AT&T and Verizon Agree to Stop Ad-Claim Catfight: Without Saying Why, Carriers Jointly Dismiss Lawsuits Challenging Ad-Campaign Statements

By: Roseanna Sonnenfeld

 

      AT&T and Verizon have accused each other of lying about cell and 3G coverage-area superiority in TV ads.  One claims to have "more bars in more places" while the others "there's a map for that" ads claim it has far wider coverage.  Even though they have been accusing and throwing arguments at each other, they have now decided to play it nice.  Without explanation, the two competitors both agreed this past week to drop lawsuits against the other. 

 

      I think that having the arguments and lawsuits against each other in the first place was a mistake.  These days it seems as though almost everyone has a cell phone/some kind of technology gadget or needs one.  Because of this, people are buying new phones or new pieces of technology all over the place.  I would think that with the huge amount of people that we have in this country, there would be no need for argument between cell phone companies.  Coverage within a cell phone company is a big deal to people when buying from that company.  But I'm not going to trust the ad on TV for that anyway, I would rather ask the cell phone company at the store for that information.  I really do feel like there are enough people to go around and enough people to keep the cell phone companies busy.  To me, these lawsuits are just something extra for the companies to be arguing over.

 

Read more at http://tinyurl.com/y8m4scn

 

 

Dockers Tries to Remake Its Brand and Image with Launch of Campaign for New Line of Pants Luring Bargain-Hunting Shoppers

By: Roseanna Sonnenfeld

 

      Dockers has recently decided to try to remake its brand and image with the launch of campaign for a new line of pants for bargain-hunting shoppers.  A recent article has said that mroe often than not, brands that ruled the roost in a bygone era fail in their attempts to remake themselves for the younger, hipper crowd of today.  Dockers however is giving it a shot this holiday season with a new line of pants and a new multimedia campaign.  A revamped line includes new colors and fits with attractive price points. 

 

      I do remember the time when dockers was a big deal and then, it just kind of died in a sense.  I think that it is good to see the brand trying to come back and be something exciting for many bargain shoppers.  The brand is seeing that buyers and especially men who would be buying this product are becoming much more price concious, and taking how they look a bit more seriously.  Becuase of this, the brand is offering up this new campaign to grab the attention of these buyers.  One of the things the article talked about was the fact that they have a new multimedia campaign that includes a Super Bowl spot.  I think this is intereseting to see and very smart of the compnay.  Their target audience is aimed towards men, so putting something in with the Super Bowl is definately a smart option to have.  It is good to see that the company is promoting the bargain part of the shopping and concerned with shoppers during the difficult economic times.  Especially because is it obvious that apparel sales are still not up to where they used to be.  Dockers is launching something new in a difficult time and it will be neat to see how the target audience reacts.

 

Read more at www.bulldogreparter.com

What's Tiger Woods Thinking? Crisis Experts Criticize Golf Star's Silent Approach, Which Could Create a PR Nightmare for "Brand Tiger"

By: Roseanna Sonnenfeld

 

      There have been many things written about Tiger Woods and the incident that happened near his home, but no one knows exactly what happened.  The first rule of crisis management is to speak up and address the issue, as many brands have learned the hard way.  Lingering silence just turns little problems into giant problems that are hard to get out of.  Tiger Woods has so far been completely mum about his "incident", refusing to speak with police about what happened and why. 

 

      I think that it is good that Woods wants to keep his personal life just that, his personal life.  That is nobodies business but his own and he should not want other people to know.  By him, as a celebrity, not blurting out all the details, it shows that this was not just another incident put on display in order to get attention.

 

      However, if the police need more information from him as to what happened, that is a different aspect of the story. "When you avoid the police, it not only hurts you in the court of public opinion but it also hurts you in the court of law," says Mike Paul, president of MGP and Associates PR.  For Woods to be avoiding the police shows a sense or lack of respect for the law and for values or moral standards.  This is definitely not good for his brand.  Yes, it is important that he protect his personal life but it is also very important that he obey the law just like any other citizen. 

