Advertisement Ideas: Barilla, Chick Fila, Hobby Lobby Oh My!

These 3 companies made news recently for all the wrong reasons. They all had employees or CEO’s that made missteps when speaking to the media. They each have apologized for their statements however nothing changes the facts that disparaging remarks were made.  I used to think it doesn’t matter if you get good publicity or bad as long as your name is being spelled right, however I as a public relations specialist I have learned that it is imperative that a company or individual is seen in a positive light at all times. As a publicist it is your job to make sure your company representatives from The CEO to The Janitor understand that they represent the company and what they say has a direct effect on the business.

 To address the comments of Barilla competitor Ronzoni issued this statement in a twitter campaign. BY being proactive and capitalizing on the idea of a boycott of Barilla Ronzoni saw a spike in sales and thus increased their market share.  In many cases controversy will create cash, however one has to be very careful about their initial remarks. As a publicist it is important to brief your client on the right things to say. Often it is coaching your client to put their political views away and when something a bit touchy or uncomfortable comes up they can defuse the situation by saying we are in the business of—– and we strive to be of service to everyone that use our products or services. By utilizing this statement it protects the representatives of the company from making a statement that they have to apologize for making. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Barilla, Chick-Fil-a, Hobby Lobby Oh My!!!