifert said changes were ahead for the brand. Ogilvy USA CEO Lou Aversano delivered some of them Feb. 16, with the moves effective in April. Intended to be more client-centric, the moves have Ogilvy USA becoming a single brand, “shifting from a focus on disciplines and sub-brands to a focus on clients and specialty skills and expertise,” Ogilvy said. Domain groups will be at the center of the new organization. Both they and integrated functions such as finance and communications will serve across the U.S.A. enterprise. Some of the group leaders include: Michele Anderson (Influence and PR Domain); Alvaro Cabrera (Customer Engagement and Commerce Domain); Mark Himmelsbach (Digital and Innovation Domain); and Sean Muzzy (Media and Distribution Domain). Integrated functions leads include Simone Oppenheimer (Business Development); Suresh Raj (Growth); Jennifer Risi (Communications); Jim Woods (Finance); and Jean-Rene Zetrenne (Talent). Kate Cronin will lead the USA Health & Wellness practice; Adam Tucker will lead the USA Enterprise Branding Domain; and Jack Rooney will lead Integration for Ogilvy USA. More announcements about the “Next Chapter” strategy are expected. – Former VP, corporate communications at Point72 Jessica Schaefer is launching Bevel, a PR consultancy. It will focus on fintech and hedge funds.
People: The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) promoted Marcia Asquith to EVP, board and external relations. Asquith will continue to oversee corporate communications as well as investor education, member relations/education and government affairs. She joined FINRA in 2001. – Congrats to our good friend, PRN Measurement Hall of Fame member, PRN Pro contributor and editorial advisory board member Mark Weiner, who was elected director of the Measurement Commission at the Institute for Public Relations. Weiner is CEO of PRIME Research Americas.