Courier Responds Smartly to Questions About Williams Controversy
Serena Williams was the queen of women’s tennis, the unassailable matriarch, boundary breaker and face of the sport. Then came the US Open loss, and, before that, a verbal clash with an official that many fans have said was out of line. Those fans thought Williams handled herself with grace and poise, despite the momentary and uncharacteristic outburst. Others said there was no place in the sport for slamming racquets and yelling at officials. After an inspiring, if obviously uncomfortable medal presentation, Williams continued to be confronted by the media, trying to dig deeper into what was, clearly, a story that was not going away any time soon. Finally, Williams gave them a quote that caused the story to blow…
Read MoreUsain Bolt: Now the fastest man in space, as on Earth
It’s one small sip for man, one giant leap for mankind. The former Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, who now plays for Australian A-League football team Central Coast Mariners, has entered new heights as part of a campaign by French firm Mumm’s Grand Cordon Stellar to showcase a new Champagne bottle- developed specially for use in zero gravity. On board an Airbus Zero-G aircraft, the usually grounded star floated in zero gravity as he sampled the goods: namely, a specially-designed clear glass bottle that uses pressure within the bottle to expel champagne into a ring-shaped frame. In zero gravity, the effect looks like a droplet of bubbles, that can then be gathered into a custom-made glass.
Read MoreBritish Airways Apologizing After Massive Data Breach
Another major company is apologizing for a data breach. This time, the company in the crosshairs is British Airways, which recently admitted 380,000 customers had been exposed in a data breach that happened between August 21 and September 5. The breach is being called “the worst in British Airways history” and specifically affected consumers who booked through the company’s website or mobile app, which, these days, could be pretty much anyone.BA said no passport information was leaked, the company did admit that “personal and financial” details had been compromised. So, very bad news, all the way around. But, looking at the situation from a PR perspective, there are some things that British Airways did very well.
Read MorePapa John’s Treading Water in Crisis
When Papa John Schnatter was ousted by the successful pizza company he founded, it may not have been an existential PR crisis, but it was certainly a walk through a proverbial minefield for the board deciding the company’s immediate future. First, Schnatter was on everything. He was, literally, the face of Papa John’s and at the center of nearly all marketing and advertising. And, then, he was not. Schnatter was gone, persona non-grata at the office and in the commercials. As he continued to proclaim his innocence, Schnatter, by default, kept the company in the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Read MoreApple Teases New Announcement to Grab Headlines
If there’s any brand in America that knows how to grab headlines and drive narratives, it’s Apple. And, while some of the shine has gone from the Apple since the death Steve Jobs, a new “mystery” Apple announcement still gets a ton of press. One key ingredient of Apple’s PR success tends to be that the company’s “secret” reveals aren’t really all that secret by the time they do the actual reveal. Apple has a very effective template for drip marketing that sends out bits and piece of information in a steady stream, allowing the company to keep an interested public talking about the announcement for months prior to the actual announcement.
Read MoreIndecision Over Meyer’s Fate Clouds NCAA Season
Kickoff of the NCAA football season is right around the corner, and one of the nation’s premier programs will be without its celebrated head coach for most of the first month of the season. Ohio State University Coach Urban Meyer continues to defend his honor even as his suspension remains in place. The Meyer situation continues to exert significant public relations pressure on both Ohio State and the NCAA at large. Over the past few seasons, college football has benefitted from a largely scandal-free existence, even as pro football has been a hotbed of controversy. Many jilted NFL fans have given up that game and focused entirely on college ball. Now, as they look out at the impending season, they…
Read MoreLohan Walking Back her ‘MeToo’ Critique
Years ago, actress Lindsay Lohan watched her brand peak, as she was on the fast track to becoming America’s sweetheart. Then, a series of decisions to shift her brand backfired, and Lohan ended up being more of a tabloid target than a Hollywood draw. Recently, though, the actress chose to re-enter the public conversation. She spoke her mind in an interview with The Times, and the backlash was almost immediate. Lohan’s comments centered on her thoughts related to the MeToo movement, about which she said she was “very supportive” of women, but “can’t go along with the ‘attention seekers’ or trial by social media…”
Read MoreWWE Takes Big Step in Evolution
You would be hard pressed to find another more testosterone-drenched entertainment niche than pro wrestling. Buff superheroes have been bashing, slamming and vanquishing evil “heels” for generations as fans ate up the show, with its mix of acrobatic spectacle, soap opera theatrics, and carefully-scripted good versus evil morality tale. For most of those storied decades, the women of pro wrestling were sideshows: props reduced to peripheral antagonists or eye candy. Even in-ring performers were used more for the spectacle than the athletic prowess. It was not said, but it seemed self-evident, that the industry did not feel women brought the same booking power as the men. That may still be true, but it’s much less true than it once was,…
Read More“Papa” John Schnatter Delivers Defiant Message
John Schnatter is firing back at the company he founded, which has taken steps to distance their brand from the guy who, not that long ago, was the, face of the operation. “Papa John” was on everything, from the branding to the TV commercials to the radio spots. All that was true for years, until a few weeks ago, when reports surfaced that Schnatter made some remarks on a conference call that some considered racist. Once those allegations surfaced, Schnatter was quickly wiped away from the company’s branding. Schnatter maintains both that what he said, in context, was not inappropriate, and he says the company would be better off keeping him as the center of its brand.
Read MoreUrban Meyer on Hot Seat at OSU
The skinny on iconic college football coach Urban Meyer is that he is so driven to win his heart nearly gave out on him. A hero coach at the University of Florida, Meyer left the game “for his health” only to return a few years later, to helm the powerhouse Ohio State program. Meyer was back, prowling the sideline, focused and intense. But the rumors that plagued him at UF were still stuck to him at OSU. Meyer would do anything to win, up to and including “tolerating misconduct” from players and coaches as long as it meant winning the SEC and competing for national titles. Years ago, it was so cliché as to almost be assumed that many top-tier…
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