VERITAS: TOUCHDOWN - ONLINE PROPOSAL WARMS HEARTS

When normal people propose to their loved ones, it is usually a case of getting down on one knee, revealing the rock and then hopefully popping the champagne. But when social media-ite Justin Johnson proposed to his fiancé Marissa, he had a special idea in mind. Helped by his friends at the blogging service tumblr, he created what’s known in the online ad world as a “takeover” where every user's admin page was reconfigured to host a charming video proposal. She said yes but a “technical glitch” prevented her message back from being displayed, leading in turn to a slew of messages to Marissa instructing her to “visit tumblr and say YES”. The proposal garnered more than 9,000 messages of support along with the cynical gazes of other online commentators. As one said “Happiness is a pill hard swallowed by the unhappy.” However, in this inaugural Special Teams piece, I give Justin and tumblr a Touchdown. Justin, for having the guts to put his heart on his sleeve and communicate his feelings not just to his soon-to-be wife but to the world; and to tumblr for finding a really wonderful feel good story to test a new ad format on. Undoubtedly we’ll see this being rolled out by tumblr as a formal offering for advertisers and, with a success story like this, who could turn them down? For more, on the story and the inevitable technical glitches check out New Tee Vee.

VERITAS: TOUCHDOWN - MS SOCIETY RECOVERS FAST AND TAKES LEADERSHIP POSITION

A great story appeared in the Globe and Mail last Saturday with a complementary documentary on CTV’s W-FIVE that heralded research done in Italy by Dr. Paolo Zamboni that, in the words of the Globe, “could well turn what we know about Multiple Sclerosis on its head.” In Canada, with one of the world’s highest rates of MS, it is very exciting news and the story was full of some wonderfully positive anecdotes about patients who have been treated successfully. And where was the MS Society of Canada on this? When initially asked about it they said, “many questions remain about how and when this phenomenon might play a role in nervous system damage seen in MS, and at the present time there is insufficient evidence to suggest that this phenomenon is the cause of MS,” which seems to be the equivalent of saying we’re not interested. However, it’s what followed that, in the view of TD&F, gives them a Touchdown. On Monday, they not only praised the “encouraging results” but put their money where their mouth is and issued an invitation for research proposals to get the evidence needed to validate it. It was a rapid response from an agency not necessarily known for speed and it was consistent with their earlier comments that there is insufficient evidence at this point in time. By championing new research, the move actually positions them in a leadership role.

VERITAS: FUMBLE -CRIB CRISIS

When crisis hits, it can be tempting to run and hide or to become defensive. How you deal with a crisis can make or break your company’s reputation. That’s the challenge B.C.’s Stork Craft Manufacturing Inc. was faced with this week as it became the centre of the largest crib recall in Canadian and U.S. history. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the voluntary recall of 2.1 million of the company's drop-side cribs, saying that more than 100 injuries and four infant deaths had been linked to the products. Health Canada issued a similar warning. The news sent parents scrambling, crashing the company’s website and jamming the phone lines for hours. Stork Craft’s President and CEO, Jim Moore, responded by shifting the blame to caregivers, telling reporters that the deaths were a result of improper use, "We do have to tell people these cribs are safe, if you follow the assembly instructions correctly and heed the warnings.” Not only did he essentially absolve his company of any blame, he did not express any concern or sympathy for panicked parents. Empathy is a powerful yet often overlooked communications tool in a crisis situation. By expressing genuine concern, Stork Craft could have established a human connection with the people affected who might have been a bit more understanding about the situation. Instead, the company is now facing a long list of class-action lawsuits and a Veritas Fumble.

VERITAS: TOUCHDOWN - THE MUPPETS ARE BACK!!

OK, time to break the thread here … well, except maybe for Beaker. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Anyway, the single most forwarded viral video clip I’ve been bombarded with in a loooong time is that of the Muppets doing a brilliant take on the Queen classic “Bohemian Rhapsody.” If you haven’t yet seen it, pull your mouse out from whatever rock it has been trapped under, and get thee over to YouTube. I didn’t know anything about it until it started popping up on Facebook and everywhere, but that’s what makes it viral – turns out that Disney, who bought the Muppet franchise a few years ago, released the clip to coincide with the 18th anniversary of Freddie Mercury’s death this week. But the company’s broader PR motive is to put some fresh life into a brand that hasn’t been up to much over the past number of years, to the point where there is now a cohort of little kids who have no idea who Animal, Miss Piggy, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew or even Gonzo The Great are. This oughta go a long way toward fixing that … MAMA!!

