TOUCHDOWN: KUTCHER WINS THE SHOWDOWN IN TWEET-DOWN

Veritas Team Huddle Compiled By Karl Baldauf

When famed heart-throb of yesteryear, Ashton Kutcher (Mr. Demi Moore), challenged CNN to become the first Twitter profile with one million followers last week, he proved he was more than just a pretty face. On Friday, he won the competition and was interviewed by Larry King, Oprah, and on countless other programs as a social media guru. The Veritas team overwhelming voted to grant Mr. Moore a Touchdown, and cited lessons that many of us non-B-List celebrities can take away from the showdown in Tweet-town. Though largely out of the acting fray for a few years, Kutcher recognized an opportunity and executed a multi-faceted marketing communications campaign (frankly, his billboard advertisements kept on getting all up in my Facebook). In order to sideline criticism that this exercise was merely shameless self-promotion, Kutcher used the race to do some social good; he brought awareness to Malaria No More and brought celebrities on board with donations. Even as critics will argue that the race was meaningless, he effectively showed how social media can be used as a fundraising tool. Kutcher has also established himself as a leader of Web 2.0. In his interview on "Larry King Live", he effectively conveyed himself as a public figure who is excited about new media and the possibilities it holds for alternative broadcasting, proving to the world that in our digital age the leaders are creating themselves. Closer to home, we see politicians increasingly “Tweeting” on their own behalf, demonstrating an authenticity that otherwise cynical citizens appreciate. Ultimately, Kutcher made a fantastic third-party endorsement for Twitter as they build their brand-value. For those of us that thought he was no different than his character on “That 70’s Show”, it appears we’ve been punked.

FUMBLE: OBAMA BURNS THROUGH EARTH DAY

Another communications lesson we talk about, but probably not often enough, is that it’s not just what you say but what you do that shapes your success or failure. The rule even applies to a communications “superstar” like U.S. President Barack Obama, who was scorched this week by a CBS News story detailing how the president’s Earth Day flights from Washington to Iowa and back again burned through more than 9,000 gallons of jet fuel, adding to global warming-causing greenhouse gas emissions. It was particularly painful given Obama’s key messages about conserving energy use and utilizing alternative fuels. He actually flew to an Iowa factory to inspect the construction of towers for wind turbines and to send a very important message to Americans, but that fact was obscured in the CBS News story by the amount of fuel he burned. It’s also a great reminder to all organizations who hope to communicate successfully in the green space – if you have plastic water bottles stacked on a table or are committing other green “sins” your messages can be undermined. The CBS News reporter even went so far as to suggest in his story that it would have been more appropriate for Obama to deliver his Earth Day message from the White House. Remember folks, you also have to walk the walk.

FUMBLE: MISS CALIFORNIA GETS PERSONAL

Disclaimer: I am in no way an expert on pageants. But last weekend’s Miss USA contest provided a great example of the communications rule regarding which hat you wear when you speak to the media. Think of it this way: if your name is John Doe and you work for the Green Company, your name is essentially John ‘Green’ when you do a media interview. Even if you are attempting to express purely personal comments, they will invariably be seen as, in fact, the views of the Green Company. It seems obvious, but is often overlooked. Case in point: Miss California Carrie Prejean was widely considered to be in the lead to win the Miss USA title until the final judge’s question was asked. As the Associated Press reported, “the buzz backstage was that Prejean had the competition ‘in the bag,’ and many of the contestants were surprised when Miss North Carolina scooped the sash.” What happened? The Internet has been abuzz with assertions that it was Prejean’s answer to judge and celebrity blogger Perez Hilton’s question about gay marriage that cost her the crown. She began her answer with reasonable comments about the right to choose in America (which only exists in four states). But then she veered into her own personal opinion. “I think in my country, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody out there, but that’s how I was raised.” At that point, Prejean had stopped speaking as a potential national figure representing the Miss USA organization, and started speaking for herself. That doesn’t work, in most cases. It’s very dangerous. The vast majority of observers feel it cost her the title – she finished as first runner-up – but more importantly it demonstrated the perils of forgetting the context in which you speak to the media, and on whose behalf you are speaking.

