Week 7: Mass Direct Mailings ... Seriously. Still?

Several years ago, in my effort to become a responsible and sustainable patron of mother earth, I made the decision to unsubscribe to the MANY direct mailing/catalogs I was receiving. It was just too much of a waste... And a temptation to spend. I also choose to do my billing electronically, in my continued effort to save the planet and eliminate excessive waste. However, the previous tenant in my apartment not only never paid her bills or speeding tickets, but clearly had a massive shopping addiction. It's amazing how you can get an idea of the type of person someone is just by looking at their mail... Anywho, the point is, I get a TON of catalogs flooding my mailbox on a daily basis. I've also made numerous attempts to return to sender as well as inform my postman that Tina Gr***om does not live here any longer and she probably should know she has several outstanding speeding tickets... I can only assume as I know better than to open other's mail! :)

I digress... So when discussing media from an ethical point of view, I want to consider the ethical responsibility companies have to our environment. The "Green Movement," is here to stay. I don't see it as just a popular trend. Society is concerned. Many companies have caught on to this and are figuring out ways to capitalize on the popularity of being a green patron of society. I think that is brilliant. Make money and do good. I'm all for it. What I don't understand is how companies can ethically continue to send out catalogs in the mass quantities that they do when the Internet makes shopping much simpler and greener.

 The biggest violator of mass mailing? Victoria's Secret. They take it to the extreme. Not quarterly, or seasonal, but BI-MONTHLY catalogs... If not more. Sometimes weekly. The frustration comes when I recognize that they are basically the same catalogs with different covers. I didn't want to buy that $85 bra last week, and I still don't this week. Catalogs advertising end of season sales, then clearance, then Christmas, and Spring, and Swim, and Swim Brazil. It's just plain crazy. I don't even have the chance to look at one before another 2 show up in my mailbox. If that is not enough to keep their brand in my mind, then they send me quite obviously expensive mailings with $10 off coupons every month. Its overkill, and frankly has ruined my appreciation for the brand.

According to a 2009 post on greenamerica.org, VS was sending 400 million catalogs a year... That's more than 1 million a day. http://www.greenamerica.org

There I found another site called victoriasdirtysecret.net which was actively aiming to get VS to change their mailing policy. Where a popup explained that VS had "cleaned up their act."
Uhh... According to who?

Now, if you go to their website, they have an online catalog. The exact same thing. Seriously. Exactly it. Where you can flip through it just as if you were holding it in your hand.

The screenshot below shows the option to choose a current catalog:

Then choose which pages you want to scroll to, or you can just browse normally:

So they have already made an adaption to become "green," yet I feel like the number of mailings have grown. Why has no one targeted this and made it an issue? I get that women like to see it in their mailbox, go inside, flip through, and circle/ear-mark items they are interested in, but seriously... Cut back on the amount. Once a month even. Promote your online catalog availability. Trust me. Women (and men) will still shop there. Check yourself Vicky.

VS is one of 6 companies under the Limited Brand, who's mission statement regarding the environment is as follows:
"Sustainable Success:  Our Environmental Responsibility
 We believe in doing what is right in our industry, our community and our world. This includes conducting our business in an environmentally responsible way. To this end, we are always looking for ways to reduce our environmental impact. We are working to shrink our footprint through better natural resource management. We’re helping to reduce the demands on our forests by promoting sustainable materials in our catalogues. And we’re introducing programs to reduce our energy consumption and reduce or reuse materials whenever we can. Together with our manufacturers, suppliers, partners and customers, we’re helping to support a healthier planet."
 Limited Brands

Bottom line... Not good enough.

If you are have the same problem as me go to http://donotmail.org to request that you no longer receive junk mail and unwanted catalogs.

Week 6: How To Be a Pedophile Guide Only $5 on Amazon.com!

In class today we discussed a case that took place on November 10th 2010. Popular blog "TechCrunch" outted Amazon for selling a book titled “The Pedophile’s Guide to Love and Pleasure: A Child-Lover’s Code of Conduct." When the online response spread like wildfire, Amazon refused to remove it and stated:

“Amazon believes it is censorship not to sell certain books simply because we or others believe their message is objectionable. Amazon does not support or promote hatred or criminal acts, however, we do support the right of every individual to make their own purchasing decisions.”

