FUMBLE: MANUFACTURING CENSORSHIP

This week's perspective from Joe Chidley:

Know your adversary. It’s a classic strategic imperative in communications, and what’s remarkable is how often organizations fail to do it. Consider the Ann Coulter-University of Ottawa saga, a tempest in a teapot that has percolated up disturbing and unwelcome questions in the media about the state of freedom of speech on Canadian university campuses. The tragedy is that it was all so unnecessary. Ms. Coulter, a right-wing commentator who apparently never backs down from a fight or from an opportunity to give offence, would have appeared at UOttawa, done her shtick to gratify her supporters and outrage her detractors, and then she would have moved on to the next stop on her road show (in this case, Calgary). Instead, the provost of the university sent Coulter a letter warning her to watch her mouth if she didn’t want to get charged with hate crime. Perhaps the university thought it was doing Coulter a service. Instead, it handed the class-A provocateur a golden opportunity to make a vast left-wing conspiracy out of a molehill. She blamed the letter for inciting student protests and promptly cancelled the speaking engagement, citing safety concerns. And the University of Ottawa ended up in editorials across the country as a poster child for censorship and overweening political correctness. A statement from Chancellor Allan Rock pointing out that Coulter and not the university cancelled the speech was correct, but ineffective. Our take: If you invite a snake into your house, don’t give it something to sink its fangs into. Fumble, University of Ottawa.

TOUCHDOWN: TIMES TWO FROM LA-LA LAND, AKA HOLLYWOOD

This week's perspective from Joe Chidley:

The first goes to the marketers of the ignobly entitled Hot Tub Time Machine, an unlikely John Cusack vehicle about four party animals who get sucked back into 1986. Of course the movie sounds like a recipe for disaster, but its reception has been remarkably favourable. (The Globe and Mail’s reviewer Rick Groen even allowed: “As films called Hot Tub Time Machine go, it’s not terrible.”) This has at least something to do with some savvy and persistent marketing for the film. For one, Cusack (whose film company made the movie) and his co-stars (Craig Robinson, Rob Corddry and Clark Duke) worked the media circuit big-time, talking to reporters with enough self-effacing humour that flop was averted. (Quipped Robinson to CNN: “It’s this year’s Avatar.”) That’s just good junket stuff, but it was backed up by an on-the-mark PR stunt called “The Tub Crawl,” in which Robinson, Corddry and Duke made appearances across the US in (no surprise here) a hot tub. They even landed a spot on a special float in the Mardi Gras parade—primo placement for a movie about guys getting drunk and acting badly. File this under “Phrases I Never Thought I’d Use,” but: Touchdown, Hot Tub Time Machine.
The second TD goes to the recently released trailer for Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World, a nebbish-superhero flick that ended up the subject of a crazy number of tweets (second only at one point to Justin Bieber—so you know it’s big). Props to the movie (which opens in mid-August) for being set in Toronto and to the trailer for showing the city’s sights and sounds (TTC, Casa Loma, etc.), a feature that earned both lots of free buzz in Canadian online media.

TOUCHDOWN - BOB REID GOES TO KANDAHAR

You typically find Bob Reid in this space calling the plays of the week, but today, he has a far greater mission. Our own Chief Media Strategist is on the ground in Kandahar entertaining our troops. Bob’s journey began over a year ago when he penned and recorded a song called Highway of Heroes http://www.highwayofheroessong.com/ (available on iTunes and in stores nationally) to honour Canada’s fallen soldiers. This week that journey took him right to the Canadian base in Afghanistan, a trip he was thrilled to make. Yesterday, on his own initiative, Bob arranged a live call to Jerry Agar’s morning show on CFRB 1010, shortly after performing in front of thousands of Canadian, American and British soldiers. Bob chose the interview as an opportunity to channel the soldiers’ perspective and peppered the conversation with interesting anecdotes to paint a vivid picture of the good work being done by our men and women in uniform day in and day out in Afghanistan – work that often goes both unreported and unheralded here at home. The result? A clear perspective on the incredible work of the Canadian military in Afghanistan, and an entire agency bursting with pride back here at home. Touchdown.

