July 15, 2008
Each day companies, organizations, governments and individuals make decisions that affect their reputation, credibility and key stakeholders. Read Hyde Park's assessment of recent examples of PR prowess and pitfalls...
The GOOD
With its announcement recently that Tom Brokaw would be taking over the helm of Meet the Press for the remainder of the election season, NBC took the right road by choosing a replacement who people know and trust, rather than pushing a new face on us while we're grieving Tim Russert's loss. When a trusted "face" of a brand is lost, the transition can be very difficult and have a negative impact if not handled correctly.
The BAD
First tomatoes, then cilantro or lettuce, and now jalapenos? The government doesn't seem to be doing a good job of investigating and keeping us informed about the cause of the salmonella outbreak--which has now infected more than 1,000 people in 41 states. This food scare has only heightened the public perception that the government is not properly responding to issues with our food supply.
The UGLY
We saw Rev. Jesse Jackson make some disparaging comments about Sen. Barack Obama into a live microphone. The video/audio combo was played in a loop on cable news and blanketed the blogosphere. This reminds us of George W. Bush's less-than-flattering comments about a New York Times reporter or the CNN reporter Kyra Phillip's restroom gossip--broadcasted live. It's always worth remembering mics are always hot.