VERITAS: TOUCHDOWN - FORMER IDOL BLAZES OWN TRAIL

On a somewhat similar note, Adam Lambert kept his orientation close to his chest when he was an American Idol contestant, but after finishing second to some other guy who has gotten way less attention ever since (and at the time, too, for that matter), Lambert has become one of the few former Idols to maintain some pop culture interest. His biggest performance to date was last Sunday’s American Music Awards broadcast, at which he ruffled some feathers with a decidedly risqué number – one that quickly became the headline item on the coverage of the event. So controversial were his same-sex kiss and other stage shenanigans that ABC’s Good Morning America program promptly unbooked him from a scheduled Wednesday morning follow-up spot. CBS snapped him up for its rival “Early Show,” during which Lambert pointedly didn’t apologize. “I admit I did get carried away, but I don’t see anything wrong with it. I do see how people got offended, and that was not my intention,” he said. Normally, we would counsel clients in hot water – regardless of intention – to apologize for the unintended offense, but Lambert had a point to make: “Janet Jackson’s crotch grab – I haven’t heard one peep about that.” His message was clear: there’s a double standard at play between the tolerance for edgy performances from straight artists versus gay ones. Touchdown. Now, a warning to young Mr. Lambert: all publicity is not necessarily good publicity. He has gotten a great ride out of the controversy around his spot on the AMA’s – but if his next high-profile performance is similarly about the shock rather than the rock (and his ability as a singer), he runs the risk of cementing his still-being-formed brand in the wrong direction. Caveat rocker.

VERITAS: TOUCHDOWN - LEAFS GM PRAISES NEWLY "OUT" SON

Brian Burke is the President and General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs. His son Brendan is a former goalie and holds a staff position with the highly regarded University of Miami (Ohio) hockey team, currently ranked first in the NCAA. The hockey world – long a bastion of machismo – hasn’t had an openly gay figure within it, until now. Brendan Burke disclosed his homosexuality in an interview with ESPN.com this week, and it has attracted a lot of attention for both son and, here in Toronto, for father as well. Brian Burke, a quintessential hockey tough guy, has responded with nothing but loving and supportive comments for his boy. “I just wish every parent could experience having a child like him,” he said, who recognizes the trail-blazing position that both he and his son are now in. “I've got six kids, I drive a truck, I own a shotgun and I chew tobacco, so sure, this adds a different dimension,” he said. “This isn't about me and it isn't about the GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs. It's about a young man who has done something that takes a lot of courage. But if my acceptance can turn into more acceptance on the part of other people, that's great.” Brian Burke understands that his position in the sports world has given him a chance to send a very strong message with respect to this family development, and he has done so with clarity and class. Brendan’s boss had been similarly supportive in his public comments, and the younger Burke has also been impressive in his communications: “Imagine if I was in the opposite situation, with a family that wouldn't accept me, working for a sports team where I knew I couldn't come out because I'd be fired or ostracized,” Brendan told ESPN.com. “People in that situation deserve to know that they can feel safe, that sports isn't all homophobic and that there are plenty of people in sports who accept people for who they are.” Sure, it’s hockey, but it’s still Touchdowns all around.

