TOUCHDOWN – FEDS GO “OUTSIDE THE BELTWAY”

This week's perspective from Bob Reid: A total of 80 federal cabinet ministers, other Conservative MPs and Senators.  $300 million-odd in new stimulus funding initiatives, announced in locations literally across the country, from seawalls to literacy programs.  Critics denounced it as fiscal year-end (and pre-election) burnoff, with the Liberals even calling it “Harper’s gravy train” in an attempt to put the PM at odds with Toronto’s tightwad mayor, Rob Ford.  The attacks were predictable, but from a communications standpoint, the gambit was a Touchdown on several fronts.  First, it’s a classic “outside the beltway” manoeuver, designed to take the story outside the realm of the Parliamentary Press Gallery and into the local and regional media.  Second, it localizes the “stimulus” story in very tangible terms:  this structure, that job skills program, right here in your community.  It generated huge amounts of local media coverage, underscoring the “here’s what the government has done for us lately” kind of message.  And finally, on the eve of an anticipated election campaign, it gave some ink and airtime to Conservative caucus members who normally lose the spotlight on jobs and economy matters to the PM or other cabinet ministers.

FUMBLE – CHARLIE LOSES HIS SHEEN

This week's perspective from Bob Reid: At least Mel Gibson probably didn’t know he was being recorded.  But Charlie Sheen knew full well he was live on a syndicated U.S. radio show yesterday when he went on a vitriolic tirade against (among many others) the producer of Two And A Half Men, the TV show that had gone into hiatus while Sheen was in rehab (and which made him America’s highest-paid TV actor).  The show’s writers, the women he picks up and Alcoholics Anonymous were similarly pilloried by Sheen, who says he conquered his addiction demons in mere minutes using solely the power of his own brilliant mind.  Why all of this is a bad idea is obvious.  But it also shows how being broadcast (a la Gibson) making an angry, bitter, nasty rant suddenly makes a celebrity’s foibles very in-your-face ugly.  Sheen’s wild parties, drug problem and other misbehavin’ used to be viewed somewhat comically, like Keith Richards in the 70s – “He’s in rehab again?  Quelle surprise …” But when a tape like this gets heard around the world, audiences very quickly cross the line into not wanting to watch the guy anymore – which may be a moot point, given that the show’s producers pulled the plug within hours of the broadcast.  They say it’s just for the rest of the season, but I’d be astonished if another episode of Two And A Half Men ever gets filmed.

FUMBLE – BIEBER STEPS ON THIRD RAIL

This week's perspective from Bob Reid: Things were a lot easier for the Bieb just a couple of weeks ago when he was back in Toronto, fielding challenging questions about missing Iced Capps from Timmy’s. But when you’re one of the hottest stars on the boil, you – or your peeps – need to be ready to grapple with questions about darn near anything. Which is where Justin Bieber found himself this week, in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine that touched on weighty issues including his views on when it’s right to have sex and whether he plans on seeking U.S. citizenship. (The answers were only when you’re in love, and no way, we have “free” health care up here). Then he got a total “third rail” of an issue: abortion. It’s one of those relentlessly polarizing subjects that, regardless of where one comes down on it, you’re guaranteed to alienate the share of the audience that holds the opposing view. The reporter who asked, Vanessa Grigoriadis , defended the line of questioning, saying “I think anyone who has as much sway in popular culture as Justin should be asked all questions.” Well, she has the right to ask anything she wants, but Bieber should have been advised that he isn’t obligated to bite. Regardless of his influence, he’s a teen pop star, not an activist on one side of the abortion debate or the other – and as a result, he is entitled to have a private opinion (or no opinion at all) on such weighty moral matters. Knowing the boundaries between things you are happy to talk about and those that you won’t delve into is imperative for anyone who sits down with a reporter. Had the Bieb simply said something like “that’s obviously a very serious issue and one that I think everyone needs to decide their own personal viewpoint on for themselves,” it would have been a non-issue. Instead, his opposition to abortion (“It’s like killing a baby?”) became a worldwide headline, amplified by his muddling around the follow-up question as to whether his feelings change when rape is involved: "Um. Well, I think that's really sad, but everything happens for a reason. I don't know how that would be a reason. I guess I haven't been in that position, so I wouldn't be able to judge that." Egads. Decades ago, John Lennon had angry Christians burning Beatles albums after suggesting the band was “more popular than Jesus.” There are some places you just don’t need to go – Bieber learned that the hard way this week.