This brings us back to our discussion of a company's morals and values. If Amazon wants to be THE online book retailer, it only seems that they would agree that some lines shouldn't be crossed, regardless of censorship. As a private company they do not HAVE to sell these types of books. It is damaging to their brand to do so. This is not the only book they sell which could be considered a promotion of "criminal acts." You can find books on how to make pipe bombs and other illegal activity How To Guides on their site. However this particular book sparked such an outrage that even after releasing this statement, the book was removed from the site later that day, and surprisingly with not another word from Amazon about it. From a PR perspective, it would seem this "stonewalling" move would be damaging. However, given the proximity to Black Friday and Cyber Monday that this event occured, I actually think it was their best move. "Make it go away. NOW." Especially since this book is not the only pedophile guide they have on their site. The following blog posting discusses how this:
http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2010/11/11/pedophilia-book-removed-from-amazon-but-others-remain/

I think basically what happened here was Amazon figured instead of fighting with bloggers and social media over this one book, they could just get rid of it, and hope it went away, as quickly as possible, with as little damage to their upcoming biggest shopping day of the year. They were probably hoping the other books would not be brought into question and it would all just go away.

I do know that this past 2011 Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend, Amazon was advertising that they would match any competitors "instore" offer. So instead of fighting the 5am lines and crowds, shoppers could sit in their PJ's at home and shop on Amazon for the same deal. I have to wonder if the prior year's bad publicity had a little something to do with that.

And here is the creepy guy who wrote the book.... Creepy "Chester The Molester" van in the background and all...
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/pedophilia-book-amazon-sparks-outrage/story?id=12111987#.T0R9i8xoD8A

Week 5: Tragedy at the Ballpark

Baseball is historically the official pastime of Americans. Families come together for a night out at the ballpark. Whether you sit high up in the stands or directly behind the dugout, families can enjoy an evening of hot dogs, peanuts, beer and crackerjacks! Little boys and adults alike bring their glove with hopes of being the one to catch a fly ball to take home for their memories. On July 7, 2011, Shannon Stone and his son attended a Texas Rangers game at Texas Stadium in Arlington, TX. Stone saw the opportunity to catch a foul ball for his son and leaned too far over the railing, loosing his balance and tragically falling headfirst. All right in front of his young son. The article below has more information:
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/texas-baseball-fan-shannon-stone-asked-son-fatal/story?id=14030458#.Tz1P_ZhZVAc

As a PR student we learn how to handle crisis situations like this. How do you handle a crisis that was clearly an unfortunate accident? No one to blame. This has happened before, but what can be done to prevent it without closing off the stands, eliminating the essence of the ball park experience? Fortunately, owner Nolan Ryan and the PR team for the Texas Rangers did the right thing. They did not place blame or point fingers. They did not act in a "CYA" manner, as in saying, "Well its clearly not our fault." They expressed the utmost respect, sympathy, and support for the Stone family. Stone's son got the chance to throw the first pitch at a Rangers game and meet player, Josh Hamilton.

The immediate and effective handling of this terrible accident by Ryan and the Rangers lead to the best outcome of an indescribable tragedy. The Texas Rangers organization followed up by setting up a scholarship for Cooper Stone, son of Shannon, where donations can be made for him and his family's future.

Jenny Stone released this statement five days after the incident:
"Josh Hamilton remains Cooper's favorite baseball player, the Texas Rangers will always be our team, and baseball will always be our favorite game. ... Shannon loved going to watch the Rangers and he loved Cooper. And, at the very end, he lived life to its fullest, doing something he loved."

The mother of Shannon Stone wrote a letter to Josh Hamilton asking him to NOT stop tossing foul balls into the stands, as she explains, they are what makes the memories of the father-son experience of attending baseball games so extraordinary:
http://espn.go.com/dallas/mlb/story/_/id/7397842/mom-texas-rangers-fan-shannon-stone-implores-josh-hamilton

Week 4: Not So Golden Silence

Last week the Susan G. Komen foundation made a big ol' PR NO-NO. If you've been living under a bridge... Basically Karen Handal, a VP of Komen political policy led the movement to stop funding to Planned Parenthood for mammograms and clinical breast exams. They made the decision to do so saying the foundation was adopting new standards. This decision was met with so much controversy, the issue immediately became a PR nightmare. 

All politics aside... Komen handled this situation so poorly it was quite obvious they did not have a crisis plan established. Anything would have been better than how they handled this.