FUMBLE: "BABY SHACKER" GAME HURTS APPLE BRAND

From the “who thought THIS was a good idea” file … Apple was forced to apologize this week, after countless complaints over an iPhone application called “Baby Shaker.” The downloadable game required players to see how long they could endure the wails of a crying baby, then shake the virtual infant until it stopped … and red X’s appeared in place of the animated baby’s eyes. Yeesh. Apple was quick to yank the game (developed by an outside supplier) and offer an unqualified apology, describing it as “deeply offensive” and something that never should have been approved for sale. That was absolutely the right communications play. A better one would have been to realize that this was a PR nightmare waiting to happen at the outset. Apple took a PR hit on what was otherwise its arguably brightest brand – the iPhone and the app store which, until now, has generated nothing but positive buzz. In the development of any product or service for public consumption, considering all possible sensitivities is imperative. In our business we call it “war-gaming.” It would seem that Apple omitted this crucial exercise, and their brand is paying for it as a result.

TOUCHDOWN: NEW CN CEO BOOSTS HIS RESUME - AND HIS STORY

It’s smart PR for top executives to get a little media exposure, especially if they’re new in a key position. It provides an opportunity for clarifying goals and objectives and overall brand-building for your organization. Too often, though, the business-leader feature story can be dry as a box of saltines. Not so in the case of a Globe & Mail piece this week on the incoming CEO of CN Rail, Claude Mongeau. He doesn’t take over the top job until January, and in the meantime, he’s going to spend several months working side-by-side with some of the railway’s front-line workers. As the Globe piece put it, Mongeau “will spend three or four months on the tracks, wearing a reflective vest, safety attire and a tag that reads ‘Railroader in Training’ as he takes an in-depth look at the tracks, terminals and repair facilities.” It turns out that Mongeau isn’t just a bean-counter, but already a fully qualified conductor who will upgrade his skills by going through engineer training this summer. "It gives you some idea of what kind of a guy he is," CN chairman David McLean was quoted as saying. Indeed. That kind of colour lifts what might otherwise be a fairly pedestrian business story into something special. Food for thought for all in the business of corporate communications: is there a splash of spice that might liven up your broader story and, ultimately, give your message bigger play as a result?

FUMBLE: THERE'S A THING AS TOO MUCH MEDIA

Media attention for your story is the fundamental goal of what all of us in communications do, but two very different recent cases demonstrate the perils of TOO MUCH media exposure, even when you’ve got a compelling story on the go. The first was that of Baby Kaylee, being cared for at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto on the edge of what was widely expected to be death from a rare syndrome. You’ll recall that her parents met the parents of another infant desperately in need of a heart transplant, and Kaylee’s folks promptly announced their intention to do a direct donation as soon as their daughter succumbed. The issue here is not the parents’ plan or intent involving those poor infants, but rather how the adults dealt with the media spotlight which, in this case, was absolutely blazing. Kaylee’s dad, Jason Wallace, availed himself to talk about the story they were living on a constant basis. At first, it was compelling live TV, but it quickly began to strike many observers within my own sphere as gratuitous, and not something that advanced the story in any way. First, Wallace began sniping at the Sick Kids’ staff, whose work was being dissected – if not hampered – as a result of some of his public comments. Then came news of Wallace’s past criminal record, and a related court appearance this week. Suddenly, he wasn’t so enamoured with being a public figure, chastising reporters outside the courthouse for “asking questions that have zero to do with my daughter” and describing their interest in this newly-discovered part of his life as “the personal attack that’s become the story.” The other case is that of Tara McDonald, mother of Tori Stafford, the child who went missing in Woodstock, Ontario more than two weeks ago. McDonald has, by and large, been a very smooth performer in the countless interviews and daily media briefings she has undertaken since her daughter disappeared. Regular readers of TD&F will know that “balance” is one of the words I use most in this space, and how successful communication depends so heavily on it. McDonald, much like Jason Wallace, is not balancing her engagement with the media. Her stated goal is to keep her missing daughter front and centre in the public’s mind, in the hope that someone, somewhere might be able to supply the information that leads to Tori’s safe return. But by putting herself in front of the cameras on a daily basis, in the absence of any genuinely new developments, she is now faced with questions about hearsay, gossip and other sidebars which, in my view, are ultimately undermining her efforts. She, like Wallace, has taken offense lately to some of the questions reporters have put to her, which demonstrates the potential pitfalls of overexposure. If you’re going to constantly put yourself in the media spotlight, you have to be prepared to deal with everything that comes along with it. Better to pick your spots and use the power of the press to maximum benefit, than risk the negative consequences of overexposure.

