Meet The Media

Social Media Horror Stories
Blogs, Facebook, Twitter, etc. can be powerful marketing tools…or damaging to brands that misunderstand social media.

Read about the “Where do lost Chapsticks go?” faux pas and two other case studies.

Good Strategy For Handling Bad News
In-a-nutshell: DO THE OPPOSITE of what Jerry Sandusky and Herman Cain did!
HC explains, on The Heidi Harris Show.
As we’ve seen from Watergate to Monica, the cover-up can be worse than the crime.

Managing Bad News 101: Get-out-in-front-of the story.
Tips for handling unfavorable news about your company:

Act quickly. The sooner you confront a negative story, the sooner it will be over. Responding as quickly to negative stories as you do to positive ones enhances your credibility.

Be honest. Hiding embarrassing information or lying will do more damage than damage control. Never stonewall.

Tell your side of the story. Use specifics, and detail what corrective action “HAS ALREADY BEEN TAKEN.” You’ll sound responsible and in-control.

Respond in kind. If the issue is emotional, don’t sound like a cold, unemotional Mr. Spock. “I HAVE A TEENAGE DAUGHTER MYSELF, AND I KNOW HOW MUCH OUR EMPLOYEE’S COMMENTS MUST HAVE HURT.”

As for Sandusky: DON’T do the interview!

If you’re about to be interviewed…
Today’s Tips: 1 “DO,” and 1 “DON’T:”
If you’re a politician, do quickly characterize whatever-you-just-said as “common sense.”
If you’re an author, don’t say “in my book” when interviewed. ONLY refer to it by title.

Do their homework for them.
From The Survival Speech Manifesto: “At the end of the speech, what one thing do you want ‘em to remember? Prep accordingly.”

Know this about the person who will interview you:
1. He/she is busy. Expect minimal, if any, prep on his/her part.
2. He/she doesn’t know as-much-about-your-topic as you do.
3. He/she isn’t as concerned with you-gettting-YOUR-message-out as you are.

YOU should take responsibility. Provide something like this, the document I send when I’ve confirmed a media interview. Keep it simple, and on-message. You’ll like the results.

How NOT to Conduct Your Media Interview…
…and what-NOT-to-do afterward. When Delaware U.S. Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell criticized her opponent’s management of county finances, WDEL host Rick Jensen asked the obvious question: “What would you have done differently?”

Even radio has pictures now, and the camera never blinks.
Watch O’Donnell squirm then dismissively snap-her-fingers at an aide who’s trying to ghost a response to the question she was struggling to answer.

THEN SHE SWATS HIM! It was like kicking-the-dog.
But that wasn’t the end of it. After the interview, Team Christine threatened to sue the radio station unless they destroyed the video…which immediately went viral online.

Survival Speech 101: Don’t break-into jail. Or, as lawyers say: “Never ask a question if you don’t already know the answer.”

“This just in…
‘Fox News’ is an oxymoron.”