 

Read more at www.bulldogreporter.com

 

Despite Huge Revenues, Wall Street Financial Firms Make Extra Efforts Not to Celebrate with Luxurious, Image-Damaging Holiday Parties

By: Roseanna Sonnenfeld

 

      Wall Street, over the past couple of years has learned a lesson from the PR nightmares created by bailouts and bonuses over the last year.  Even some of the rich firms are excerscising some humility this holiday season.  Rather than luxerious bashes, like in years past, companies like Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs are planning low-key offices parties to avoid further scrutiny.  "I think the right tone is one that is low key," said David Ellis.

 

      I think this is such a great and smart thing for businesses to be realizing.  I think it would be very unsmart for companies to be spending money on big Christmas bashes, then because of economic circumstances, have to tell their employees, oh sorry you are all getting a cut in your pay.  We spent too much this past holiday season.  The fact that companies are realizing these things and cutting back on events like their holiday get-togethers really shows that employers and owners are concerned with theirs employees.  Whether it be for money purposes or not. 

 

      "Now is not the time to show off," said Brad Hintz, a Sanford Bernstein analyst who tracks several bulge bracket banks.  I think this is a very wise statement and something that some companies should really think about.  By realizing that now is not the time to show off, you are saying that you are more concerned with what is really going on within the company rather than on what people may think is going on within the company.  Which I believe is the right tone to have in this situationn and for the approaching holiday season.

 

 Read more at http://www.bulldogreporter.com

     

     

Lie--a false statement made with deliberate intent to deceive; an intentional untruth; a falsehood.

By Brandon Moore

Over the past few years there have been many public figures that have
been caught and/or accused of lying; some to fans, some to clients,
others to congress and the world. These lies have ruined lives
destroyed stability and caused irreversible emotional and sometimes
physical damage.

On February 13, 2008 Roger Clemens sat in front of Congress and
definitively denied using any performance enhancing drugs. During
these hearings there was also testimony from Clemens former trainer
that he personally injected Clemens with steroids. In addition to
Clemens former trainer, former teammate Andrew Pettitte also stated in
2000 that Clemens took steroids. This case is still under
investigation and if evidence is found Clemens could be charged with
perjury and obstruction of justice.

December 11 2008, Bernard Madoff was arrested after admitting to his
sons that his multibillion dollar company, Bernard L. Madoff
Investment Securities LLC was nothing but a giant ponzi scheme.
Madoff was convicted on over nineteen different counts securities
fraud, mail fraud, wire fraud, money laundering, and perjury. For the
over fifty billion dollars that Madoff stole from his investors he
will due 150 years in federal prison.

In 2004 America's favorite stay at home mom was sentenced to five
months in federal prison after being found guilty of insider trading.
After receiving an unpublicized tip about ImClone Systems Inc., a
cancer research company. Martha's friend Sam Waksal owner of ImClone
tipped Martha off that ImClone's newest cancer drug was rejected by
the FDA. Martha then sold her 4000 shares of ImClone stock.

One of the most notorious white collar crimes ever committed was by
Jeff Skilling, former CEO of the energy giant Enron. Skilling was
convicted of 1 count of conspiracy, 1 count of insider trading, 5
counts of making false statements to auditors, and 12 counts of
securities fraud. These 17 convictions landed Skilling with 24 years
and 4 months in federal prison. Skilling started serving his term in
December of 2006. Skilling is scheduled for release sometime in 2028
when he will be 75 years old. On October 13, 2009 the Supreme Court
accepted Skilling's appeal case and the trial will begin in 2010.

Propaganda is the deliberate, systematic, attempt to shape
perceptions, manipulate cognitions, and direct behavior to achieve a
response that furthers the desired intent of the propagandist.

Though propaganda and lying are never directly correlated it is
obvious that they are in fact one in the same. Both propaganda and
lying are forms of deceitfulness intended to hurt the receiving party.
Through the cases of Roger Clemens, Bernie Madoff, Martha Stewart, and
Jeff Skilling it is plain to see what drastic effects lying can have
on the people around you as well as people that you don't know exist.

It may be a stretch to say that all propaganda is intended and/or used
for negative purposes, but the fact of the matter is that it's true.
Propaganda was used starting back in the 1600's where it was vastly
used within the political and religious circles.