VERITAS: TOUCHDOWN - GOING ROGUE, YOU BETCHA

This week's perspective from Beverley Hammond

If it seemed like Sarah Palin was everywhere you looked this week, it’s because she was. It was like Palin-Palooza with her new book “Going Rogue: an American Life” in virtually every media format from news to entertainment news, late night talk to drive time radio chatter. It felt more like a Harry Potter release than the launch of a political autobiography. While the book appears to be all about exacting revenge on those who wronged her during her failed Vice Presidential bid, the book launch itself was far more pop culture than politics - as evidenced by her leaving Sean Hannity of FOX News and Conservative talk radio king Rush Limbaugh waiting for interviews until after she sat down with “those liberal media types” Barbara Walters and Oprah Winfrey. As Robert Thompson, director of the Bleier Centre for Television and Popular Culture at Syracuse University put it, "this 'second-wave Palinism' seems a lot less likely to be aiming toward the White House than toward her own television show". Her interview with Oprah has been described as a “talk-show marriage made in ratings heaven” and when Regis and Kelly observed that it served as an example of how America can accommodate different points of view (to wild applause from their New York studio audience) it was obvious the launch strategy worked. Through all of it, Palin followed the rules by staying true to her brand and sticking to that “aw-shucks” style she tried to ride to the White House last year. What didn’t work at the polls made for some great daytime TV and then subsequent news content around the globe, including her reference to Katie Couric (whose infamous campaign interview with Palin suggested she didn’t read a newspaper) as “the perky one” and her assessment of media reports about her family as “bull-crap.” For Americans, it seems not having to worry about whether she’ll be Commander in Chief makes it a lot easier to enjoy her. This week the number of fans on her Palin Facebook page broke the million member mark and bookstores can’t keep up with demand for “Going Rogue.” As Mitch Potter reported in the Toronto Star, even though polling would suggest she doesn’t have a chance at the White House, as a candidate for celebrity, Palin has won. By a landslide.

VERITAS: FUMBLE - EMAIL FUMBLE BRINGS LEGAL TROUBLE TO SILICON VALLEY GOLDEN BOY

This week's perspective from Ed Lee:

News this week that eBay, the online auction site, had sold the Web phone call company, Skype, back to its founders also uncovered a cautionary tale in online privacy. During the protracted sale process, Skype founders Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis, now running the online TV venture Joost, found themselves bidding against a consortium of venture capital funds, led by Index Ventures for their creation. Nothing new in that but the lead VC firm was proposing former Cisco executive Mike Volpi as the chairman and CEO of Skype, should they be successful in their acquisition. So what’s the problem? That Mike Volpi was the acting CEO of Joost – in effect, bidding for his potential employers against his existing employers! We can’t comment on the legal play but what we can call out is the communications fumble of Volpi using his work email address to conduct negotiations with Index Ventures and providing critical intelligence and unbounded criticism against his employers. As both communicators and consumers, we get lulled into a false sense of security when it comes to using email, thinking it is secure and that only the recipient can read it but in truth, email is far more like a postcard than a sealed letter. Almost anyone can read your email if they really want to. So what does this tell us? Never use your work email for anything other than work and always think about how your emails will seem if they are uncovered and published (with or without context) or used in court filings, as they are now.

VERITAS: FUMBLE - PATIENCE WITH CALGARY PARKING AUTHORITY EXPIRES

This week's perspective from Kathy Barnett:

A clip from Global TV Calgary caught my eye this week. It asked, “How do you call a news conference to cut rates, and end up making a whole city furious?” The Calgary Parking Authority did just that when its General Manager, Dale Fraser, called a news conference (to the surprise of City Council) to announce rate reductions in key downtown parking zones. While the move might seem like a PR home run, it quickly turned into an unmitigated disaster when savvy reporters took the opportunity at the newser to question Fraser about budget documents released the day before. Those documents outlined a number of proposed revenue generators for the CPA – including extending hours for metered parking, and charging for parking on Sundays and holidays – to recoup the shortfall the rate reductions would cause. Council officials quickly took an opposing stance, the resulting media coverage was less than flattering, and the public outcry was immediate – plunging the CPA into damage control mode. All in all, it was an ugly, ugly fumble. Regardless of the logic behind the proposed changes, trying to spin part of the package into a good news story and expecting that the remaining goods will go unnoticed is a dangerous strategy. No matter how lovely the lipstick, if it’s on a pig…well…you get my point.

VERITAS: FIRST DOWN - MACKAY REFUTES TORTURE ALLEGATIONS

Some very, very tough questions were put to Defence Minister Peter MacKay both in the House of Commons and in a series of media appearances yesterday, in the wake of claims by a former senior diplomat that Afghan prisoners handed over to their countrymen by the Canadian Forces a few years ago ended up being tortured in custody. For TD&F purposes, this is at its essence a classic crisis communications scenario: what did you know? When did you know it? What did you do about it? These are the key questions at play. And having watched MacKay closely both in Parliament and in media interviews, I say he had some very solid answers. I won’t transcribe the exchanges, but suffice it to say that he had details where details were required, and he never missed an opportunity to bring things back to his top-line messages: the specific allegations don’t stand up to scrutiny, and on the broader issue of prisoner treatment, Canada took action to address concerns two years ago as soon as they were raised and verified. MacKay is an outstanding communicator – he keeps his cool, he addresses questions raised, and he never misses an opportunity to bridge from there into other essential aspects of his message agenda when he’s got the floor.