TOUCHDOWN: PORTER LANDS SUCCESS WITH HIGH-FLYING COMMUNICATIONS

Veritas Team Huddle Compiled By Kathy Murphy

Sure, initially this week’s announcement of a new member of the board of directors at Porter Airlines doesn’t seem like a lot of news. But when you look at it in the context of ongoing announcements and media relations outreach the company has been doing over the last six months, it becomes obvious that a broader (and effective) communications campaign is helping the company successfully position itself in what is a challenging economic climate for anyone in the airline business. With that in mind, Team Veritas is awarding Porter a solid Touchdown. They are obviously building value for their brand and utilizing communications tactics like floating balloons (tease of potential future IPO, new route expansions), exclusives with business sections of national newspapers (recent piece in the Financial Post by Paul Brent) and participating in industry announcements (recent announcement re: government security funding for Island Airport). Porter is clearly demonstrating that they get the value of driving news and leading the cycle. By being ‘out there’ on a regular basis, they are showing leadership which then begets confidence – both critical elements when considering the challenges their sector is currently facing. As one of my colleagues put it, Porter is doing it right. They aren’t being speculative in a ‘blue sky’ way, but they are cleverly foreshadowing future moves while staying on message - and charting their own course as a result. Nice work, Porter.

TOUCHDOWN: BURKE LAUNCHES PROJECT TAVARES

Sometimes in communications, it just is what it is. Sometimes you’re better off taking the bull by the horns and just laying your cards on the table, rather than waiting and allowing speculation to foment, or allowing others to set the tone of stories about you. So it was a Touchdown to Leafs General Manager Brian Burke this week when he got in front of a microphone and plainly laid out his plan to land the projected No. 1 NHL draft choice John Tavares. As Toronto Star columnist Dave Feschuk noted, Burke is not only the Leafs GM, he’s “also the best columnist in the city. And the crushing thing for the rest of us typists is that he’s dominating the sports pages without even trying.” Indeed, in a post-season wrap-up press conference that could easily have gotten ugly fast had reporters been allowed to focus on the team’s horrible season and missing the playoffs (again), Burke instead completely changed the channel by laying out his Tavares strategy. And he did it by giving great Trudeau-esque ‘just watch me’ quotes, or as Feschuk put it, “Burke reeled off more eloquently phrased, funnier-than-thou, cut-to-the-bone opinions in a half-hour than this slow wit will likely conjure in the coming quadrennial.” It was great stuff. He seized the agenda. He definitely won the day from a communications perspective. Great stuff Mr. Burke.

FUMBLE: PARROTING THE NEGATIVE, 100-0

“I am not a monster,” he says. “I’m not heartless. I’m not someone who would ever go out and try to humiliate an opponent.” I can see the headlines now: “I am not a monster, says coach” or “Not out to humiliate opponent, says coach” – really, take your pick. And what do those headlines really say? Lets face it. That the coach is a monster. That the coach was out for humiliation. As it was, that exact quote above was “blown up” into the size of a photo to attract people’s attention to a column by Phil Taylor in a recent issue of Sports Illustrated. It was about coach Micah Grimes, whose Texas-based Covenant School girls basketball team beat a girls team from Dallas Academy by a score of 100-0 earlier this year. Two weeks after the game, the private school’s headmaster fired Grimes and put an apology up on the Covenant School’s website. News coverage of the story reached as far away as Australia. Anyway, back to the quotes. This was an interview Grimes did to repair his image. Of course, he would have been asked, “what do you say to people who think that beating that team 100-0 makes you some kind of monster?” Or perhaps “were you trying to humiliate them?” What are the “hot” words in those questions? They are “monster” and “humiliate.” As soon as Grimes repeated them back, he took ownership of them, like they had never even been whispered by the journalist. They were his alone, to be used in blown-up quotes or headlines. Folks, always be careful about parroting back loaded words or phrases. Bob and I can help you with this through our Veritas media training program. There are non-inflammatory ways to respond, and to keep your messages reflecting the language of your choice – not the questioner’s.

