As PR professionals who understand the importance of a carefully crafted message and media relations, nothing makes our blood boil faster than individuals who make unfiltered statements that could majorly impact their brand. Alternatively, nothing makes us cheer more than a brand that protects itself from embarrassment and criticism. Here’s our top two PR case studies of the week:
Johnny’s Ice House Safety Blunder
Earlier this week, Johnny’s Ice House, a facility on the West side of Chicago known for recreational hockey leagues and a practice rink for the Blackhawks, experienced an armed robbery. Concerned about his safety, amateur hockey player Tim O’Shea contacted the management office. In response, he received a message from the General Manager indicating they were taking the incident very seriously and working with police. The GM also shared the following message:
“As far as your concerns with safety it is the city of Chicago and these things happen all over the place. It is unfortunate but true. If you or your friends are questioning your association with the league due to safety concerns then I would suggest that perhaps the city is not for you and you should look into playing in the suburbs.”
At this point, all publicists were cringing. But it gets worse… O’Shea shared his concerns with NBC 5, which caught the attention of the owner of Johnny’s Ice House, who banned O’Shea from their facility and issued the following statement:
“I informed both of your captains that you are no longer welcome in our buildings. You are a coward Mr. O’Shea, do not ever contact us again or we will inform the police that you are harassing our employees. I hope you enjoyed your 5 minutes of fame.”
Yikes! What were they thinking? Needless to say, Johnny’s Ice House is in the news for all the wrong reasons. In the digital age of PR, it is important to remember that no emails are completely confidential and any statement from management should be reviewed before hitting the “send” button. One bad email can tarnish the brand and it takes a great deal of community goodwill to restore a brand’s reputation (if possible at all).
L’Oreal Drops Belgian Model
Multinational beauty conglomerate L’Oreal ended its contract with 17-year-old beauty and World Cup fan, Axelle Despiegelaere, before the ink on her signature had dried. Shortly after announcing her modelling contract on Facebook, the teen posted a photo of her holding a rifle, proudly sitting behind what appears to be a dead gazelle she shot while hunting. The caption read: “Hunting is not a matter of life or death. It’s much more important than that..this was about 1 year ago…ready to hunt Americans today haha.”
Fans immediately reacted to the post, promptly L’Oreal to take action. L’Oreal’s rep responded with”L’Oréal Professionnel Belgium collaborated with her on an ad hoc basis to produce a video for social media use in Belgium. The contract has now been completed.” The rep also said that L’Oréal “no longer tests on animals, anywhere in the world, and does not delegate this task to others.”
Publicists around the world gave high fives! Kudos to the L’Oreal PR team for taking the situation seriously and responding accordingly. Their message was clear, concise and most importantly, prompt.