VERITAS: FUMBLE - DALTON DAYS REDUX

Two weeks ago I gave Premier Dalton McGuinty strategic communications props for not running from the spectre – which he floated himself originally – of so-called “Dalton Days” or the potential of forcing members of the broader public sector to take unpaid time off to help trim the public payroll in the name of deficit reduction. He has been consistently letting that one simmer out there, in what sure looks like a ground-softening exercise. But here’s the thing about strategic spin: you can’t have it both ways. And that’s where the Premier dropped the ball this week, when he seemed to suggest that the media were solely responsible for creating the idea in the first place and then keeping it alive. He has left everything on the table throughout the deficit debate, and joked just two weeks ago he said he “liked the alliteration,” adding that the government would have to “sit down with our public sector partners” and talk about various belt-tightening solutions. But this week, it was a different tack: “I never said we were going to do that,” he said, and when pressed to rule it out added “Why should I now say that I’m not going to do something when I never said I was going to do it?” Trial balloons are tough things to steer sometimes, to be sure – but you can’t be happy letting one bob around in the breeze for weeks, and then get testy with the press once it starts gaining some serious altitude.

VERITAS: FUMBLE - FRENCH FOOTBALLER ADDS INSULT TO INJURY FOR IRELAND

Sometimes the best communications play is to shut the hell up. Apparently this fundamental is lost on French national footballer Thierry Henri, AKA the most hated man in Ireland right now. Henri set up the go-ahead goal that saw France defeat Ireland for a berth in next year’s World Cup – and did so helped by a stunningly blatant case of “hand balling,” meaning he touched the ball with his hands during the play, which is an absolute no-no in soccer. But let’s look, as we do here at TD&F, purely at his communications performance. Caught red-handed by everyone except the referee, Henri fully admitted the foul. “I will not lie, there was a hand. The ball ran up against my hand and I continued to play, the referee did not whistle and there was a goal,” he said. Full points for honesty, and for that reason, it was probably the smartest thing he said after the fact. But Henri blew it when he threw also threw in a finger-point – “I’m not the referee” – and then the capper: “It was just necessary to exploit what was exploitable. The Irishmen could have doubled their lead two or three times.” In other words, I got away with cheating, and they could have done the same thing if they were as weasely as I am. Audacious. Shameless. He won the game, but he has Fumbled his brand forever.

VERITAS: INCOMPLETE - PURELL WINS WITH SALES BUT MISSES KEY COMMUNICATIONS OPPORTUNITY

Team Huddle compiled by Kathy Murphy

Media are hungry for stories related to the H1N1 outbreak. We’re seeing coverage in all areas – business, lifestyle, health and general assignment. It isn’t often this happens and it speaks to the magnitude of the story. Obviously it’s a busy time for products related to the flu. The question is: should you be taking a push or pull approach to your communications? For many it is the case of what we like to call “the Hollywood problem.” You want to capitalize on momentum when you have it. But what do you do if you’re Johnson & Johnson, when your hand sanitizer product, Purell, is flying off the shelf and your manufacturing can’t keep up? Recent articles in the Globe and Mail and Toronto Star speak to the business/corporate angle of Purell’s product shortages. The team at Veritas believes that Purell should take their communications one step further. We believe the brand has a great opportunity to be ahead of the shortage in a way that is relevant to consumers. Create a section on www.purell.com for regular daily updates about supply. Provide tips to consumer and media related to efficient product usage. Establish an open forum for sharing by leveraging Facebook groups already in existence. In other words, be open, honest and engaging and you will be rewarded with a better educated and ultimately understanding consumer. Hey – have you Purelled today?

