VERITAS: FUMBLE - PALM EXTENDS A HAND TO EMPLOYEES

Here is this week's perspective from TD&F Special Teams, com.motion:

In the world of business, surprises are infrequently welcome. Taking steps to avoid any anxiety inducing surprises a day before it would become public, Palm CEO Jon Rubinstein sent a letter to employees letting them now that revenues for this fiscal year were well below forecasts. Throughout the end of 2008 and 2009 we’ve seen many attempts at internal communications and employee engagement aimed at cushioning tough news, striving to retain employees and to keep moral high in the work place. Often overlooked, quality employee communications that are inspirational rather than simply informational is a craft with a measureable benefit in the workplace. If you read Rubinstein’s letter to employeesm, it is an attempt to diffuse surprise by providing information with one caveat. He attempts to end the letter with a spark of energy and enthusiasm to overcome the preceding bad news. His last phrase in the letter is “Go team!!!”. It comes terribly out of place after a letter of bad news and has been teased around the internet broadly in the aftermath. Just do a quick search on Twitter for examples. Engagement can’t be achieved through the use of exclamation points or cliché motivation statements. It needs to be real and built around the realities in your work force. This is an unfortunately Fumble for Jon Rubinstein and Palm at a difficult time for their business.

VERITAS: TOUCHDOWN - AKIO TOYODA TESTIFIES BEFORE CONGRESS

Here is this week's perspective for Joe Chidley:

Sometimes, winning isn't the point. Tiger Woods, for instance, must have known that he wouldn't be getting any popularity awards after his televised statement apologizing for his misdeeds. But he had to do it anyway. In the court of public opinion, redemption begins with confession. And that goes as much for the brands one represents as it does for broken marriages. In that sense, Toyota president and CEO Akio Toyoda's Feb. 24 apology before a U.S. congressional hearing into the recall scandal was both necessary and effective. In fact, as early messaging in a crisis in which there is no question over who's to blame, Toyoda's 10-minute speech was a master class. First, he began by stating core corporate principles (commitment to safety, quality and sales last). Second, he explained how the company had strayed from that philosophy, putting sales volume over safety and quality. The result: defects in manufacturing. Here, Toyoda apologized, and offered his condolences to those who had been injured or died as a result of the defects. Third, he laid out plainly what he was going to do "to ensure that such a tragedy never happens again" – a few clear steps (whose effectiveness would be measurable only over the long term, but no matter) that would return the company to its core philosophy. And finally, he took personal responsibility. He reminded the committee members that his name is on every car (Toyoda is the grandson of the company's founder). "For me, when the cars are damaged, it is as though I am as well," he said. Of course, after he finished, the congressmen laid into him with invective, but that had to be expected. Did Toyoda restore his company's tarnished image? Of course not. But it was a solid start to what will be a long and difficult process.

VERITAS: FUMBLE - OWN THE PODIUM

Here is this week's perspective from Joe Chidley:

Elite athletes often set themselves impossible objectives in order to attain their goals. They aim high, even if that aim is unrealistic, in order to win. Such self-delusion can be an effective form of self-motivation, but it does not make much of a communications strategy. Witness the oxymoron that is Own the Podium, the Canadian Olympic Committee program that has garnered its share of criticism for not delivering on its objective – namely, that Canada would win more medals than any other country at the Vancouver Games. As the Olympics march toward Closing Ceremonies, it’s pretty clear that ain’t gonna happen. And now the program, which helps Canadian athletes get better training and coaching, is in the vertiginous spiral of a communications crisis. The media are running with stories that government and corporate donors might not fund the $100-million initiative post-Olympics. Armchair Olympians are swiping that the whole idea is somehow unsportsmanlike and unpatriotic. And worst of all, the medal-race-winning Americans are making fun of us, joking that they are renting the podium during the Olympics but we Canadians can have it back when they’re done. (Oooo, I hope we beat them in hockey….) Given all that, Chris Rudge, chief executive of the COC, has done some hard back-pedaling, admitting to reporters that Own the Podium would not attain its goal and conceding that maybe somebody should have come up with a better name. “We could’ve maybe more euphemistically come up with a name that described helping out athletes be the best they could be,” he said. But the most damaging thing about Own the Podium isn’t the moniker; it’s that its organizers overpromised, publicly. Maybe there is merit internally in setting a super-ambitious objective, but for the love of the Pete don’t communicate it – unless you’re double darned sure you have a good message around not delivering. Before setting the objective six years ago to win the medal count, did anyone ask, What do we say if we don’t make it? It’s not as if no one warned them. Back in 2004 when the COC declared the win-in-2010 ambition, a qualified observer had this to say about it: “You need to think long and hard about statements you’re making on how you’re going to do. You need to have everything perfect just to make the podium, let alone win the race, because that’s what the Olympics is. It makes me shake my head when I hear those predictions because I know what it takes.” The observer? Clara Hughes, who just won speed-skating bronze for Canada in Vancouver. Smart lady – maybe she should go into PR now that she’s retiring from competition. This whole thing is a Fumble for the COC.