FUMBLE: CANADIAN CONSULATE CLAMS UP AMID CONQUEST MELTDOWN

Speaking of Canada, media and other countries, what a mess of a story the sudden shut-down of Conquest Vacations has turned out to be. Any tour operator or airline (remember JetsGo vanishing into the ether at the start of March Break a few years ago?) looks awful when they up and disappear, stranding thousands and marring long-anticipated vacations. But this Fumble belongs to the Canadian Consulate in Cancun, Mexico and to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAIT) in Ottawa, for terrible crisis communications regarding the plight of a group of Canadians who ended up practically held hostage at a Mexican resort. The hotel they were booked into by Conquest refused to let them leave unless the guests paid – again – for the cost of the rooms. There were reports of heated arguments and even police involvement. One man called the nearest Canadian Consulate for help, but says he was advised simply to pay what the hotel was demanding – which, in his case, was $300 more than the total price he had already paid Conquest for the air and hotel package. This was an opportunity for someone at the consulate to explain what steps were being taken to help stranded travelers in the Cancun region. Instead, the Consulate said nothing, punted the Toronto Star enquiry to DFAIT in Ottawa, where the best a hapless flak could do was to e-mail the following: "In case of emergency consular assistance, Canadians should contact the nearest Canadian Government Office abroad or DFAIT's Emergency Operations Centre by calling collect to 613-996-8885 or by sending an email to sos(at)international.gc.ca." Brutal. All that was missing was “this is a recording.” Note to all: even if you’re in the middle of a bad story, there is at least the opportunity to outline the goals and objectives of what you’re trying to accomplish in terms of dealing with the situation and helping those who are affected. Better to have an empathetic comment about doing the best you can to help, than a cold and uncaring sounding response like this.

TOUCHDOWN: HARPER RECRUITS SOME A-LIST PR HELP

As a former political press secretary who makes his living as a media relations consultant, I can’t help but think Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s move to hire a couple of former White House press secretaries to help with his U.S. media relations is nothing short of brilliant … but maybe that’s just me. Seriously, here’s why it’s a good move: at a time when a new U.S. administration is making policy decisions amid global economic turbulence – decisions which could potentially impact on this country in huge ways for many years to come – it’s imperative that our issues and our priorities are communicated to key decision-makers south of the border. Harper and other government officials can meet and correspond directly with only so many of them; but by having some profile in the key media publications and programs those decision-makers consume, Harper has a chance to better position Canada’s interests to his target audience. That’s simply public relations in action, and it’s no less important for the Prime Minister of Canada than it is for the CEO of any other major organization. Mind-share and brand building have been perennial challenges for Canada in the United States; it’s good to see a concerted effort to change that. Sidebar: watch for the exact fees being paid to Mike McCurry and Ari Fleisher become the fixation of the parliamentary press gallery in both the short term AND in the next round of freedom-of-information requests filed in Ottawa.