Their biggest mistake? Basically going silent on all social media forms. They had no control of the story and most importantly the conversation. Komen issued a weak and insufficient news release which gave a bunch of educational information and numbers, but basically put their hands up as though to say "I dont know what you want us to say? We're backed into a corner."

 Instead of addressing the mass amounts of negative feedback on their Facebook, Komen simply deleted them. Their Twitter updates were links to their news releases. There was no conversation. No new information. No action taken. No acknowledgment of the fact that the decision was clearly going to have to be reconsidered.

As Komen is basically the top dog in non-profit organizations, the damaging result of this fiasco extends beyond this specific issue. Supporters of Planned Parenthood basically bullied them into revoking their funding policy change. This will absolutely be damaging to their credibility and trust as a leader in the non-profit world. If they can be bullied and scared so quickly. It's difficult to view Komen with the same credibility as prior to this incident.

The damage control they attempted was just too late. Now extreme measures are being taken. Handal stepped down from her position with the organization. Those who donated because of the decision to no longer support Planned Parenthood wanted their money back. This is a nightmare that could have been avoided with a proper PR crisis plan and someone willing to step up to the plate instead of letting the conversation take place without them.

Komen "PinkWashing" Cartoon: 

Week 3: iSheep and The Veil of Ignorance

 Ok I'm not going to lie. I LOVE MY APPLE PRODUCTS. LOVE THEM. My MacBook Pro is seriously within arms reach about 70% of the day. I'm factoring 30% for sleeping and yoga/gym. When I sleep, I keep my iPhone under the pillow as an alarm, and when I work out, I take my iTouch for tunes/miles calculator. I do not think I could mentally handle what would happen if I was forced to switch back to a PC. Every time I work on one, I curse their very stupid existence for being such a waste of my time. My Apple products truly enhance the quality of my technology obsessed life and career. :)

With that said... I want to discuss Rawl's ethical argument of the "Veil of Ignorance" and its relevance to American iSheep. Rawls argues that when making a decision, many prefer to remain in the dark as to what made this decision possible, or the repercussions that may arise from it. Once the veil is lifted, they will become responsible for that knowledge.

On Apple's newest product release days, enthusiasts camp outside of the store to make sure they are the first to own one. Imagine if these consumers put the same effort into finding out how our beloved products are manufactured. Once that veil of ignorance is lifted, would you still purchase the new iPad? Sadly, the Apple cult following is so strong, I fear there is not much you could argue to cause a boycott.

 So whats the relevance of Apple's iSheep cult? 

Well... It has recently been brought to our attention the working conditions of Apple's Asian manufacturing factories like Foxconn. Activist websites are presenting Apple with a petition of 250,000 signatures protesting these controversial labor issues. So their veils have been removed, and they are trying to make a change. I wonder what percentage 250,000 is of Apple's overall brand loyal customers.

"The substandard conditions at Foxconn's Asian facilities drew attention last year, as Students and Scholars Against Corporate Misbehavior, or SACOM, accused the factory of making workers sign pacts against suicide in response to a string of worker suicides. SACOM alleged the pact prevented family members from suing the factory.

Scrutiny increased after a deadly explosion halted Apple manufacturing and pointed to the dangerous conditions in the factories. In addition, 150 workers from its Wuhan, China site recently attempted to commit mass suicide in response to the factory's persistent abuses."

So... Its gotten so bad that workers are threatening suicide? How is that ethical or moral? Unfortunately, this is an issue that has been long withstanding. Everyone knows China is the place to go for inexpensive manufacturing. I saw a docu for a Sociology class called "Mardi Gras: Made in China," about the manufacturing of Mardi Gras beads. Beads. Plastic colored beads. That women expose their breasts for. (I'm not even going to go down that road...) The worker's conditions looked like concentration camps. It was sickening. 

My point is... This isn't new folks! This is why GM has their "Made in America" campaign. I think its absolutely brilliant to take advantage of Apple's strength to bring light to this moral dilemma. No one really thinks about the moral costs of mere Mardi Gras beads... These trivial "party favors" if you will, hold no comparision to our glorious Apple products. I have a feeling by involving Apple, at the very least the world will become more aware of the issue. However... This isn't the first time society has discussed this, prior incidents have included other American companies like Nike, Reebok, and Gap. Maybe Apple holds enough power to make a lasting difference.