VERITAS: TOUCHOWN - BRONZE, SCHMONZE ... JOANNIE'S PURE GOLD

Many have already said this, but if you haven’t been deeply moved by the story of Joannie Rochette, you’d better check for a pulse. The Montreal figure skater has captured the hearts of the nation with her medal-winning display of incredible poise, focus and determination amid unimaginable grief following the sudden death of her mother in Vancouver earlier this week. Steeling herself, Rochette turned in two career-best performances and landed on the podium with Canada’s first figure skating (bronze) medal since Elizabeth Manley’s surprise star turn in Calgary back in 1988. Afterward, she spoke to reporters, demonstrating grace equal to that which she showed on the ice. “I feel proud, and the result didn’t matter, but I’m happy to be on the podium,” she said. “That was my goal coming here. It’s been a lifetime project with my mom, and we achieved that.” Other quotes: “She was my biggest fan, my best friend. She was with me every step of the way.” Lovely, and endearing, but also this: “And even though she’s not here anymore, and I’m not afraid to say it, sometimes she was a pain in the ass,” Rochette said, as CNN noted, “laughing, probably for the first time in days.” Bravery, grace under pressure, and still a sense of humour. The medal may be bronze, but Joannie’s pure gold.

VERITAS: FUMBLE RECOVERY - GUERGIS GETS APOLOGY IN SAME NEWS CYCLE

We seem to have more and more examples of the public apology to dissect here at TD&F, and the latest comes courtesy of Helena Guergis, federal minister of state for the status of women. She threw a hissy fit at the Charlottetown airport, ranting at security staff and one of her own aides after being made to remove her boots as part of the pre-flight screening process. As word of the incident reached the media (with help from Liberal MP Wayne Easter), Guergis wisely issued a full and unequivocal apology for her behaviour – “an unusually abject mea culpa,” as described by the Toronto Star. Taking full lumps for her outburst was the right thing to do, and it was also a good move to ensure that it was done within the same news cycle, ensuring that the apology was part of the news of the outburst itself. The only thing worse than having to apologize for a public meltdown is having to do it seemingly in response to a round of bad press – something Guergis has avoided.

VERITAS: FUMBLE - DANNY WILLIAMS REDUX

A few weeks back, when the whole controversy about Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams’ decision to seek cardiac surgery in the U.S. first surfaced, I gave his office a Fumble for not coming clean right out of the gate with details on where he was going, what the nature of the procedure was, and why he went stateside for it in the first place. Regardless of the reasons, the cat-and-mouse act with the information was only going to keep the story rolling … and it did. Now that he has had the procedure and is recovering and giving some interviews, I have to call a second Fumble on Premier Williams himself. Not for saying “it’s my heart, it’s my choice,” or any of the other political aspects which swirl around this story, but rather for the fact that Williams has either been inaccurate or worse with the facts of the matter. Being inaccurate with the media – deliberately or otherwise – is at best an honest error or at worst scandalous, but in any case it’s something to be avoided at all costs. The true facts will always emerge in the end, and those proffering inaccuracies will suffer. Williams told NTV in a post-op interview that “the surgery I eventually got … was not offered to me in Canada.” This was quickly countered by prominent cardiologists across the country in both live quotes and released statements. Again, let me be clear: the communications play isn’t about where and how he got his surgery, it’s about the way it was positioned. By suggesting he could only get what he was after south of the border – a statement quickly proven untrue by leading health care voices – it became a Fumble.