FUMBLE – ODA SAGA A REAL ^NOT TOUCHDOWN

This week's perspective from Bob Reid: The cover-up is always worse than the crime, the saying goes. By telling a Parliamentary committee in December that she had no idea how a funding request from a faith-based international development organization got switched from recommended by the bureaucracy to “not” approved, International Cooperation Minister Bev Oda set in motion the chain of events that now has opposition MPs and editorial writers across the country calling for her head, and her Prime Minister and his government under a cloud. There’s nothing wrong with a cabinet minister over-ruling a staff recommendation, but by initially claiming no knowledge of how the paperwork got changed – and then, this week, admitting that it was at her direction all along – she created a communications nightmare. What was at essence a routine bit of business between civil service staff and a minister’s office has now become an issue of integrity for an entire government. The lesson in all of this is that even lower-level decisions and the communication around them can have repercussions that can shake the entire organization if not properly handled at the outset. Think through the potential ramifications your statement/comment may have BEFOREHAND. The best damage control strategy is removing the need to have one in the first place.

FUMBLE - KESSEL PUTS SKATE IN HIS MOUTH

This week's perspective from Bob Reid: Hey, never mind all that Egypt stuff – SOMETHING’S UP WITH THE LEAFS!!! Toronto forward Phil Kessel proved once again this week how closely the tea leaves are read when it comes to hockey in this town. The normally close-mouthed Kessel frankly shocked the city’s sports scribes by speaking to them at relative length this week – to the point the Toronto Sun’s Dave Hilson wrote “the painfully shy forward has said more in the past two days than he has in his past two seasons with the Leafs, and it landed him in hot water and fueled a storm of speculation that the snake-bitten sniper doesn’t like his coach – and vice-versa – and wants out of town.” At issue was Kessel’s comments about his protracted slump: “Maybe it’s just not working out here, I guess. I can’t get anything going. Maybe it’s time for a change or something.” This was immediately pounced upon (and it’s a fair interpretation) as meaning Kessel wants a trade, and the story went everywhere. Twenty-four hours later, Kessel was back before the media, saying over and over again that he loves the city and doesn’t want to go anywhere. “I love the city, I love the fans, I love the team. The guys are great here. I don’t want any trade or anything like that.” It just goes to show how any public figure – especially if there’s any kind of cloud over them – has to choose their words EXTREMELY carefully. Ask yourself: is there any way these words might be misinterpreted? If so change them – BEFORE they’re on the record.

FUMBLE RECOVERY - DOUG FORD LIGHTENS UP

This week's perspective from Bob Reid: “Get a job.” That’s what Toronto city councillor Doug Ford – brother of Mayor Rob Ford – said to an Ontario Coalition Against Poverty protester who got in his face during a fracas at city hall yesterday. OCAP stormed the budget committee meeting, yelling, screaming, swearing, leaping up on tables as is their stock in trade. So in the grand scheme, Ford’s quip was hardly an issue – to the contrary, it probably scored him points with many Torontonians who have little patience for such antics. However, it quickly became an issue when Ford responded to questions from reporters about the remark by pointedly denying ever saying it. “I didn’t say ‘Get a job,’ not at all. Show me on tape when I said that,” Ford snapped. When told by the media that it was clearly on tape, Ford had no response, and was then hustled out by a security guard. Again, not a big deal in the grand scheme, but the knee-jerk, hard denial that it happened at all harkens back to a couple of similar mis-steps made by his brother during his time on council. Later in the day, Doug Ford was more conciliatory, acknowledging the remark, saying “it was a little crazy in there and, to be honest, I wasn’t sure what was being said.” That would have been the right approach right out of the gate. Back to the scoring points with many voters idea, true to form and brand, Ford rejected any suggestion that an apology might be warranted. “I don’t apologize to anarchists,” he said. “The barbarian tactics they are pulling, they aren’t going to move me. Why should we back down to a bunch of Neanderthals coming in, jumping on desks and intimidating people?”