TOUCHDOWN - GREAT HOOK FOR THE BOOK

This week's perspective from Olri Giroux Namian:

The organizers of the Man Booker Prize, one of the literary world’s most prestigious annual awards for contemporary fiction, decided this year to undo a 40 year old oversight and in so doing, managed to create international PR buzz. The Booker, created in 1969, began as an award for books published the previous year but in 1971, the criteria were changed to recognize same year fiction. As a result, novels published in 1970 were orphaned. Forty years later, when Booker Foundation honorary archivist Peter Straus realized that 1970 “fell though the cracks”, an opportunity presented itself to knock the dust off those old dustjackets and reinsert that year’s best books into the prestigious literary competition. The Booker team moved ahead with a few non costly PR tactics that have drawn attention from around the globe this week. They announced the “Lost Booker” at an Oxford literary event, put out a short press release, gathered judges born in and around 1970 to shortlist novels and are opening up the final selection to the public through a website vote. Judging by the hype already created, one can only imagine this will translate into a career revival for some octogenarians and pad the pockets of publishers with a whole new list of bestselling books forty years after the fact. Touchdown to the Booker team for running with an imaginative idea and turning it into a textbook case in great PR.

FUMBLE: KMART'S COUPON KERFUFFLE

This week's perspective from Aliya Jiwan:

When it comes to real bargain hunters, clipping coupons is a serious business – so coming across a coupon for $10 off a $20 purchase at all Kmart stores is like hitting the jackpot…until the retailer announces the deal is actually only valid at select stores, that is. That’s what happened to some Kmart customers south of the border. The coupon was displayed on the home page of the store’s website. Some shoppers managed to redeem the coupon before the company realized the mistake and pulled it from the site. Angry customers flooded Kmart’s Facebook page with comments and in response the company blamed it on “unauthorized circulation”. The reality is, someone made a mistake. The problem was compounded by the fact that some shoppers reported being accused of fraud by workers at select Kmart’s when they tried to redeem the coupons. Ouch. Legally, Kmart was within its rights in pulling the offer, but the way they went about it was, in communications terms, way out of bounds. One blogger claims she called the corporate office and a Kmart spokesperson told her that anyone who feels they were treated unfairly should contact the company. From a PR standpoint, that may be too little too late. Kmart erred, and did little to make up for it – in words or action. At Veritas, we counsel our clients to always tell the truth. If you made a mistake, admit it. Much like in a relationship, admitting you screwed up can be hard to do but is necessary in order to smooth the waters. And just like flowers or a sincere apology may be a necessary peace offering for your beloved, a little token or honest admission of guilt for your valued customers to make up for your fumble will draw attention away from your bad play.

TOUCHDOWN: GOOGLE PULLS OUT OF CHINA

This week's perspective from com.motion:

In the face of such huge opportunity, rarely do we see global businesses make decisions of a scale Google did this week in an effort to “do the right thing,” despite the likely impacts to the bottom line. This week, Google took the bold step of pulling its search business out of China and moving it to Hong Kong in protest of long-imposed censorship requirements. Beyond China, Google has suggested that the Australian government is invasive with its censorship and has made its case to a joint Congressional panel in the United States to consider withholding aid to countries that restrict certain Web sites. In all, this has and will continue to be a long battle, pushing for access to information globally. Time will tell what the impact of Google’s move in China will be, but they have made a difference, at the very least, by drawing global attention to the issue.

VERITAS: FIRST DOWN - STEPHEN HARPER GETS SOCIAL(ISH)

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

This week Prime Minister Stephen Harper become the second world leader to use YouTube to answer questions from citizens. Acting on an invitation from Google directly, Stephen Harper took questions (moderated, of course) from Canadians and relayed to him by moderator and Google CFO, Patrick Pichette, who is himself a Canadian. The event was clearly, an unabashedly, a promotion for the opportunities provided by YouTube and an opportunity for the Prime Minister to delve into new mediums to ‘engage’ Canadians. Those of us that are heavily invested in the online space and active consumers of multimedia content may be critical of the buttoned down, filtered approach taken by the Prime Minster. We are accustomed to a more free flowing, Leo Laporte style approach to media. Unfortunately, that’s not realistic for a head of state and not in the vein of this Prime Minister. That being said, although over 35,000 watched the video online, exponential more have heard that the event took place. That alone is enough to spread news to the Prime Minister’s target audience, the so called ‘average Canadian’ who is passively engaged online, but likely to be impressed to hear the Prime Minister is making an effort. Of course expectations are high and criticisms always loom in politics and in any online execution, but the point here is that Stephen Harper is said to have answered questions of his citizens using YouTube. That alone achieved a goal. The next step may be to do it better.