VERITAS: FUMBLE - TWITTER & CANWEST KILL LIGHTFOOT

This week's perspective from TD&F Special Teams, com.motion:

Let us put the rumors to rest. Gordon Lightfoot has not died, despite what you may have read on Twitter or the media. Although Lightfoot joked about an increase in airplay resulting from the rumour, this situation is a reminder of the importance of vetting sources in a real-time world. Several Canwest media outlets posted news of Gordon Lightfoot’s “death,” going so far as to suggest it had been confirmed by fellow singer Ronnie Hawkins. The story was published broadly, appearing online in the Vancouver Sun, the Ottawa Citizen and the Calgary Herald amongst others. Canwest isn’t alone in this kind of gaffe. In the day leading up to the launch of Apple’s iPad, the Wall Street Journal and others fell for a prank by long time tech insider and angel funder, Jason Calcanis, publishing false details and specs about the yet to be released product that Jason had revealed through his Twitter profile. Not so long ago, I read on Twitter that Natalie Portman had died, having fallen off a cliff during work on set. So the Lightfoot resurrection is just the latest in a string of social media-fuelled rumours which have crossed over into mainstream media outlets more concerned with being first than being right. A cautionary tale for all in both new and traditional media – it’s a different world, folks.

VERITAS: FUMBLE - IF YOU CAN'T SAY SOMETHING NICE...

This week's perspective from Joe Chidley:

Of course it’s too early to tell whether Steve O’Brien can save the Toronto Transit Commission from itself. The 44-year-old hotelier, who runs Toronto’s One King West condo-hotel, was this week named as the head of the TTC’s customer service advisory panel. And what a job that will be. Plagued by complaints of shoddy service, subway breakdowns and photos of sleeping TTC employees that have become an online phenomenon (just Google “TTC” and “sleeping”), the “Better Way” was looking like the “Battered Way” even before the sex scandal that kyboshed TTC commissioner Adam Giambrone’s mayoral ambitions. So who in his right mind would want to be in charge of turning around its reputation? Apparently a guy with a knack for public speaking, a solid track record in an important service industry, and a decent sense of humour. In accepting the appointment, O’Brien acknowledged that he was taking on one of the toughest jobs in the city (for no pay) and that he was “excited, flattered—crazy.” The only knock against O’Brien seems to be that he lives in the bedroom community of Milton and takes the GO train to work—a criticism expressed in no uncertain terms by Bob Kinnear, head of the Amalgamated Transit Union local that represents TTC workers. “I’m floored,” Kinnear was quoted as saying by NOW magazine. “The traveling public quite frankly deserves better.” Indeed they do. But who’s to say O’Brien isn’t the man to deliver? Bob Kinnear? When the sleeping-attendant photos went viral, Kinnear issued a now-infamous statement blaming TTC customers for not waking the snoozer up. Now, it might well be that the customer is NOT always right, but blaming him or her for your own screw-ups is not a great PR strategy. Nor is being seen to be insensitive to what appear to be honest efforts to improve public attitudes towards your workplace and your union members. In the NOW piece, Kinnear mocked O’Brien’s lack of transit experience. “I’d like to ask him the last time one of his clerks was punched in the face,” he said. Transit riders might be wondering something else—like the last time O’Brien caught one of his clerks asleep on the job, and what he did about it. I doubt he blamed his customers. Fumble, Bob Kinnear.

VERITAS: TOUCHDOWN - GENTLEMAN JIM FLAHERTY

This week's perspective from Joe Chidley:

Something has clearly happened to Jim Flaherty, the tough and once-unlovable federal finance minister who shocked the financial services industry and millions of pensioners three years ago when he announced surprise changes to the tax rules on income trusts —on Halloween, no less. That nightmare is long past. Lately, Flaherty seems to have been replaced with a kinder, gentler avatar — who has a far superior sense of timing big announcements. Consider Flaherty’s Feb. 16 unveiling of new mortgage rules: James Cameron could not have more successfully staged the rollout. These rules had been anticipated for a while now, of course, as speculation among the economic cognoscenti about a housing bubble in Canada mounted, along with the expectation that Flaherty would have to do something about it. The bare fact, on the other hand, is that nobody knows if it’s a bubble or not, and Canada’s robust housing market is one of the bragging points for this government on the international stage (along, of course, with the Best Banking System in the World™). So Flaherty had two messages: Don’t panic, and we’re doing something serious about this thing you shouldn’t be panicking about.
He pulled it off. One way was in the actual changes to the mortgage rules (making some mortgages harder to get, basically), which for the vast majority of homebuyers will be meaningless, but might take some of the air out of any bubble — if one exists, and Flaherty wasn’t saying that it did. In fact, in his news conference the minister emphasized repeatedly that there are no sure signs of a housing bubble, but that the government was changing the rules in order to be “prudent and proactive” (the two P’s of Finance-speak) to make sure homeowners don’t get walloped when higher interest rates arrive. After a rather brief address, he left the answering of detailed questions to his staff — ensuring that the announcement would be off the morning TV news cycle after about five minutes. Overall message: “Nothing to worry about (probably), but we’re on it anyway.”
Unsurprisingly, news media picked up on the two P’s, and didn’t question much whether a) these moves were sufficient or b) these moves were overkill—which seems to be just what the minister wanted. It didn’t hurt that Flaherty’s announcement came on the same morning that the Vanier Institute for the Family released its much-covered annual report on Canadian household finances, which included lots of scary stats about rising debt levels, increasingly frequent missed mortgage payments and credit-card balance nightmares—all of which helped to buttress the minister’s call for prudent, proactive moves. That was either superb timing or unbelievably lucky timing. Either way, it wasn’t the nightmare it could have been.

