I’ve always gotten a kick out of certain sports stars emphasizing the “The” when stating that they went to school at Ohio State University. They might not be so proud of their alma mater these days. Ohio State University is coming to grips with what appears to be decades of abuse of student athletes and patients of OSU’s student health services at the hands of team doctor Richard Strauss. To date more than 100 victims have come forward, many describing their efforts to expose Strauss and their anger that their concerns were met with institutional indifference. Strauss committed suicide in 2005. When I saw this headline in The Columbus Dispatch, “Ohio State’s actions will determine how it weathers public-relations storm, experts say,” I threw a penalty flag. Calling what is being investigated at Ohio State a PR storm contributes to …
Leak of Papa John's Founder's Media Training Recording a Terrible Violation of Trust In the 1980s, Don Henley had a big hit with the song, “Dirty Laundry,” which extolled the virtues of tabloid journalism from the perspective of a TV talking head. I make my living off the evening newsJust give me something-something I can usePeople love it when you lose,They love dirty laundry This is what crossed my mind as I read the Forbes account of pizza chain mogul John Schnatter’s scandalous use of the N-word. Not because the media reveled in the fiery crash of his image, which they did, but because the name of his former company’s now former ad agency is “Laundry Service.” The irony meter only slightly jiggled when I heard that – more like coincidence. A firm named Laundry Service was representing a guy …
On November 8, 2017, Willamette Week featured the story, "Oh Deer," detailing how family owned brewery Old Town Brewing & Pizza was being bullied by the City of Portland. DPK Public Relations represents Old Town Brewing in this matter. As all trademark disputes can be, this one is complicated. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has recognized Old Town Brewing with an incontestable trademark of a leaping deer for use in beer and alcohol, which is the highest level of trademark protection. Yet the City of Portland has filed multiple trademark applications seeking to trademark an image that encompasses a leaping deer for beer and alcohol. So far, the USPTO has rejected the city's applications three times. To date, legal fees related to these applications have cost taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars -- perhaps as much as $100,000 …
Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita have provided a rare opportunity for all organizations to learn from the experiences of others as they responded to extraordinary circumstances. These 10 principals can serve as a checklist for crisis response or as guiding principles for your organization''s crisis communications philosophy.
Best of Silver Anvil Winning Program Builds Support for Human Space Exploration DPK Public Relations has a long relationship with NASA - Johnson Space Center that goes back to the Space Shuttle era, and we were proud to assist the Human Research Program's efforts to communicate about the science behind Astronaut Scott Kelly's Year in Space. The concept was simple: Kelly is an identical twin, so NASA seized the opportunity to monitor the impact of this prolonged exposure to zero gravity and compare those physiological and psychological measurements with those of his brother, Mark Kelly, who also is an astronaut. The challenge for any organization involved in science, technology or medicine -- or really anything that is complex -- is getting the smart people who are involved comfortable speaking in plane English about it. Making complicated information relatable isn't something …
Access to Accurate Information Will Help Decision Makers Stop a Crisis Plenty has been written about how digital media has changed crisis communications. That makes sense, because the pace of scrutiny has accelerated with everyone carrying devices that can instantly broadcast video to a worldwide audience. What’s more, digital media creates a platform for people to express outrage, and that backlash can really sting. That said, the core fundamentals of crisis communications remain unchanged from when I entered public relations more than 20 years ago – and they go back a lot further than that. Crisis communications is sometimes portrayed as a way to deflect responsibility or explain away a problem. In reality, crisis PR’s most important role is to aid in stopping human suffering and the potential for harm to the community as quickly as possible. Crisis communications does …
NASA's One-Year Mission Earns PRSA's Highest Honor Congratulations to our client, NASA Johnson Space Center, for winning the 2017 Best of Silver Anvil Award. The agency's program, "Year in Space: Communicating NASA's Historic One-Year Mission from Space to Ground," won the Silver Anvil in the Integrated Communications category and a second Silver Anvil for Reputation Management. It was judged to be the best of all this year's Silver Anvil winners. DPK Public Relations is proud to have assisted with spokesperson preparation connected to NASA's historic one-year mission. We worked closely NASA's Human Research Program in the year leading up to the mission to hone messages and refine storytelling strategies. We later media trained many of the scientists and researchers involved in the mission. NASA Johnson Space Center's integrated communications campaign showcased diverse activities aboard the International Space Station and collaborated …
DPK Public Relations Founder Daniel Keeney, APR was cited as a crisis communications expert in a Washington Post story about how businesses can navigate through an online attack. The story, "A company under Trump attack makes a bold move: It repeatedly ignores him," by Danielle Paquette examines how Rexnord Corp. handled a series of tweets from the President that sought to shame the company for its decision to move manufacturing work from Indiana to Mexico eliminating 350 jobs. For its part, Rexnord privately explained its rationale for the move to its union but has kept a very low public profile -- even when faced with blistering criticism from the President. In fact, a review of news coverage in the days and weeks after the plant closure news went public shows Rexnord officials declined to comment again and again. As often …
Crisis Planning Can Reduce Crisis Risk and Speed Up Crisis Response Kudos to Jill Odom, editor for the trade publication, Total Landscape Care, for this week's story, "Expecting the unexpected: Managing a public relations crisis." Odom makes the case that every business -- even small businesses -- are at risk of a crisis and need a crisis response plan just in case. The article is worth reviewing and it prompted us at DPK Public Relations to catalogue a few of the biggest benefits we have observed businesses enjoying as a result of going through the crisis planning process. Here are the top five benefits of developing a crisis response plan: 1. The mere act of creating a crisis plan often establishes heightened awareness of crisis risks throughout the organization. By identifying and prioritizing the events that could threaten normal business …
Three Out of Four U.S. Workers Don't Believe Their Employers' Brand Promise Do your employees really believe in you and your company? If CEOs and corporate communicators are being honest, they would not confidently answer 'yes' to that question. According to research from Gallup, three out of four workers in the U.S. feel their organizations do not always deliver on the promises they make to customers. Gallup's Nate Dvorak and Robert Gabsa write about this research and the implications in the post, "Companies Don't Have Effective Brand Ambassadors." As an ongoing responsibility, leaders and managers need to provide employees with relevant tools, education and support. In the modern economy, delivering a brand is becoming more than just providing that product or service; in many cases, it includes an experience and a specific emotion. The most successful organizations ensure they provide these …