Five-O Faux Pas compounded by PR Faux Pas

A disclaimer before I continue, I'm a fan of Hawaii Five-O. Great over the top action-adventure show. So it was doubly disappointing to hear about how the show's crew handled, make that mishandled visiting Pearl Harbor Vets in Hawaii to mark the 70th anniversary of the "Day which will live in infamy."

23 vets, hosted by the Denver-based Greatest Generations Foundation were visiting the Punch Bowl Cemetery. Hawaii Five-Oh was also using the location to shoot scenes for the show. The vets planned a small ceremony and the playing of taps to honor their comrades but the crew from Five-O essentially hustled them out of the cemetery.

Witnessing it all was Steffan Tubbs of 850KOA and a board member of the Greatest Generation Foundation and he's led the charge in making sure amends are made to these vets making likely their last visit to Hawaii due to age.

Compounding the mess was the response from CBS. The network response was the standard PR hoo-hah saying "Any rudeness can be attributed to haste to finish our work."There was more but pretty tepid stuff. When anyone representing your business screws up, it's best to say so and make it right pronto. In most cases you end up with a positive result instead of a negative one.

This all has created quite a controversy. If I were CBS I'd offer to fly everyone of those vets who are able, back to Hawaii along with their immediate family. While none of this was the fault of the cast members themselves, it wouldn't hurt to have them on hand to personally meet these vets. Finally, at the end of the next episode of Five-O cast members should be on screen personally thanking all those who both survived December 7, 1941 or who paid the supreme sacrifice.

What is most surprising is that the show portrays the military in a very favorable light. The character of Steve McGarrett played by Alex O'Laughlin is an ex-Navy Seal.

All that said, CBS can and must do better.

Fix it Danno.

Brian Olson
Conversation Starters Public Relations

Coke, Polar Bears and Perception.

There's a saying in the news business, "Perception is reality." In other words, regardless of the story, it's how people perceive the story that can often trump the facts.

Case in point: A promotion by Coca-Cola and the WWF to increase awareness of what some claim to be the dwindling habitat of Polar Bears. Coke produced white cans with polar bears on them. Same coke, just a different can. Personally I thought it was a great promotion.

I was wrong.

So what went wrong? Plenty. Some consumers were confused that the white cans were diet Coke and not the regular flavor. Others claimed the Coke tasted "different" even though it was exactly the same as what was in the familiar red cans. Many of course, went online to complain.

So a can designed to keep polar bears from going extinct, may become extinct itself as Coke is replacing many, if not all of the white cans with the tried and true red cans.

A rare marketing misfire for Coca-Cola? Nope. But a classic case of how consumer perception is their reality. Regardless of what's true, it's what consumers THINK is true.

The campaign also brought out protests claiming Coke was spreading a disinformation campaign.

I attended a Social Media marketing seminar at Coca-Cola last year in Atlanta. You'd be hard pressed to find a more skilled marketing team. This was obviously a well-thought out campaign with the goal of saving polar bears, regardless of your stance on global climate change or whatever it's called these days.

But none of it mattered because ultimately it was all about consumer perception, and nothing to do with reality. For a lot of them, their favorite drink tasted different in a white can, or a bottle with a white bottle cap.

In this case, Polar Bears lost to perception.

Brian Olson
Conversation Starters Public Relations

Pepper Spray and the Power of Imagery

I was driving by the "Occupy Denver" folks recently near the state capitol. 20 people at most, looking worse for the wear, sitting around without a sign or message in sight. A blight on an otherwise beautiful location in Denver.

So how does a movement with no motion stay in the news?

Imagery. Has anyone NOT seen the protesters pepper sprayed in California. A surreal set of videos and pictures as a campus police office calmly walked back and forth like he was fumigating a garden.

The incident was followed by satiric images like this one posted all across Social Media.

So a movement that isn't moving anywhere, with no discernible focus stays in the news, like the folks I saw sitting along Broadway in Denver.

So what do we learn from all this? The power of imagery. Pictures are worth a thousand words, video even more. One can of pepper spray sustains a movement with no perceived motion.

Visual inertia: The perception of something not moving, to be doing just the opposite.

Brian Olson

Conversation Starters Public Relations

In Flanders Fields

By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)
Canadian Army
 
In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Lt. Col. McCrae died of pneumonia while on active duty in 1918. No poem or story better captures the spirit and importance of this day.

Wings over the Rockies to honor Tuskegee Airmen

Before we had a Black-American President, before the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's there were the Tuskegee Airmen. A highly decorated group of pilots in World War II.

There were/are a lot of decorated pilots in WWII. But this group is special. They were black, putting their lives on the line for liberties they were denied back home. The names they were called back then are no longer fit for any conversation. Their story cannot be told enough. They cannot be honored enough.

I urge you to visit their website. Often. In WWII, the military was segregated. Soldiers of color were often assigned to menial duties in labor battalions or other support positions. Then came the great experiment. President Roosevelt, anticipating we would enter the war knew there would be a huge demand for pilots. So civilian pilot training programs were set up all over the country including the Tuskegee Institute, a black college founded in Alabama in 1881 by Booker T. Washington. Tuskegee graduated its first pilot in 1940. More followed, eventually becoming the 332nd fighter Group.

The rest as they say, is history. For a generation thrice-removed from WWII, you have to understand the incredible racism and discrimination that existed then. But despite enormous opposition and bigotry, not the least of which was the thought that blacks weren't capable of flying in combat, the Tuskegee Airmen flying as the 332nd Fighter Group went on to become one of the most decorated units in the war.