STUDENT FEATURE: FUMBLE - "Too Fat To Fly" rap turns Kevin Smith into not-so-silent Bob

Last week Veritas hosted an information session for CPRS student members. We invited each of the students to submit a feature piece for this week's Touchdowns and Fumbles. The chosen entry was written by Humber College student Cara Eng. Thank you to all students who provided submissions.

From terminal to Twitter, film director Kevin Smith takes on Southwest Airlines. Smith is accusing Southwest for unfairly ejecting him from his seat, saying the airline deemed him “too fat to fly.” Smith was removed from his flight, despite being buckled into his seatbelt and fitting between the seat handles. Although apologies have been given, Smith is demanding that Southwest make clear that their “Customer of Size” policy does not pertain to him. Sharing the story with his nearly 1.7-million Twitter followers, his audio “SMODcast” listeners and a barrage of YouTube videos, Smith claims to want nothing more than decency and an accurate apology. Southwest continues to stand by its “Customer of Size” policy despite the obvious discrepancies in criteria/enforcement, and did go so far as to phone Smith personally and to post a blog item about the whole incident. But at the end of the day, whether online or off, the lesson is simple: inconsistency brings any company – especially one in the customers ervice business – nothing but bad news.

VERITAS: TURNOVER - VANOC TRIES GAMELY BUT LOSES FIRST WEEK

I feel for John Furlong and the rest of the officials with the Vancouver Olympic organizing committee (VANOC), I really do. Logistical headaches are inevitable at any event on this scale; throw in the warmest weather in ages, and you’ve got a communications nightmare. For his part, CEO Furlong has gamely followed good crisis (and we use the term loosely in this case) communications fundamentals by being available to reporters regularly and frequently. He has also answered the key questions as to what happened and what is being done to correct the various problems, i.e. course conditions, lineups, transportation, etc. But for me, what tips this call to a Turnover – I think VANOC’s defence has been too strong to call it a Fumble – is the fracas around the massive Olympic cauldron. The public had been kept far, far away from the iconic structure, with an ugly chain-link security fence blocking all camera angles. VANOC did the right thing by moving the fence line such that people can now get much closer, and facilitating photos with an eye-level cut in the fence and access to an adjacent rooftop vantage point offering a clean shot. The big communications problems here have been two-fold: first, although they moved the fence, VANOC never once admitted it was a bad idea to have it where it was in the first place. A suitable acceptance of responsibility – and, in this case, an overt apology would have been in order – is essential in crisis communications response. And, more than that, the best solution to a potential PR disaster is to not have one in the first place. Unlike most (if not all) of the other problems giving VANOC bad press, somebody should have seen this one coming and fixed it at the outset.

VERITAS: FUMBLE - GOOGLE PUNTS MUSIC BLOGS

This week's perspective from TD&F Special Teams, com.motion:

The debate over file sharing and the United States’ Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) is far from over and Google may have just fanned the flames. Earlier this week, Google deleted six of the most popular music blogs (including all archived information) on its popular blogging site Blogger.com. Music blogs have been instrumental (pun intended) in the spread and rise in popularity of independent music over the past few years. Although it remains unconfirmed, blog owners have insisted they were not hosting any copyrighted material, nor were they issued any notices to remove their content as would be customary in an infringement situation. Google has defended their actions saying, “When we receive multiple DMCA complaints about the same blog, and have no indication that the offending content is being used in an authorized manner, we will remove the blog.” Pushback was instant, spreading on Twitter through the use of the popularized hashtag #musicblogocide2k10 Without weighing into issues of copyright, we’re calling this a Fumble. Failing to communicate with blog owners and the wider blogging community created fertile grounds for complaints. Normally more savvy of the online space, Google would have benefited from posting its rationale prior to deleting the blogs, not after.