VERITAS: TOUCHDOWN - UROLOGISTS' MARCH MADNESS

This week's perspective from Joe Chidley:

This one comes courtesy of our ever-watchful president, Beverley Hammond, who noticed (by chance, no doubt) a piece in USA Today recently about how American urologists are using the NCAA March Madness basketball season as a way to promote vasectomies. Yes, vasectomies. What’s the connection? According to the article, a urology practice in Gainesville, Ga., is marketing the minor surgical procedure as a good way for men “to get waited on hand and foot” while they’re watching sports. Think about it, guys: A few minutes of minor pain, a faint sensation of pulling and tugging – and presto, you’ve got a couple days free and commitment-less to watch B-ball! Apparently some urologists are even offering free pizza delivery and sports magazines to patients as post-op survival kits. As Hammond points out, this is a genius coat-tailing strategy, and it gives the target market plenty of reason to act. If it catches on, expect sales of La-Z Boys and frozen peas to soar.

VERITAS: FIRST DOWN - TIGER RETURNS TO AUGUSTA

This week's perspective from Joe Chidley:

In Tiger Woods’ long, slow journey back to acceptance (not respectability – never respectability), a milestone came this week with the announcement that he’s returning to golf at the Masters next month. No doubt the return of Tiger, after months in the PR hidey-hole that is sex-addiction therapy, will attract a media circus to Augusta and record audiences to their TV sets. That would happen no matter when or where Tiger hit the links again, but the choice of the Masters was especially smart. True, he’s won more often at the WGC-CA and WGC-Bridgestone tourneys, but he’s already missed the CA and the Bridgestone isn’t until August. And anyway, the Masters is the PGA Tour’s most high-profile event, bar none, and to face the public and his fellow competitors there signals that he is meeting his challenges head-on – something he tried to portray himself doing in his televised apology, with mixed results. In that forum, he was doing the talking (something he’s never been very good at). Now he needs to let his game do the talking. With four green jackets in the past 13 years, Tiger’s record at Augusta National is second only to Jack Nicklaus’, so he stands a fair chance of winning. And winning would be a boost for his reputation, because it will remind the world that Tiger Woods is famous for something other than his libido and his poor choice of sexual confidantes.

VERITAS: TOUCHDOWN - THE PROVINCE OF TORONTO

This week's perspective from Bob Reid:

Bill Murdoch has always had a way of attracting attention. So the P.C. MPP was consistent this week with his call for the creation of the “Province of Toronto,” arguing that the priorities of the big smoke are so out of synch with those of rural Ontario that we might as well be a jurisdiction unto our own. Will it ever see the light of day? Of course not. But unlike wacky ideas which are immediately dismissed out of hand and only serve to harm the credibility of those advancing them, this one has a ring of some kind of truth at its essence – which is why it got as much editorial and talk radio debate as it did. And, it further reinforced Murdoch’s own personal brand as a guy who stands first and foremost for the interests of the constituents he serves, and isn’t afraid to tell the big city folks what he thinks.

VERITAS: FUMBLE - BULLOCK'S HUSBAND'S NON-CONFESSION

This week's perspective from Bob Reid:

Hey, Jesse James: didn’t you learn anything from Tiger? When your philandering hit the tabloids and America’s sweetheart packed her bags, the jig was pretty well up … so why not come clean and admit what is patently obvious to the rest of the world? Sandra Bullock’s husband – you know, the guy she tearfully thanked for “having her back” only a few weeks back when accepting her Oscar – was prompt in issuing a public apology to Sandra and the kids for “poor judgment” that has caused them “pain and embarrassment beyond comprehension.” But that’s all he admitted to. Just as with Tiger Woods, the vacuum has been promptly filled with lurid photos and salacious gossip about the other woman – and just as with Tiger, the big sidebar on the whole thing is James’ non-confession. He doesn’t have to (nor should he) get into the gory details, but at least a passing admission of infidelity – when it’s so painfully obvious – would have at least given the world one less negative aspect of the story to chew on.