VERITAS: FUMBLE - FERGUSON FIRING FORCES FUMBLE

From my home country comes a story coaches around the world will be very familiar with. A football (or soccer, depending on your latitude) coach was sacked following a lackluster defeat. Here at TD&F, we don’t comment on operational issues like the fact the manager had won them two straight promotions, that the defeat was against a team just relegated from the Premier League or that the dismissal followed the signing of a lucrative four-year contract. No, we cannot comment on these issues but we can give Peterborough United’s media relations department a definite Fumble for refusing to confirm or deny reports of Darren Ferguson’s sacking and then going home for the night, having colleagues tell media they “were non-contactable by mobile phone.” In today’s era of always-on communications, we (both online and traditional) media relations professionals need to be always contactable and to never be included in the story as “could not be reached for comment” or the even worse, “declined to be interviewed for this feature.” Communicators can learn some hard truths from the communications team at the “Posh”. One, never be absent from a story unless you are being strategically absent and two, never clock off before your reporters’ deadlines.

VERITAS: TOUCHDOWN - GIRLS’ HOCKEY LEAGUE PUTS DISCRIMINATION ON ICE

Full disclosure: I am a member of the Leaside Girls Hockey Association (LGHA). I play on the Red Team, in the Beaches Bubble at Ted Reeve Arena. I have Ron Baker to thank for that. Baker is the President of the LGHA and a longtime supporter of female hockey in Toronto. He is also ‘David’ in this week’s David and Goliath showdown between the Association and the City of Toronto. Baker came out swinging mid-week, threatening to launch a human rights complaint against the city over ice time distribution, which he claims is skewed in favour of men’s leagues. He backed up his threat with a letter to parents and an online petition, which circulated quickly throughout girls’ and women’s hockey leagues across the city. Pointing to the city’s “ice equality” policy and armed with growth statistics and hard numbers that show the price the league has paid to play at private arenas after being shut out of city-owned spaces, Baker made a compelling case. The story caught the attention of dozens upon dozens of media outlets right across the country and generated an immediate and firm response from Mayor David Miller. The Mayor called the lack of action in equity compliance at city arenas unacceptable and vowed to back Baker’s fight. "The result is discrimination," Miller said. The final score remains to be seen, but we’re calling Baker’s strong and effective first period communications play a clear-cut goal…er…touchdown.

VERITAS: FUMBLE - U2 ERECTS NEW BERLIN WALL

That headline is probably unfair. But we don’t really know, because Bono and the boys aren’t commenting. What we do know is that U2, the Irish rockers who have never hesitated to champion human rights, became the focal point of controversy this week amid the celebrations in Berlin of the 20th anniversary of the crumbling of the Berlin wall. The band – one of the hottest on earth these days – played an open-air concert in front of the iconic Brandenburg Gate, one of the central sites along the former route of the old Iron Curtain. Trouble is, someone – whether at the band’s behest, or that of promoter MTV, or whether it was local officials – decided to erect a barrier around the performance area to keep out the bodies and otherwise prying eyes of unticketed spectators. In any other circumstance, that would be an acceptable exercise of the rules of rock & roll engagement – but in this particular city, on the occasion of the anniversary of the collapse of the Berlin wall? That’s some kind of Fumble.

VERITAS: FUMBLE - SMITHERMAN GETS ALL “LOFTY”

George Smitherman excels at communications. He has demonstrated this throughout his time as a provincial cabinet minister in a couple of important portfolios, and prior to that in his role as a key adviser to then Toronto Mayor Barbara Hall, and as a communications consultant in general. So it was quite puzzling to hear him, in a media interview confirming his intention to officially announce his candidacy for mayor of Toronto, say things like “I’m putting my lofty title and job on the line,” and “a native son is coming home to serve.” Hardly water-cooler stuff. To the contrary, referring to oneself in the third person and describing your gig as “lofty” is about as far from main street, communications-wise, as one can get. Which is not to say everything has to be aw-schucksed to the lowest common denominator, but for crying out loud, you can’t sell yourself as man of the people when you’re taking a self-aggrandizing tone like that. Perhaps he was kidding, or trying to be ironic, but either way, it didn’t work.