FUMBLE: DOMINO'S SHOULD HAVE BEEN MONITORING ITS BRAND PRESENCE ONLINE

You’ve got to feel sorry for Domino’s Pizza. Two kids – employees – armed with a camcorder and astonishingly bad judgment, do gross things with food in the kitchen, announce that it will soon be eaten by some hapless customer, then upload the footage to YouTube. This is the kind of thing that could happen to virtually any organization – “quick-serve restaurant” sector or anywhere else for that matter – at any time. Every employee represents your brand, especially when it’s a bad scene, so smart organizations are constantly watching their own backs online in blog chatter and on social media sites. Ed Lee, the new Managing Director of our com.motion social media division here at Veritas, does exactly that for a range of our clients, and he was astonished that Domino’s only became aware of the infamous YouTube tape AFTER it had gone fully viral. This, despite our sympathy, is where we cite the Fumble for Domino’s. As an international brand, and one with sizeable communications resources, they really should have been on this one themselves. Now, to give credit where it is due, I commend Domino’s for not over-reacting in their crisis communications. It’s always a fine line to walk, between trying to blow out the flames and potentially fanning them even higher, and Domino’s wisely played it cool at first, responding largely in the social media realms where the problem first arose (YouTube, with amplification via Twitter). They kept close watch on how the story was playing out, and adjusted their strategy as it rolled. Overall, most seem to be taking the issue as managed – not a systemic failure, but an isolated case of brand vandalism. But the lesson for all organizations is that it’s imperative to keep close watch on what’s being said and posted about you online. Read our more detailed analysis of the Domino’s debacle here.

TOUCHDOWN: AVALANCHE CENTRE REACTS TO RAISE AWARENESS

Veritas Team Huddle Compiled By Laura Modesto

Inspired by an almost-disaster in B.C, this week, this the Canadian Avalanche Centre (CAC) gets a Touchdown from the Veritas team for its reaction to a YouTube video) that captured the dangerous practice of "high marking," and the near-death experience of a snowmobiler who triggered a sizeable avalanche in the process. When it comes to media relations and getting your message out, we advise our clients to be proactive. But sometimes it's just as important to REACT. The CAC leveraged the YouTube video to raise awareness about one of their key messages: avalanche safety. After the deadliest avalanche season for snowmobilers on record, this message is relevant and timely, hence the pick-up by media outlets across the country. CAC also gets the Touchdown for recognizing the importance of social media and the role it plays in the mainstream media. Things like this YouTube video are ready-made news bites. They're like a bit of b-roll footage, and now we're seeing media build their stories around them. The lesson? Pay attention to the online world and don't be afraid to speak up when the opportunity presents itself.

TOUCHDOWN: BOARD OF TRADE AND BEDROOMS

The suggestion that downtown Toronto could become a kind of sleepy bedroom suburb to the rest of the GTA (suburbs) was a key message with enough horsepower behind it to really drive media coverage of the Toronto Board of Trade's "Scorecard on Prosperity" report this week. So kudos to President Carol Wilding and her team for really putting some zing behind what otherwise can be pretty dry economic data and giving media a chance to sink their teeth into a strong counter-intuitive storyline. "Toronto a suburb? It's begun" informed the boldface Toronto Star headline. "Ontario a place to grow - at least in the 905" blared the Globe and Mail headline. In the National Post, President Wilding was quoted as saying: "In many ways, Toronto can actually be the bedroom community for the suburbs, which tend to be the stronger economic engine - and you would expect the reverse." It's all about taxes, the report noted, and the fact that corporations who locate in the GTA region are increasingly being lured out to the suburbs (as they have for quite some time) to locate their offices and operations in a more tax-friendly jurisdiction outside the City of Toronto. Wilding called the report's findings "a tale of two cities." She also conducted extensive radio interviews to get the message across about what Toronto needs to do to remain competitive.

TOUCHDOWN: EASTER BUNNY WARNING IS TIMELY

Timeliness is a communications tactic. Regular TD&F readers will recall Bob and I writing about this in the past - how some effective communicators latch on to a time of year or holiday and use their creativity to get their message out, a message that otherwise might have fallen on deaf ears. That was the case this week with Toronto Star reporter Noor Javed's story headlined "This Easter, make your bunny chocolate." Both Rabbit Rescue, a Milton-based registered charity, and the Toronto Humane Society were quoted in Javed's piece about why families should be cautious about impulse pet rabbit purchases around this Easter weekend. "Easter purchases are often impulse purchases," said Haviva Lush, Executive Director of Rabbit Rescue. "They will just be returned later on. We do find that in the months following Easter we have an influx of surrenders, because people don't have any idea what they have gotten themselves into." She said most people who think about getting a pet rabbit don't realize that it's an approximate 10-year commitment to the furry member of the family, and that they need to be spayed or neutered given their reproductive tendencies. Added Ian McConachie, a spokesperson with the Toronto Humane Society, which tries to place abandoned rabbits in responsible homes: "We try to screen really carefully, and if we think if someone hasn't considered or thought this all through, we refuse them, and say 'do a little more research and come back in a few weeks.'" It was a timely reminder, well-played by both organizations. At Veritas, we often sit down with clients, get out the calendar and analyze key dates over the coming year in terms of what opportunities lay ahead.