VERITAS: TOUCHDOWN - BAUER RECALL A TEXTBOOK CRISIS PLAY

This week's perspective from Bob Reid:

Recalls of products made in China due to concerns about lead content are nothing new, yet different organizations handle them in different ways. Pet food maker Menu Foods handled it badly. Bauer Hockey is handling it in textbook fashion. At issue are 13 models of junior sticks which the company is recalling due to high levels of lead found in the paint used by the Chinese manufacturer. It started when a Health Canada spot check found lead levels above allowable limits in one model. Bauer responded by immediately testing all of their Chinese-made product, and then followed with a voluntary recall of the 13 lines which exceeded the U.S. lead standard – even though Canada’s higher allowable limits do not require it. “We feel that we’ve identified what is at risk here and we’ve put even more stringent procedures in place immediately to make sure this doesn’t happen again,” said Bauer Hockey President & CEO Kevin Davis, noting also that new third-party inspections have been added onto Bauer’s own internal quality control procedures as well. Immediate action going above and beyond the call is exactly what any smart company should do under these circumstances. As the vaunted Tylenol example showed, companies which act right away by putting the public’s interest ahead of their own always fare best in the end. Further, Bauer has announced it will replace any of the affected sticks (regardless of calibre) with its top-of-the-line model. Touchdowns all around.

VERITAS: FIRST DOWN - LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

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

This weekend is circled on the calendars of geeks, the web savvy, indie music and film fans across North America. March 12th marks the first day of the annual South by South West (SXSW) conference in Austin, Texas. The grand theme going into this year’s conference is mobile location logging applications. Specifically, it has been positioned as a dual between the category leaders, Foursquare and Gowalla. Over the past week both have seen a flurry of technical updates, but also some savvy business partnerships. Rumours suggest that Facebook will either unveil its own location logging addition to its social network or allow for the integration of either or both Foursquare and Gowalla (and potentially others, like Brightkite). Well known technology enthusiasts Robert Scoble has positioned this weekend as the turning point for dominance in the space. Hopefully everyone has their servers well supported and ready to go for a few weeks of heavy use. Time will tell who comes out ahead. If you’re interested, you can see the landscape emerge in Austin here.

VERITAS: TOUCHDOWN - TOYOTA PUSHES BACK

This week's perspective from Joe Chidley:

When you're under siege, look for weakness in your enemy's line of attack – and exploit it. Until recently, Toyota had been suitably and skillfully repentant in its communications around the recall disaster. (Loyal readers will recall that CEO Akio Toyoda scored a Touchdown from me for his mea culpa before the U.S. Congress a couple weeks ago.) But not anymore. This week, the company and some select backers went on the offensive against research from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, which in late February had suggested the infamous unintended acceleration could be recreated without triggering any fail-safe mechanisms. A technical issue, yes, but one that calls into doubt Toyota's recommended fix for the defect that led to the recalls. But the company saw an opening. It assembled a group of experts to firmly and publicly reject the research at a news conference in California. The experts included Toyota's own technical guru, a top-notch consultant, and an academic from Stanford University, which is just like Southern Illinois-Carbondale, only bigger, more prestigious and more credible. Their message was, basically, that the rival research could never occur under road conditions – that it was completely out of touch with reality. Holding a news conference over this relatively small part of the criticisms of Toyota might seem like overkill, but that's the point. By attacking a weakness in the mass offence aimed at it, Toyota was trying to put the offence on the defensive, while tarring further criticism with the same brush. Very smart.