VERITAS: FUMBLE - MIS-SHIFT FOR FORD

This week's perspective from Orli Giroux Namian:
Ford Motor Company has come a long way down the road from the days when car afficionados joked that FORD stood for Fix Or Repair Daily. From having weathered the recession far better than either GM or Chrysler, to recent wins in consumer satisfaction and quality surveys, Ford has been on a roll. Small wonder that Ford wants to tout its improved quality ratings in its advertising campaigns. "Ford quality is equal to Toyota" goes the claim in its current Ford Drive One TV commercial. With Toyota having long been a byword for reliability, the ad would have seemed right on message when the copy was hot off the printer at Ford’s Ad agency. The early reviews praised Ford's savvy for targeting Toyota's market at a time when the high Yen has made its cars less competitive in North America. What Ford hadn't counted on was Toyota’s massive global recall, sales halt on eight models and the highly-publicized apology for quality failures made by Toyota's President Akio Toyoda. The lesson here is that it's all very well to compare yourself to the industry leader but you'd better stay on top of the news currents or you run the risk of being run off course.

VERITAS: FUMBLE - BAKED ALASKA

This week's perspective from Orli Giroux Namian:

Sarah Palin, 2008 Republican Vice-Presidential candidate and potential contender for the top spot in 2012 was caught red-handed (actually it was black ink, but let’s not quibble) at the Tea Party Convention in Nashville last week. During her speech, Palin took President Obama to task about his reliance on a teleprompter during his recent State of the Union Address: “This is about the people…and it’s a lot bigger than any charismatic guy with a teleprompter,” said Palin. There are those who might think it a stretch for Sarah Palin to be critiquing Barack Obama’s oratorical skills. But even those who favour Palin’s folksy “Aw shucks” style will have cringed when the camera picked up crib notes scribbled on the palm of her left hand: “Energy:”, “ Tax”, “Lift American Spirits” and “Budget Cuts” with the word “Budget” crossed out. There are two lessons here: First, know your key messages cold, then rehearse, rehearse and rehearse them yet again. Second, don’t be slagging the other guy’s communication technique when your own won’t withstand much scrutiny.

VERITAS: FUMBLE - TMI, JOHN MAYER

Man, for a guy who’s apparently really worried about coming off as a “DB” he really talks a lot about being worried about being a “DB” and you can’t help but thinking about him being a “DB” by the end of it. That’s my thumbnail take on the lengthy interview by John Mayer in the current issue of Playboy. I read it online, no pictures. Honest. But speaking of pictures, Mayer goes on at length in the interview about how he really likes his porn, as well as solo activities often related thereto, and, if that wasn’t enough, equates his private part to that of “a white supremacist” or “David Duke.” On this note, he’s taking a lot of heat right now (in ripple-effect media coverage about this very interview) for dropping the N-word, but in the context of the full statement, I can see how he wasn’t using it to be offensive – quite the contrary, actually. But what Mayer clearly doesn’t get is that you can never use a word like that an expect it to be heard in any other way. And yes, he talks a lot (I mean, a LOT) about Jennifer Aniston (most of which is rather tender, I thought) and also Jessica Simpson (much more carnally - “Yeah, that girl is like crack cocaine to me.”) It’s frank, it’s candid, and it’s an interview that left me wondering what the hell he was trying to accomplish. And because I can’t figure that out (unless it’s a pure publicity stunt aimed at selling records with zero regard for his personal brand), it tells me that Mayer had no strategic plan going in. He just talked and talked and talked about whatever was on his mind. At one point, most tellingly, he tells the reporter “you can print that” – apparently not understanding that he can – and did – actually print ALL of it. Maybe he was telling the honest truth when he said “in 2010 my goal is to get more mentions in US Weekly than ever.” Heavier Things indeed.