TOUCHDOWN(S): OBAMA AND CLEMENT SPEAK TO THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM

Two different public figures on two different issues, but both illustrate a similar point. Usually we counsel our clients to focus on positive aspects of their messages, talking about what a situation IS, rather than what it isn't, or what may or may not happen. Well, rules are made to be broken, and when circumstances warrant, sometimes grabbing an elephant in the room right by the tusks is the best strategy. That's what U.S. President Barack Obama did in Turkey this week, when he stated unequivocably that "the United States is not, and never will be, at war with Islam." Leaders from around the Arab world hailed the strong pronouncement, and the Globe & Mail's Patrick Martin wrote "in the space of little more than 24 hours ... Obama made enormous strides in doing away with 7 1/2 years of America's perceived Islamophobia." In the other corner was our federal Industry Minister, Tony Clement, agreeing that it is possible that an auto giant like General Motors or Chrysler could conceivably go bankrupt. "There used to be a phrase in the auto sector, 'too big to fail.' I don't think that phrase exists anymore in this sector or any other sector," he said. Too much attention to negativity can derail the rest of your message if you're not careful, but under the right circumstances, sometimes the best thing to do is address it head-on.

FUMBLE: GREENPEACE PR STUNT CAUSES PANIC

In the earned media business, we often have to walk the line with communications strategies between being bold and edgy enough to break through all the other noise with a message, while not pushing the envelope too far. Greenpeace did the latter this week, with a stunt aimed at getting coverage for its message about potential dangers posed by nuclear power plants located close to the population concentrated in Toronto and the surrounding area. The tactic involved delivering little green pills to homes in the city, with a note from Greenpeace advising residents to take them as a precaution against radiation exposure. Some who received the pills were alarmed enough to call police, who issued warnings against taking them, and had them sent to a lab for analysis. Turns out the tablets were harmless seaweed-derived iodine pills, but the uproar ended up overwhelming the message, earning a New York Times blog entry headed "When Scare Tactics Backfire."

TOUCHDOWN OR FUMBLE? YOUR CALL ON BILLY BOB'S BIZARRE INTERVIEW

There's a band called the Boxmasters, their leader is a guy named Billy Bob Thornton, and they were interviewed yesterday by Jian Gomeshi on his CBC Radio program "Q." During the intro to the interview with the band, Gomeshi mentioned that, yes, it's the same Billy Bob Thornton known for his starring roles in Hollywood movies like "Sling Blade" and "Monster's Ball." The interview itself was all about the band and the music, but apparently Gomeshi's brief reference to Thornton's film career - essential, to put the whole thing in context, as he would later explain directly to Billy Bob - was all it took for the bizarre movie star to flip into a funk, responding to most questions with either non-answers or non-sequitors. Gomeshi soldiered on with the other band members - the ones willing to talk - before finally asking Thornton what gives? Billy Bob vented about how Gomeshi had "broken the rules" by mentioning his film career ... a move which Gomeshi ably defended. Ultimately, and uncomfortably, the interview continued, ending with Thornton refusing to perform with the rest of the band. Thornton came across as a petulant, sometimes delusional ("you wouldn't ask Tom Petty if music was his first love") prima donna, and I can barely count how many people sent me "have you seen THIS?" emails (watch the whole thing here ). In the aftermath, both Thornton's band and Gomeshi's radio show have ended up with way more publicity than they've probably ever gotten previously, with even notorious celeb-watching website tmz.com picking up on the fracas. So we're going to let you make the call on this one: was it a Fumble for Billy Bob to squander a national interview opportunity? Or, by playing the bizarre card, did he generate way more buzz and attention than a straight-up chat about his new venture ever would have otherwise garnered (see "Phoneix, Joaquin")? Discuss it on our blog - I'm curious to get your take on this one.