According to the National Museum of the Air Force, "When the war in Europe ended, the 332nd Fighter Group had shot down 112 enemy aircraft and destroyed another 150 on the ground. Also, they knocked out more than 600 railroad cars, and sank one destroyer and 40 boats and barges. Their losses included approximately 150 killed in combat or in accidents. During the war, Tuskegee had trained 992 pilots and sent 450 overseas. By any measure, the Tuskegee experiment was a resounding success."

Saturday November 19, Wings over the Rockies Air and Space Museum honors these extraordinary pilots and human beings at their Spreading Wings Gala. As a side-note, Colorado is home to the greatest number of surviving members of the 332nd.

The Tuskegee Airmen are also the subject of the upcoming major motion picture "Red Tails" starring Cuba Gooding Jr. who will be in attendance at the gala. Yet another reason to attend! 

Gala truly describes the annual Spreading Wings Event. Here are highlights from last year's gala honoring Apollo 17 Astronaut Gene Cernan, the last human to walk on the moon.


You can be part of a true historical moment by attending the gala. I hope to see you on the 19th.


Brian Olson
Owner/Consultant
Conversation Starters Public Relations

"Occupy" Movement proof 1st Amendment is alive and well.

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

"There's battle lines being drawn, nobody's right if everbody's wrong. Young people speakin' their minds, gettin' so much resistance from behind ..." -For What It's Worth-Buffalo Springfield

Nothing so far in the "Occupy" movement has reached the level of what so many of us witnessed in the 60's and thank goodness. It was too often bloody and deadly. But what started out as a gathering on Wall Street has spread to Main Street. Many pundits criticize the protesters for not having a "message." It's not about a message, it's about them being pissed off. Either political party that seeks to align themselves with these folks does so at their own peril. Our political parties are why they're pissed off in the first place. They're also mad at Wall Street, Banks and Corporations. Are they right? Depends on one's point of view.

The point here is not whether we agree or disagree with the protest, but that we can do either.

It's not only young people speakin' their mind, it's people of all ages and backgrounds. Here in Denver they've gathered around the Capitol area. A tent city was set up as people exercised their freedom of speech. But both the Governor and the Mayor realized that free speech only goes so far. The park was just that, a park. Not a campground. So they were kicked out. A handful were arrested.

At no time was their right to free speech stopped. Just keep it on the sidewalk and off the street. Free speech only goes to the point where it doesn't infringe on the rights of others, like people trying to use that street to get to work.

There's no small irony seeing how many people in the crowd were using digital cameras and cell phones, products of the very system they're protesting. And of course, when the media shows up, things get loud and "visual." Social Media is keeping the protesters who claim not to be organized, very organized. Again, all protected by free speech. They couldn't do that in China. No Facebook or Twitter there. China frowns on protest.

There's also the cost to consider.  Police over-time, the impact of pulling officers from other duties to keep things under control just to name a few. Costs payed for by "We the people." But should we put a price tag on something that is supposed to be priceless?

Regardless of whether you agree or disagree with the "Occupy" movement, let's embrace the fact that they have a right to express themselves. People are paying attention to their "non-message." These folks are young and old, professional and unemployed, poor and affluent.

The same kind of mix that makes up the fabric of this nation. They carry signs saying they're the 99%. That also depends one's point of view. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out.

Regardless if you're part of 1% or 99%, everyone has the right to speak their mind.

Brian Olson
Owner/Consultant
Conversation Starters Public Relations

Facebook Changes: It pays, to pay attention.

Wow, if anyone is left on this planet who doubted the power and impact of Facebook, all they needed to see was the mix of curiosity to plain outrage over recent changes made to the social media engine, with more changes to come.

Topping the list is privacy fears. Fair enough. But keep in mind, Facebook is an opt-in thing. It's free and it's important to realize that with any kind of social media, what you post can and will be held against you. There's an old saying in PR; "If you don't want to be quoted, don't say it." You can replace "post" for "say" in this age. But again, privacy groups continue to be concerned.

One new feature coming soon to your Facebook page, if it hasn't already is something called Timeline. 


Yep, everything you've ever posted on Facebook from the day you first signed up. The good news is you can go in an clean up ill-advised posts done when under the influence of emotion, alcohol or both. At least Facebook claims you can.

When it comes to all these changes I'm just as confused as you are. But then I do my homework. For the impact on my business I look no further than Heather Lutze and her great company, the Findability Group. What you don't know about social media can hurt you. So know as much as you can.

Facebook used to be just a simple and fun way to keep up with family and friends. It's morphed into a sophisticated source of information about you, and for others to find out about you. The current issue of Bloomberg Business week has this article about how political campaigns will be seeking you out, then targeting you based on your interests, friends and posts. You can log off, but you can't hide.

With all these changes come all sorts of scammers and mischief makers. A rash of posts, cut and pasted over and over again claimed Facebook was going to start charging if you didn't opt-out. All false of course, but most folks are trusting in nature and want to share both good and bad news, regardless of it's true or not. The great thing about social media is, everyone has access to it. The bad thing about social media is everyone has access to it.

So, take some time to do a little house cleaning on your Facebook page. You can organize friends and family into lists and adjust security settings to protect yourself. Facebook is becoming more complicated. You owe it to yourself and your personal well-being to keep up with those changes.

All this said, Facebook remains a remarkable, powerful and innovative way to keep in touch, or to market yourself.

And all THAT said, Google+ traffic is surging. It's now wide open for use by everyone and offers some very cool options. I've been checking it out and will write about it more in another blog. Do we need ANOTHER social media site? Well, that's up to consumers. As always, competition is a good thing.

Again, just remember and always be aware that once you post something online, it's out there. Forever. Back in a very analog time, President Ronald Reagan famously said, "Trust but verify." It applies to our ever growing digital world today.

Brian Olson
Owner/Consultant

Conversation Starters Public Relations