This is the article's link:
http://www.mobiledia.com/news/127373.html

Week 2: Killing Your Phone

I am a member of the "technology generation." Otherwise referred to as the "Millennial Generation," "Generation Y," or the "Net Generation." I remember the trip to sign up for my first cell phone, and the freedom it meant from my parent's ability to monitor my home phone line... AKA conversations with my friends and boys. I could not drive yet so it was truly my first individual connection to the world sans parental guidelines. It meant freedom.

But what do our phones mean to us now? William Powers describes our phones as our "prison keepers." They keep us connected to everyone we know, store names, phone numbers, addresses, emails, and play a large part in many's source of income. We are expected to have them on us at all times and if not immediately acceptable to the person intending to contact you, to be so in a socially accepted amount of time.

Powers describes a terrifying incident when as a novice boat owner, when he went overboard... Phone in pocket. Prior to going overboard, he was physically alone on the boat, however he still felt connected to the world with a quick fingertip. Once he accepted his phone in fact had died from the accidental drowning and there was no possible way of performing CPR, he realized he was then truly alone. Why does alone have such a negative connotation? At what point did we become so reliant on being tied to this prison of technology? My first phone symbolized freedom. Now my phone binds me to my responsibilities as an adult.

So while killing your phone may be too extreme a measure... When is it safe to disconnect for a little alone time? From the PR/Ad perspective, I'm terrified to say never. Imagine a PR crisis breaks out at 11PM on a Friday night. You've attempted to disconnect for the weekend, and reconnect on Monday morning. That's two whole days your client has gone without addressing the crisis... Or worse, someone else incorrectly handles it, making your job twice as hard. So where do we draw a line between the imprisonment of our phones and our freedom?

For those prone to accidental drownings of their smart phone:
As with everything else, technology and science have now improved our ability for constant communication in our technology prison. I would compare this development to floaties for your phone. You can now completely submerge your phone in water... without missing a single text.
http://tech.lifegoesstrong.com/article/how-waterproof-your-smart-phone

Week1: The Joy of Quiet

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/01/opinion/sunday/the-joy-of-quiet.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1

I truly enjoyed the following paragraph written in the New York Tims article, "The Joy of Quiet," by Pico Iyer:
"In barely one generation we’ve moved from exulting in the time-saving devices that have so expanded our lives to trying to get away from them — often in order to make more time. The more ways we have to connect, the more many of us seem desperate to unplug. Like teenagers, we appear to have gone from knowing nothing about the world to knowing too much all but overnight." 

I remember when AOL first became popular and we all had @AOL.com email addresses, internet messaged through AOL, and got our instant news updates through AOL. I remember on 9/11, the AOL welcome screen changed to reflect the tragedy. Now... We are instantly accessible through so many technological media forms that its impossible to have a moment to ourselves to think.

For example, I wanted some space from the guy I've been currently seeing. I ignored his multiple texts. Screened his multiple calls. Then avoided my laptop so he would not be able to contact me through Skype, Facebook messenger, or Gmail messenger. I just wanted to have some time to reflect on our relationship and consider the pros/cons. Instead he was able to see I was online, and active, and he concluded I was upset with him or purposely ignoring him. Then I decided to go for a run and brought my iTouch to listen to music... Unknowingly, I logged into Facebook messenger and began receiving messages from him during my run. So basically, I was surrounded by all the wonderful toys I love to communicate with and trapped by them.

Have you ever lost/broken your cell phone? Its the most unnerving experience. Until you get accustomed to it. Last semester a friend picked up my phone from the restaurant we ate at and took it home to McKinney with her (2 hours away from Ft Worth). It took a week for me to get it back. At first I felt disconnected and panicked. By day three, I was loving it. I had complete control of who contacted me and when. Thus I was able to control how my day was going. It was great!

I agree with this author when he discusses how what we consider breaking news has changed. We need periods of time without these devices. I believe everyone should have something to help them escape the technological world. Whether it be yoga, reading, family time, exercise, or any other form of quiet time. It seems quiet time has become a highly paid for commodity, as shown by the $2800/night hotel room/black cave.

With the recent SOPA and PIPA scare, consider the overall response of the American public. Protests and huge media attention have flooded the news channels with speakers protesting on behalf of Google and Wikipedia. Imagine the world without these sites. Information no longer at our fingertips. Technology is considered a vital aspect of daily life. People need to be able to disconnect when the time has come to separate business life from personal life.