VERITAS: TOUCHDOWN(S) - TIMMY HO’S TAX BREAK

Setting aside the politics and looking purely at the communications, I have to call a Touchdown for both sides in the political spin war over the McGuinty government’s plan to harmonize Ontario’s sales tax with the federal GST. There’s a saying in the halls of power that “all politics is local”, meaning what really matters to people about public policy is how it directly affects their lives in real, day-to-day, tangible ways. The same holds true in communications. You can talk all you like about abstract or high concept stuff, but your message will only really resonate with me if you can relate it tangibly to me, my life, my family, my world. And therein lies the nexus between the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) and the Double-Double. Ontario PC Leader Tim Hudak seized on this in the early days of the debate, getting some good message traction by reminding every audience that they would pay more for a cup of morning Joe at Tim Hortons under the new tax. Real, tangible, day-to-day stuff. So it was hardly surprising that Finance Minister Dwight Duncan appeared – where else? – but at a Tim Hortons outlet to announce that fast food tabs like a coffee and doughnut will be exempt from the new tax, among select other items. Real, tangible, day-to-day. It’s often called “retail politics” – but I think “retail communications” is an equally accurate handle.

VERITAS: TOUCHDOWN - FLAMES COME CLEAN ABOUT JUMPING THE FLU QUEUE

Team Huddle compiled by Stephanie Baxter

This has become an issue for several sports teams now, but earlier this week the Calgary Flames became the focus of media and fan attention when they became embroiled in an apparent H1N1 vaccination scandal. The media learned that the players, their families and team staff had received H1N1 vaccinations at an off-site clinic and didn’t have to wait in line for the shot. This revelation caused immediate backlash given the perceived line-jumping and the current focus on high risk groups. The Veritas team identified a couple of aspects to the story, but ultimately felt the Flames deserve a Touchdown for their quick response to the public outcry once the story broke. The team response included all the key elements of a good crisis management response. They framed the situation well – they admitted they had received the shots and explained why, they indicated that they had worked with the appropriate government body to assess the team’s risk and the possible disruption that going to a public clinic would cause and finally they accepted responsibility for the outcome and their actions. They ended with the acknowledgement that the situation had changed since they had received their shots, and if the current high priority focus was in place last week they would not have sought to be vaccinated. Everyone, from the head office to the players, was on message and apologetic. This situation has helped underscore the need to have a clear and consistent communication protocol in place; one that will allow timely, effective and accurate distribution of information to all potential spokespeople, not just those at the top.

VERITAS: TOUCHDOWN - HYUNDAI LIVES THE BRAND

More than 1.5 million people watched the viral video of what has now been dubbed “the worst parking job ever.” A hit-and-run incident in Toronto late last month, which looked more like a monster truck rally, was captured on surveillance video and posted on YouTube for all to see. A 62-year-old woman in a black BMW SUV pulled into a parking space too quickly and rolled onto the hood of another car, crushing it. The owner of the destroyed car, Todd Jamison, had just paid off his Hyundai and was now forced to find a replacement. In our media coaching sessions at Veritas, we emphasize that timing is everything and in this case, Hyundai’s timing couldn’t have been better. Before Jamison could start shopping for a new set of wheels, officials from Hyundai Canada presented him with the keys to a brand new car. The company’s PR manager, Barb Pitblado said, “We thought, wow this is an opportunity to turn an unfortunate situation into something positive.” Hyundai captured the happy ending on tape and posted the video online. A great lesson can be learned here: it’s important to understand that every situation should be viewed through the communications lens. This action speaks volumes about the company. Hyundai seized the opportunity to deliver on a brand promise. On the company website, the CEO, Moo-Koo Chung, states, “Since its establishment, customer satisfaction has been Hyundai Motors’ highest priority and customer happiness its biggest reward.” In Todd Jamison’s case, Hyundai not only earned another happy customer, it also demonstrated what it means to be a company that is truly living the brand. No doubt, a Touchdown for Hyundai Canada.