FUMBLE: PRINCIPAL SENDS THE WRONG SIGNAL, LOUD AND CLEAR

Veritas Team Huddle Compiled By Lisa Richards

Students are more wired than ever, with accessories like computers, mp3 players and cell phones all within arm's length. In the classroom though, these can be more of a distraction than a learning aid. Vancouver Island principal Steve Gray of Port Hardy Secondary found that despite a 2007 ban that restricted students from bringing these devices into the classroom, they were still texting and talking during learning time. To curb this activity, Principal Gray purchased a mail order jamming device (which he claims he did not know was illegal) in an attempt to prevent the phones from communicating within the school. Following a student-led protest against the school’s use of the illegal jammer, Gray disconnected the device stating, “I’m going to hold onto it and hope the regulations follow reality.” Now, the Veritas team concurs that decisive action definitely had to be taken, but from a communications standpoint, Gray earns himself a few Fumbles. When students first questioned why their phones weren’t working, some teachers blamed it on the humidity; faculty lying to students instantly creates an internal atmosphere of distrust. Further, noting that he would ‘hold onto it’ implies that Gray will use it again if necessary. As one student so cleanly put it, “Breaking the law is not a good way to send a message.” Gray could have used the media attention as an opportunity to underscore his core messages and present statistics illustrating how text time in class detracts from learning – an important fact that would resonate with parents and the public alike. Instead, Gray’s quotes come off as defensive and detract from the issue he intended to address in the first place. Controlling the communication and sending a consistent message through words and actions could have earned Gray a Touchdown. Instead, we call this a Fumble.

TOUCHDOWN: GERRETSEN ELECTRONICS ANNOUNCEMENT CUTTING EDGE

Sometimes it’s the smallest touches that really have a big impact in communications. So it was this week at the Ontario Electronic Stewardship announcement of a new industry-led program to recycle electronic components like tub TVs, computer monitors, computer parts and printers. The stage on which Environment Minister John Gerretsen spoke was custom-designed with shelves of old electronic equipment as a backdrop, but the coolest thing was the podium. How many times have you seen the standard speaker’s podium with some organization’s logo papered onto it? Ho hum. This podium was custom-made to resemble an old 1950s TV set, with the OES logo embedded in it. That was a great visual. And as usual, Minister Gerretsen hit the communications on this program out of the park, both at the event and in several separate media interviews such as on CBC’s Metro Morning. “What it’s really all about is to make sure all electronic equipment is being dealt with in a proper and efficient manner,” he said. “It’s all a part of making the producers of the materials responsible ultimately for the reuse or recycling or reprocessing of the material at their end of life cycle. For every piece of electronic equipment we can keep out of our landfill sites, we're better for it.” Exactly. Add great B-roll for the TV networks and the announcement was another big TD.

TOUCHDOWN: NBC NEWS' MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Okay, how can we possibly Touchdown a media outlet for its communications? Well, today media companies are like many others out there - companies struggling through an increasingly difficult economy, trying to maintain relevance and a connection with their audience. And recently there has been much criticism of media outlets for being “too negative” and focusing on bad economic news. The theory is that to the extent consumer behaviour is influenced by media reporting, that these “nattering nabobs of negativity” (as Richard Nixon famously called them) are helping drive the economy further down. So that’s why it’s kudos to NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams. Their website has a headline: “Keep sending us your good news!” It’s followed by a pitch from anchor Williams: “We are always looking for good news, especially in this economy. Specifically, here’s our request: nominate people who are doing good things where you live or work, perhaps a random or regular act of kindness in a cruel economy.” The result has been NBC’s “Making a Difference” report, which airs at the end of each nightly newscast and really has become, for some of us, a must see. You can check it out on their website. Williams introduces each item and shows the viewer email that prompted it, then airs a full piece about how some Americans have banded together in a cause or random gesture to help people less fortunate than themselves. It’s a great message about community that NBC is sending and it also demonstrates how the NBC News brand can remain relevant and connected to its viewers. I call that a Touchdown in the very best sense of the term. Something to think about for all us communicators in these economic times we live in.