VERITAS: TECHNICAL FOUL - IGGY'S SEAL PHOTO SPEAKS VOLUMES

This week's perspective from Joe Chidley:

A few years ago, a Newfoundlander acquaintance of mine gave me a jar of “bottled seal.” I thanked him, took one whiff of the contents, and promptly popped it in the back of my freezer where, for all I know, it still sits, undisturbed. So props to the gaggle of brave politicos who lined up for a special Parliament Hill seal feast, organized by Liberal Senator Celine-Hervieux Payette. Federal politicians of all stripes tucked into such delicacies as bacon-wrapped seal loin and seal pate, as a way to show support for the annual Newfoundland hunt. Unsurprisingly, anti-hunt protesters labeled the luncheon a publicity stunt. (Ya think?) But it largely worked, if the point was to snub international critics and garner support down east. So it is with some reservation that I’m calling a technical foul on Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff, who was among the federal phocivores. On camera, he declared the seal “a little gamy, like caribou or something,” yet “delicious.” But it sure didn’t look that way. The photo the newspapers ran showed Ignatieff giving the thumbs-up as he took a bite, but the look on his face betrayed disgust, queasiness, imminent hurling—you get the picture. Communications wise, the collar did not match the cuffs. Two-part takeaway: First, you can never be too prepared for a PR opportunity. Ignatieff could have practiced a look of joyous deliciousness before he took a bite of the poor thing. Second, pay attention to staging. If you’ve never done something before, don’t take the first try in front of the camera. Not much would have been lost by eating backstage and simply saying you liked seal meat, rather than trying (too hard?) to show the whole world how much you loved it.

VERITAS: FUMBLE - IF YOU'RE NOT COMMENTING, DON'T, UH, COMMENT

This week's perspective from Bob Reid:

Lots of debate throughout the NHL about head shots in hockey, after Marc Savard of the Boston Bruins got clocked by Pittsburgh’s Matt Cooke last Sunday night, suffering what’s known as a Grade 2 concussion. Among those commenting was Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Dion Phaneuf – despite supposedly not commenting. “It’s disappointing when stuff like that isn’t called, but the league takes care of that off the ice. It’s clear (Cooke) went for (Savard’s) head, but it’s not for us to comment on.” Hey Dion, here’s a little tip: if you’re not going to comment, then don’t. Talk about the issue in general (as he did elsewhere in his quotes), but leave the specifics as to the blow-by-blow out of it.

VERITAS: TOUCHDOWN - CISCO PUTS THE MIND-BOGGLING INTO PERSPECTIVE

This week's perspective from Bob Reid:

I have no idea what a Carrier Routing System is, but apparently it makes the internet go – and the newest model from Cisco Systems apparently makes it go really, really fast. I know this because the company, in announcing the new gizmo, described it in ways that even a luddite like me can grasp. Calling it “the next-generation Internet,” Cisco put the speed of its new technology into eminently tangible terms, to wit: It could enable the electronic delivery of the entire contents of the Library of Congress in one second, or every movie ever made in four minutes. Or, if that wasn’t enough, it’s capacity is such that every person in China – some 1.3 billion – could make video calls simultaneously. I don’t know how fast 322 terabits per second is, but I get all that other stuff right away. Touchdown!

VERITAS: TOUCHDOWN - MILLER GETS MAJOR PLAY FOR SURPLUS ANNOUNCEMENT

This week's perspective from Bob Reid:

The speculation was running at fever pitch on Tuesday night, after Mayor David Miller’s office put out a media advisory serving notice of a major announcement by his worship set for Wednesday morning – one of sufficient gravity that details on parking locations for TV live trucks and cabling were included. Beyond that, no one was talking as to the specific nature of the announcement, and that’s what sent all manner of pundits and commentators into overdrive. Theories ranged from an early departure by Miller from the mayor’s office for a U.N. posting to a shocking about-face plunge into the race for re-election. However, as we all know, it was an unanticipated windfall of an extra $100 million in surplus revenue on the year just ended. Now, as usual, we’ll set aside the politics and the policy and look at the communications, particularly the howls by some in the media that they had been somehow hoodwinked by the mayor’s office vis a vis the scope of the big news announcement. Bunk, I say. Miller’s office neither leaked anything nor initiated any speculation about the mayor’s future or anything else that the pending announcement didn’t turn out to be. The media were self-starters in that regard. $100 million in extra money for a supposedly cash-strapped city IS big news – and by suggesting that TV outlets might want to cover it live (without disclosing what “it” was in advance), Miller Communications Director Don Wanagas ensured that the story got tremendous play. There was no deception here, merely a carefully controlled flow of information that achieved a desired result – whether breathless commentators liked the actual substance or not.