VERITAS: FUMBLE -BASEBALL STAR'S PR BLUNDER

As communicators, we aim for the perfect sound bite: one that is short, sweet and to the point. From my years in television, the good clips jump out at you instantly and they don’t require much editing or a lot of explaining. That’s why it’s so important to pick your words wisely. After a sub-par season on the mound, Cole Hamels, a pitcher with the Philadelphia Phillies, struck out with the media this week as well. In his postgame comments after Saturday’s loss in Game 3 of the World Series, Hamels was quoted by reporters as saying, “I can’t wait for it to end. It’s been mentally draining.” His comments sparked outrage amongst many Phillies fans who couldn’t believe an athlete could wish for the season to end when his team is in the midst of the championship of Major League Baseball. It turns out the 2008 World Series MVP’s comments were taken out of context. But before we go and slap the hands of the reporter, we should acknowledge Hamels’ communications Fumble. Here at Veritas, we counsel our clients never to “parrot” outrageous or inflammatory language. If you say it, they can put quotes around it. Hamels was asked if he “couldn’t wait for the season to end” so he could reflect on it. Rather than repeat the reporter’s directed choice of words, Hamels would have been better off talking about how he’s focused on winning the World Series, which is what his fans want to hear. The sound bite can be your best friend or your worst enemy. Don’t say something you don’t want to see in print because as this Russian proverb so aptly states, “Once a word goes out of your mouth, you can never swallow it again.”

VERITAS: TOUCHDOWN - CANCER ADS EARN COVERAGE

All right, enough politics. The Canadian Cancer Society previewed some edgy new commercials this week – so edgy that they ended up earning their way into news coverage. That’s a free play for your paid ads, and it’s gold, Jerry! The clip of the guy ranting about “you killed my mother” and then vowing to never let the party responsible get away with it again just jumped out of my radio when I heard it on Thursday morning newscasts. Turns out that the killer is the disease. When paid ad campaigns dovetail perfectly with “earned” media coverage as we call it in the business, that’s a brilliantly integrated effort. Touchdown!

VERITAS: TOUCHDOWN - MCGUINTY LIKES SOUND OF "DALTON DAYS"

Jeez, it’s bad news all around these days, eh? Back at Queen’s Park, or, more correctly, Niagara on the Lake where he was speaking to the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, Premier Dalton McGuinty played the latest communications card on the notion of public sector belt-tightening to deal with the staggering provincial budget deficit. I noted some weeks ago how McGuinty didn’t rule out the possibility of unpaid leave or other such Rae-esque concessions from the public sector – which could have been called a Fumble, were it not as strategic as it now appears to be. This week, when asked about the possibility of “Dalton Days,” he answered “I like the alliteration, but we are going to have to sit down with our public-sector partners.” He would get no more specific than that, but in practically embracing the concept, he is preparing the ground for a coming battle – and getting all of us used to the idea, one step at a time, in the process. One of the cardinal rules in political communications is that voters and Press Gallery reporters alike do not react well to surprises. By gently and consistently revealing his cards on this one, McGuinty is laying groundwork, and positioning it carefully by talking about the “sheltered” and “privileged” position of public servants amid an economic collapse. The question is, will the end result be what he is suggesting, or is he preparing his audience for a high bar in hopes of being able to clear something somewhat lower when the time comes? I love a mystery …

VERITS: TOUCHDOWN - HARPER SPINS GOOD FLU BLAME GAME

Let’s start off with a reminder that this space isn’t about partisan politics, it’s about communications plays. OK, game on: the whole flu shot thing is a crap-fest for all levels of government, because it has the optics of being a giant mess, and no one seems happy about how it has been handled – even those who have gotten the shot. The populace is thinking “a pox on all your houses.” So from a communications standpoint, it becomes a game of defense: he who can best articulate why they suck least, wins. And, based on the latest review of comments from the feds, provinces and municipal public health units, I give a (purely unscientific and entirely opinion-based) Touchdown to the federal government. I thought Prime Minister Stephen Harper put forth a pretty credible defense in the House of Commons yesterday, noting that “there will be another 1.8 million doses available next week, which is a lot more than what the provinces are able to deliver (to people) at this point.” Then, following that pointed observation, he threw out a bone saying “this is by far the largest-scale and quickest vaccination the provinces have ever attempted in this country. Rather than criticize them, I think we should encourage them in their work.” Harper’s narrative, coupled with widely reported comments from provincial and public health officials to the effect that they weren’t as ready as they should have been, sufficiently moves the ball down to the lower tiers to fight the spin war there. To wit, yesterday’s Globe & Mail blackline: “More than half of vaccine doses sitting in storage – Millions of available flu shots have yet to be injected because Ottawa’s early approval meant provinces weren’t ready to deliver them.” I’m not saying it makes Harper bulletproof, but it does give him the spin win this week.