VERITAS: CAUTION - POLITICIANS HAD BETTER PICK THEIR OLYMPIC SPOTS CAREFULLY

This call is a first here at TD&F, but it’s a pre-emptive warning from this official to those politicians assembling on the field of dreamy-good Olympic media coverage. From Stephen Harper and his federal colleagues to the lowliest of Vancouver city councilors, getting their mugs on camera amid the Olympic fervour now taking hold is the crack cocaine of photo-ops. The temptation for politicos to horn in on magical sporting moments can be irresistible – just ask Otto Jelinek, who was the federal Minister of Sport during our last Olympic hosting turn in Calgary, 1988. You couldn’t swing a zoom lens without hitting the guy (and he wasn’t the only one), and it rubbed people the wrong way. Of course there is a place for elected officials at this international celebration of sport – but it’s a limited one, and smart politicians will govern themselves, accordingly.

VERITAS: FUMBLE - MADAM, I'M ADAM

Where to begin? This whole thing was such a train-wreck that it’s hard to tell the wheels from the rails … OK, let’s set aside the “who’s-zooming-who” salacious details surrounding now ex-Toronto mayoral candidate Adam Giambrone’s fall from grace and look purely at the communications aspect (as we do as a matter of course here at TD&F). We can only assume that the sequence of events was something like this: girlfriend Kristen Lucas goes to the Toronto Star with the story of her clandestine relationship with Giambrone, supplying text message transcripts, posing for photos, and talking openly about certain activities taking place on the councilor’s office sofa. The Star puts story together, then calls Giambrone, informing him of plans to publish, and offering the opportunity to comment. What to do, what to do …? When confronted with a messy issue that is about to get page one treatment in the media, the cardinal rule is simple: complete and utter full disclosure – no matter how painful – and for good reason, as witnessed by the out-of-control spiral into which Giambrone fell. Day One, he gave the Star a statement which quickly unraveled, i.e. “inappropriate contact” with “one woman” which took the sole forms of text messages and face-to-face encounters only at public events. Lucas’ claims and text message corroboration shredded that, as did the before-11-PM identification of yet another woman by Global TV. Day Two, there’s Giambrone, with another front-page exclusive statement to the Star, essentially admitting that 24 hours ago he was outright lying to them in an attempt to control the damage. If you’re in a crisis situation and there is more bad news lurking out there that hasn’t come out yet (but probably will,) lance that boil yourself. Have one really, really bad day and you might be able to survive to fight on. Have one really, really bad day after another and you’re toast. Backing up a step, the text-messaging revelation that Giambrone’s so-called partnership with Sarah McQuarrie was purely “political” and for the purpose of the “campaign” only further showed that his carefully constructed domestic home life image was nothing more than that: a backdrop. In any communications effort, credibility is absolutely everything – and that’s never more true than in the realm of politics. But regardless of whether you’re running for higher office or simply trying to reach a targeted audience with a message, if you self-immolate your own credibility, well, you got nothin’. Just ask Adam Giambrone.

VERITAS: FUMBLE - AMAZON TOO FOCUSED ON ITS OWN PLAYBOOK

This week's perspective from TD&F Special Teams: com.motion

Amazon is facing some very public backlash from the publishing industry of late. Seemingly unprepared for the launch of Apple's iPad, Amazon has waged a very public battle with publishers. With hopes of positioning the Kindle as the de facto ebook standard, Amazon has been buying publications for between $10-14 wholesale and selling them at a loss for $9.99 for use on the Kindle. Unsurprisingly, publishers are publicly concerned that Amazon is undervaluing their publications with hopes of gaining market traction and developing a better negotiating position to push for a lower wholesale cost per publication. Confidently (as usual), Steve Jobs announced that publications would be sold to iBook users for the iPad for $14.99, going so far as to say publishers weren't happy with Amazon's tactics and that in the end, prices would be the same across the board. Given the success of Apple's iPhone, App Store and iTunes, its not surprising that most people believe Jobs. In a refute of Amazon, Macmillan, one of the largest publishers in the world, took out a full page ad in Publishers to voice their side of the spat with Amazon. The iPad and its implications have been widely discussed for months, ad nauseum. It's hard to believe that Amazon wasn't more prepared for this eventuality, having discussed and prepared with business partners, most especially publishers. In the end, Amazon is put in a position where it looks as though they are holding publications hostage to justify their Kindle device. The iPad has taken away their leverage and put them in a position where they need to communicate and negotiate. For Amazon's sake, the sooner the better.