VERITAS: TOUCHDOWN - AN 'ADMIRABLE' TOUCHDOWN

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

Fortune magazine released its list of the top 50 most admired companies this week. Among the top ten were Apple, Google, Berkshire Hathaway, Amazon.com and Toyota. Interestingly, each has been in the news of late relating to various communications tactics. Berkshire Hathaway released its 2009 Annual Report, with the always keenly awaited letter from Warren Buffet. The letter provides an apt description of how Berkshire Hathaway is measuring its progress, while also reflecting on its passed and, as always, mixing in some humour. In the face of a challenging recall, Toyota has taken an interesting step by creating “Toyota Conversations.” In partnership with Tweetmeme, the site aggregates tweets with mentions of Toyota, including links to external sites. Amongst the tweets Toyota has made video, recall updates and links to its other social platforms available. Clearly, Toyota is doing what it can to position itself as a primary source of information about the recall, good news or bad, in hopes that it can retain that attention as it comes through the other side. As always, Zappos, now a subsidiary of Amazon, is recognizing its employees. In a new campaigning spanning across all mediums, the good work of its employees and customer by demonstrating actual customer calls and other insights into their work. Finally, and on a slightly less positive not, Apple, renowned for its buttoned down silent treatment towards product releases, but has been actively positioning its patent lawsuit versus HTC and drawing some renewed criticism of the patent system, as it pertains to software and interface issues. Google has also stepped in, positioning itself in support of HTC, as they are partners on the Nexus One phone. All in all, these companies standout for their methods, have founds ways of profiling their leadership and, for the most part, done a great job profiling the great work of their employees. Well deserved congratulations.

VERITAS: TOUCHDOWN - PREMIER PUNTS P-WORD

This week's perspective from Aliya Jiwan:

Prorogation has long been used as a parliamentary tool by governments in power. But in recent months it became the dreaded p-word, making headlines after Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced (for the second time in a year) he would shut down Parliament for two months until after the Olympics. Despite a flurry of events to show his government was still hard at work, Harper’s government took a hit in polls. Now, Premier Dalton McGuinty is swimming in the p-word pond, proroguing Queen’s Park, but the difference is he’s not struggling to stay afloat. Aside from the fact that the federal budget and the Olympics have been dominating media coverage, what made the p-word a non-issue this time is partly due to the communications around it. McGuinty made it clear to reporters that he considered the public outcry to Harper’s actions in his decision to prorogue and he didn’t hesitate to use the Prime Minister as his foil. "We will not follow the federal government's example of an extended break before we have that throne speech.” In order to avoid the same backlash Harper faced, McGuinty wisely chose a much shorter time frame. “It convinced us that Canadians and Ontarians are now kind of on to this prorogation thing. Especially in a time of tremendous economic challenge, we should be at work.” In this case, the legislative session wrapped up at the end of day on Thursday and will resume the following Monday. While both McGuinty and Harper used the same procedural tool, McGuinty’s careful choice of words and willingness to differentiate his actions from those of Harper’s spared him the same backlash the PM won’t soon forget.

VERITAS: FUMBLE - KENNEY CAUGHT OUT

This week's perspective from Orli Giroux Namian:

Canadian Press recently broke the story, supported by official documents, showing that the Office of Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney requested the removal of all sections referring to gay rights from a Citizenship Guide for new Canadians .The excised sections referred to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms’ protection from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and the legalization of same sex marriage in 2005. In December, the Minister told a gay rights group that the omission was an “oversight” and would be corrected, though no such change has yet been seen. Mr. Kenney has spent most of this week denying any involvement in the decision to keep the gay rights-related text out. This has been a contrast to his spokesperson’s response last week when asked to explain the decision to remove the gay-rights material. The initial answer offered up was that the guide could not be "encyclopedic." More recently, the tune has been changed to protect his Minister from the perception of direct involvement, with his spokesperson noting that the Minister’s signature wasn’t on any decision notes. Days into this story, Minister Kenney finally decided to take full responsibility for the “content of the Guide” but still hasn’t provided clarity on the question that has been asked of him repeatedly this week: ‘Did you or didn’t you have the text removed from the Guide?’ When confronted with a straightforward question about an undeniable decision that was made on your watch, don’t dodge it just answer it. Own up to the decision and stick to the reasons behind it or lay out a plan for fixing it.