FUMBLE - KENNETH COLE TWEETS HIMSELF INTO A CRISIS

This week's perspective from Michael MacMillan:

Wonder how many well-attired folks have been busy hiding their Kenneth Cole labels over the past couple of days? Likely more than a few, given the furor unleashed on the clothing designer in the wake of yesterday’s ill-advised Cairo Tweet. We’ve seen this kind of thing before. By now it should be painfully obvious that it only takes a few seconds, 140 characters and a lapse in judgment to do some serious damage to a reputation. A quick and dirty analysis showed about 20 million impressions of negative reaction to the Tweet. And check out the mock Kenneth Cole Twitter account - which went from zero to 6,000-plus followers in a little over a day – as another example of what the blowback can look like. To the company’s credit, the offending tweet was removed and Kenneth Cole did apologize. But typing a few words on a Facebook page isn’t the best way to make amends, nor clearly was it enough to quell the backlash. We would have liked to have seen Kenneth apologize in person – perhaps a video, or a blog post with more meat. Something along the lines of what Groupon CEO Andrew Mason posted on YouTube recently after a problematic Japanese campaign. Recognizing the problem is one thing, letting the world see that you clearly understand the gravity of the situation is another – and therein lays the fumble within the fumble.
Michael MacMillan is a former journalist and a director in the Corporate and Public affairs practice of Veritas.

TOUCHDOWN – ELTON TO BILLY: YOU NEED TO DRY OUT

This week's perspective from Bob Reid:

A bit of pop culture media play, for a change … Elton John is on the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine this week, and among the things he sounds off about is the need for his old piano man pal Billy Joel to get himself into serious rehab. “It upsets me. Billy's a conundrum. We've had so many cancelled tours because of illnesses and various other things, alcoholism … He's going to hate me for this, but every time he goes to rehab they've been light," John said. "When I went to rehab, I had to clean the floors. He goes to rehab where they have TVs. I love you, Billy, and this is tough love. Billy, you have your demons and you're not going to get rid of them at rehab light. You've got to be serious. People adore you, they love you and respect you. You should be able to do something better than what you're doing now." Tough love, indeed. So what, some will ask. Celebrities take shots at each other all the time. But Elton knows how much attention such pointed remarks will get, and he is certainly playing that card to maximum effect – perhaps borne out of frustration that private conversations to that end have had no result. And, given the similar demons Elton has conquered in his own life, he has the credibility as well as the pulpit upon which to stand.

TOUCHDOWN – TDSB STANDS BY CLOSURE CALL

This week's perspective from Bob Reid:

As soon as Toronto rolled out of bed Wednesday morning and we realized that “Snowmageddon” had turned out more like “Sno’bigdeal,” howls denouncing those who had been sounding the alarm for the potential of much worse began to ring out. The media, Environment Canada and others were singled out, but probably few more than Toronto District School Board Director Chris Spence . He’s the guy who made the call that with an absolutely massive winter storm bearing down on southern Ontario, the best course of action was to call Wednesday a snow day and announce that there would be no school that day. As a result, he was given a grilling by the media on behalf of parents across the city who suddenly had to find a way to deal with their home-bound kids – and to his credit, he stood by his call. “At the top of our list was safety for students and staff,” Spence said, adding that he knew the closures would be challenging for working parents. “And I get it. I knew that people would be put out, and part of the decision-making was the earlier we can make this, the better. Alternate arrangements are never easy.” Rationalization coupled with the right motive (“safety”) plus empathy for those inconvenienced equals a Touchdown of a defence. Had he waffled or suggested perhaps it was an overreaction, his future credibility would have been in jeopardy. Even when out of apparent frustration he posted on Twitter “Student and staff safety trump everything! 2 avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing and be nothing,” he was still right on the money. He told reporters “It’s like anything else. You are damned if you do, and damned if you don’t, so you might as well hang on to what you believe in.” Way to hang on, Chris Spence.