Propaganda in today's society is used to sway people's opinions and
get them to see ideas in a new light. This is the exact situation that
the four people mentioned previously have done. They were all
introduced to what they thought was a short cut to success, rather it
was steroids, or money all four of these people and many others like
them find their fate being decided by the greed that once drove them.

Works Cited:
Zambito, Thomas and Smith, Greg B. (2008, Decemeber 13). Feds say
Bernard Madoff's $50 billion Ponzi scheme was worst ever. Retrieved
October 27, 2009, from New York Daily News:
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2008/12/13/2008-12-13_feds_say_bernard_madoffs_50_billion_ponz.html
(2003, June 4). Press Release. Retrieved October 27, 2009 from
Security and Exchange Commission:
http://www.sec.gov/news/press/2003-69.htm
Salter, Malcolm (2009, February 4). Jeffrey Skilling's Latest Lesson
For Us All. Retrieved October 27, 2009 from Forbes:
http://www.forbes.com/2009/02/04/skilling-fraud-lessons-leadership-governance_0204_salter.html
Jowett G., O'Donnell V. (1999) Propaganda and Persuasion. Thousand
Oaks CA: Sage Publications Inc.

Safety Alert: Advocacy Group's Annual List of "Trouble" Toys Includes Several Items that May Be Toxic, Choking Hazards . or Just Plain Annoying

By: Roseanna Sonnenfeld

 

      The U.S. Public Interest Research Group's 2009 list of dangerous toys was released this week.  It was somewhat of a relief considering all of the troubles the toy industry has dealt with over the last couple of years.  But the organization warns and still feels as if there are many items, including some from leading toymakers that parents should be aware of and steer clear of.  Among the hazards include toys that pose potential choking hazards, toys that have potentially toxic chemicals in them, and toys that are excessively loud.  There are also several toys that do not necessarily pose a hazard but come uncomfortably or dangerously close to violating the restrictions.

 

      The fact that we have a research group that tests all of these toys is significant.  There are so many different restrictions, I feel like it would be hard for these research groups to even keep up with everything that they need to check on.  I am not a parent but I think for many parents, they probably appreciate this very much.  Because of these restrictions, parents can be calmed with information letting them know what is ok for their child to play with and what is not ok for their child to play with.  I do however think that there are some guidelines or restrictions that could be avoided if some parents would give or pay more attention to their kids.  I don't think that I would give my child a toy with potential hazards to it and then leave them alone for an amount of time.  If you think it could be harmful don't give it to your child.  But I am sure that is easier said than done.

 

Read more at http://tinyurl.com/ycocluo

Good News for Retailers: As Black Friday Approaches, New Survey Shows Moms Plan to Increase Spending By 32 Percent This Holiday Season

By: Roseanna Sonnenfeld

 

      Despite the estimated poor outcome for holiday shopping this year as most Americans continue to struggle through the recession, a new survey from parenting website BabyCenter has a brighter outlook on retailers.  According to this survey, mom shoppers plan to spend more on presents this year than they did in 2008.  Poll respondents said they plan to do their shopping online as well as in stores.  There was also more polled who said they would be giving home-made as well as store bought gifts this year.  The results of this survey show both the temporary and the permanent effects of the recession on families and also shows what is really becoming important in these families lives-caring for each other.

 

      This article is encouraging.  I think it is good to see that despite the economy and everything that is going on within it, family is still something that is very important to people.  I think it is good for moms to be concerned with caring for families and their children around the Christmas season.  For some kids, Christmas may be one of the very few times that they get any kind of special gift from their parents.  For parents to realize this and still want to present their kids with something at Christmas, even though maybe financially they cannot afford it, is a beneficial thing for parents to do.  I think it also shows a kind of defiance against our crumbling economy.  It shows that people have come to not be so scared of what is going to happen within their families financially and just spend that extra money around the holiday season.  I think that parents need to continue to be smart with the money that they are spending around the holiday season but it is good to see that moms are aware of what’s important.

 

Read more at http://tinyurl.com/ycynnhf