TOUCHDOWN: CITO SENDS CLEMENS A REAL ROCKET

“He’s an a-----e.” That’s how Toronto Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston responded to reporters, who asked what he thought about former Jays’ pitcher Roger Clemens taking credit in a new book for getting Gaston fired from the club in 1997. It was a blunt, shocking, and downright vulgar way of describing someone to reporters – but due to the rare circumstances at hand, it was a communications Touchdown nonetheless. How? A couple of factors at play: first, Gaston has spent years building tremendous goodwill with the reporters who cover his beat. He’s accessible, honest, fair and overall pretty helpful to the sports media, and they respect him for it. Second, it’s pretty out of character for Gaston to say something like that about anyone, especially a former star for his team – so for him to say it, he must really mean it. Third, he said it “with a chuckle,” yet went on for several minutes to talk about Clemens’ difficult off-field demeanour and attitude, again demonstrating that he was not lashing out in anger, but being forthright and thoughtful despite the strong nature of his comments. Strong language can be an extremely effective tool for getting a message heard, but like any sharp blade, it must be handled with precision and only by those who know what they’re doing – like Cito Gaston.

TOUCHDOWN: ORNGE AIR AMBULANCE SERVICE FLIES HIGH IN STAR SERIES

It can be one of the most high-risk media relations tactics of all, but if all goes well, the payoff can be invaluable. I’m talking about inviting reporters inside your operation, letting them observe and report on what happens during a day (or several) in the life. Health care environments, which provide both human drama and public policy angles, tend to be popular choices for this kind of embedded journalism. “Ride alongs” with cops and firefighters have generated some compelling results as well, and it was this kind of arrangement which saw a team of Toronto Star reporters spend time inside and in-flight with the ORNGE air ambulance operation recently. The resulting series of articles (and video reports on www.thestar.com) was a communications Touchdown for ORNGE, dubbed “the trauma rooms of the air” in the series. Blow-by-blow details of rescue missions made for page-turning stuff, plus ORNGE got to tell the story of how it has come from a “fragmented system plagued with medical and aviation problems” to “a world leader in air medical transport,” as described by the Star. Plus that video footage was really, really cool …

FUMBLE: CITY COUNCILOR GOES TO WAR WITH THE MEDIA

“Don’t go to war with people who buy ink by the barrel,” the old adage states. Ditto those who broadcast by the megawatt. Toronto City Councillor Adam Vaughan ought to know, being a former TV reporter himself for many years (CBC and CITY), but when news broke of several (five) restaurant and food store closures by health inspectors in the Kensington Market and Chinatown areas of his ward, he decided to shoot the messengers. In live on-air exchanges with both CFRB and CITY, Vaughan noted that those neighbourhoods have among the highest concentrations of restaurants and food markets in the city, so the handful of sanitation concerns should be looked at in proper perspective. So far, so good. But then, particularly in the CITY-TV interview, he launched into what can only be described as a tirade about shoddy journalism, blaming the media for “putting family businesses into bankruptcy” by “painting an entire community with the same brush.” He went on to claim that during his tenure at CITY, he was ordered to edit negative elements out of a story because the business involved was an advertiser with the station, and finally pronounced the reporting on the current story as “having a tinge of racism.” It’s entirely appropriate to raise questions of journalistic balance if you feel a story lacks proper perspective, but alleging racism is motivating reporting on public health violations because they happen to occur in an ethnic neighbourhood is as foolish an allegation as it is serious. We would counsel any client of ours that, if you were ever to consider leveling such a charge against a major media outlet, you’d better be armed to the teeth with specific, detailed evidence to back up your claim – otherwise you run the risk of making an already bad story much, much worse.