VERITAS: TOUCHDOWN - MILDRED'S SERVES UP SOME LOVIN IN THE LOO

You’ve probably heard the old saying, “Advertising you pay for, public relations you pray for.” Well, the PR Gods must be smiling over Toronto restaurant Mildred’s Temple Kitchen, which is spicing things up for Valentine’s Day by encouraging people to skip dinner and head straight for dessert. Mildred’s is inviting customers to, ahem, have sex in its bathrooms. In an email sent to customers, the Liberty Village restaurant claims its large unisex bathrooms are among the "101 places to have sex before you die." It’s a rather cheeky way to get attention at a time when all kinds of restaurants are flirting for your Valentine’s Day business. The typical routine becomes a bit of a seductive blur after a while – the complimentary box of chocolates with dinner, the candlelight dinner complete with a rose for the lovely lady. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. Okay, maybe not the t-shirt but definitely the complimentary rose. So it’s no surprise to see the buzz around Mildred’s saucy promotion. The story has gotten huge traction in mainstream media and has also become the subject of many foodie blogs and generated significant radio chatter. Courting customers is a bit like dating. You know you have something great to offer but you need a way to stand out. PR is a key ingredient in the recipe for success. A public relations campaign can help you break the ice and get their attention. A great experience will keep them coming back and if they like you, they’ll introduce you to their friends. Mildred’s certainly knows how to cook up some business. Touchdown.

VERITAS: FUMBLE - MEL GIBSON RETURNS TO FORM

Did you hear the one about the Hollywood star whose personal foibles threatened to overshadow his box office bankability? This is hardly a new concept or concern – just ask Tom Cruise, Gary Busey, Russell Crowe, Michael “Kramer” Richards … so you’d think Mel Gibson wouldn’t be exactly surprised to be asked about his tabloid-documented misconduct during the period between his last starring roles, i.e. drunk driving charges and anti-Semitic rants. More to the point, anyone who works in the public spotlight has been the focus of such reports should be locked, loaded and ready to deal with questions about personal conducts in the context of their next career steps. So it was with astonishment that I watched Gibson get his back up and then some during a satellite interview to promote his new movie with a Chicago-based TV interviewer who asked an entirely legitimate question in an entirely non-obnoxious manner: did Gibson think that his publicly-reported personal issues might still be on the minds of moviegoers, as he promotes his first starring-role film since those matters went down? First, he ridiculed the interviewer – twice calling him “dude,” for some reason – challenging with “What are you referring to specifically?” then shaking his head in mock amazement as the list of transgressions was specified. “That’s almost four years ago dude. I mean, I’ve moved on; I guess YOU haven’t,” was the response, followed later by “I’ve done all the necessary mea culpas … let’s move on, dude.” Then, the capper – switching from “dude” to “a**hole,” after he thought the satellite link had been closed. For an often brilliant public performer, this was worse than amateur hour. Anticipate the tough/likely questions ahead of time, and be prepared to deal with them with aplomb. Gibson’s push-back tactics might have worked with his die-hard fans who have stuck through him through thin and thinner over the past several years, but that’s not the audience he needs to reach – and reach out to – today.

VERITAS: FUMBLE - OHHHH, DANNY BOY

It’s always dicey ground when a political leader has a personal matter on the go. Where does the line fall between the public’s right to know and a human being’s privacy – and the person’s right to decide how to handle whatever it is that’s going on? The big one this week was Newfoundland & Labrador Premier Danny Williams’ “unspecified” heart condition, and his decision to have it treated at an “undisclosed” hospital south of the border. Those were the words used by media across the country, honing in on the unanswered questions – which were immediately turned into political footballs both here and in the U.S. as Williams’ condition became the latest flash point on Canadian vs. American health care policy. Nature abhors a vacuum and will fill it with whatever gets sucked in through the first breach in the weakest spot of the barrier – and the same holds true with a hot media story. Leave large blanks in the information you release, and it will immediately be filled with speculation – informed or otherwise – by commentators and activists alike. And that’s exactly what has happened with “Danny Millions,” as his detractors love to label him. Even setting aside previous political comments he has made with respect to Canadian medicare, the real communications Fumble was the simple fact that his office made what was really only half an announcement about what was wrong with him, where he was going and the nature of his treatment. Rather than laying all of those facts out at once – with a single round of reportage – Williams has instead initiated a game of cat and mouse with the national media, all of whom were quickly immersed in trying to be first to find the Premier, the hospital and the specifics on his condition and the procedure which will address it. It will all come out eventually anyway – why endure a thousand cuts in the media before the scapel even finds its mark in the O.R.?