FUMBLE: NO SEAL OF APPROVAL

Marketing communications can be thought of as a dance. One has to consider timing, position, partners, other dancers, etc. A motion put forward by Bloc Québécois member Raynald Blais, and unanimously supported in Parliament, to use the Olympic Games as a venue to promote products from the seal hunt—in specific the idea of including some seal skin on the Canadian Olympic uniforms – was a demonstration of how not to dance. Timing. Firstly, the uniforms have not only already been designed, they are already in production, which effectively marooned the idea. And because this was said to be a ‘symbolic suggestion’, it didn’t have to be done on the heels of both the seal hunt and the European Union’s ban of Canadian seal products. Doing so only put the Canadian Parliament on the defensive. Position. The desire was to express support for the sealing industry and to inform people that this industry goes far beyond the graphic images that are seen. However, this got lost because the key external parties were not fully considered. Partners. The Canadian Olympic Committee quickly shot down the proposal saying that the use of seal products on Olympians’ gear would politicize the games. “It’s our intent for our athletes to remain free of the politics that arise in and around the Olympic Games,” said COC president Mike Chambers. A clear demonstration of the importance of having your partners on board before mentioning them… you don’t start dancing with someone without asking them first. While the COC’s statements demonstrated their understanding of the situation, the same can’t be said for comments from some of the MPs. Other Dancers. When dealing with a contentious issue it is always important to use diplomacy and tact. Asked about how Canadian Olympians might feel about being forced to wear animal pelts, Bloc leader Gilles Duceppe pointed to his shoes and responded, “They’re not made out of plastic. They’re not made of straw. They come from an animal.” This wasn’t a well choreographed marketing dance. Rather, it was a fall of Olympian proportions down the stairs.