VERITAS: FUMBLE - LAYTON FAR TOO READY FOR HIS CLOSE-UP

This week's perspective from Bob Reid:

Nothing says “man of the people” like having a few cold ones and watching the big game, eh? Numerous political players were trying to get in on the nation’s singular focus on the gold medal hockey game last Sunday in Vancouver – something which must be done deftly, lest it backfire big time. Before the games opened, I offered a blanket warning to politicians about trying to hard to horn-in on the Olympic spotlight. So there was federal NDP leader Jack Layton, comfortably ensconced at Gretzky’s bar, in the company of his wife (MP Olivia Chow) and several hundred delirious hockey fans, rabidly cheering on Team Canada. CTV cut back to Gretzky’s several times during the game, so Jack was getting some quality “hey, look at me, just like all the real people” airtime. All was going well, until the moment of Sidney Crosby’s OT game-winner. The country went nuts, CTV cut to various gathering spots, and there at Gretzky’s was Layton and the rest of the crowd, exploding in celebration, arms up in the … uh-oh. When an exuberant celebrant in front of Layton started blocking him from the camera shot, he reached up, grabbed her arm, and pulled it down, ensuring an unobstructed view for the nation’s TV viewers. The move was captured on tape and uploaded by www.torontoist.com, complete with slo-mo replay. Fumble … or is it two minutes for holding?

VERITAS: FUMBLE - FLETCHER'S NON-APOLOGY

This week's perspective from Bob Reid:

Holy crap, what a meltdown! Toronto City Councilor Paula Fletcher absolutely lost it during debate on the new city budget this week – a plan which includes a four per cent property tax hike. A member of the public, one John Smith (honest to God, that’s his name) voiced his displeasure with the city’s fiscal plan. That sort of goes with the turf for politicians – you know, having to hear from less than happy taxpayers? But for some reason, Fletcher became completely and utterly unhinged, practically frothing at the mouth as she ranted back at Smith, outlining a list of programs and services and suggesting that he was advocating gutting some or all of them. “Is that your suggestion?!” she screamed, over and over again, then suggesting that Smith was some kind of mouthpiece for NewsTalk 1010’s John Tory (who encouraged listeners to attend and take part in the budget consultations), and finally daring him to run against her in the upcoming election (“Come on down, baby!!!”). Now, politicians do dumb things all the time, but it’s how they handle the aftermath that really takes the measure. Fletcher, the following day, in response to media pressure, issued a classic non-apologetic apology, one of those if-anyone-took-offense-then-I-apologize statements, coupled with a “but” about how passionate she is about protecting services. Later, she was more forthright, admitting that she “lost it.” Too little, too late. If you drop the ball, be upfront and prompt in saying you’re sorry – don’t get dragged there, and certainly don’t be equivocal about it.

VERITAS: VIDEO REVIEW - O CANADA REWRITE DOST BAFFLE

This week's perspective from Bob Reid:

I think this story got more ink and airtime than anything else this week, and yet I still can’t make a call on it at this point. Columnists and talk radio hosts (like me – well, today anyway – I’m subbing for John Tory on NewsTalk 1010 from 4 to 7 PM!) got tremendous mileage out of that curious component of the Harper government’s Speech From The Throne regarding O Canada. At issue is the gender inclusiveness – or lack thereof – in one line of our national anthem, “in all our sons command.” Some of “our daughters” apparently take issue with the old-school verbiage, so the feds are saying they’re going to put the matter to a parliamentary committee for review. It’s an irresistible water cooler debate, so the amount of media coverage it generated wasn’t surprising in the least. But what’s less than clear is the strategy and message behind it. Was it designed to be some sort of diversionary tactic to shift focus away from the rest of the somewhat same-old, same-old speech content/agenda? Is the government’s desired message that the Conservatives care about equality and inclusiveness, and are listening to the at least one Canadian woman who wrote in about it? Some kind of attempt to capitalize on the outpouring of patriotism throughout the Vancouver Olympics? Could be one, some or all of the above. Trouble for the feds is, the overall response seems to be one of annoyance that an issue of this nature is even being stirred up in the first place. In the absence of a clear sense of message, motive and strategy, it’s hard to make a call. Tons of media is cool and all, but unless it accomplishes something strategic, it’s just noise.