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Blowing Smoke: The Government of Ontario v. Big Tobacco

October 1, 2009 Public Relations
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stop-smoking1There isn’t much doubt (once you know me) that I love politics. I don’t know why. It’s certainly not genetic. I also love public relations.

Yesterday a friend emailed me an article he thought might be of interest to me as it broched both of these subjects. Let me explain:

According to the CBC News on Tuesday, the Government of Ontario is sueing big tobacco “for past and ongoing health-care costs linked to tobacco-related illness.” This, the Government of Ontario has decided, is unfair to tax payers. How dare big tobacco ruin lives, and make citizens (many of whom do not smoke) pay the price!

So Ontario decided to do something about it. The provincial government set the framework for said lawsuit through legislation it passed this year. That means that the governement created a law that let them sue big tobacco…and let them set the amount they could sue for…and then they sued…

Let me get this straight: The province has been collecting tax off of tobacco sales for a long time now. (If anyone knows the number of years, feel free to leave a comment.) They’ve been making money off of peoples’ addiction. Is that right? And now, after years of making money off tobacco, they’re sueing big tobacco manufactuers for more money?

Hmmm…

Is smoke being blown at anyone else?

This isn’t meant to be a huge political commentary. What it does point out is the difference between PR and its ugly evil twin, Spin.

Wikipedia defines ‘spin’ in public relations as:

[A] form of propaganda, achieved through providing an interpretation of an event or campaign to persuade public opinion in favor or against a certain organization or public figure.

I don’t love that big tobacco producers have made gazillions of dollars off of addiction, illness and disease. I don’t. But what I also think is wrong is dishonesty on the part of government when it comes to making money.

As my friend said:

It seems to me that sueing big tobacco is a measure by the government to gain tax revenue without appearing to raise taxes on cigarettes. This way, everybody ‘wins’ because the government will get their money and still appear to be a champion of the common people, even the ones addicted to cigarettes.

Good PR for the provincal government. Or is it spin?

It’s pretty easy to demonize the devil if you ask me. And $50 billion in revenue for the province should, in theory, benefit tax payers without having to raise taxes. Everybody wins! Or do they?

What I’ll be interested to see is where the monies generated from the lawsuit go. Will they be directed at health care or proactive anti-smoking initiatives (which by rights they should) or will they go to general coffers? That might be the difference between PR and spin in this case.

What do you think?

All Good Things…(You Know the Rest)

September 29, 2009 Design / Public Relations
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leggodemolition

Remember the Lego house that Fillmore blogged about a few weeks ago? Well, it looks like the old saying is true: All good things must come to an end.

Apparently the Lego house was not the well thought out PR stunt that James May, host of BBC’s ‘Toy Stories’ and facilitator of the project, imagined it would be. After being built, no one showed any interest in buying the home. (Surprise! My seven year old son said we should have bought it, but let’s face it, he’s seven.) And because it was too expensive to move the creation, even Legoland didn’t want it. In a final attempt to unload the house, a Facebook appeal was made, but no one bit there either.

This got me thinking.

What can we learn from the Lego house?

  1. PR and publicity are two very different things. PR is supposed to create value, and yes, get attention. But it’s inherently based on exciting ventures that add value to people, communities, and businesses. The Lego house was about attention. It could have been about PR, but no one thought much about it. The Lego pieces are going to charity. That’s ok, I guess, but it’s not great. I like ‘great.’
  2. Good planning is key to success. Don’t get me wrong. I love the Lego house. I think if it had been done right, the project could have had a longer history. But no one bought a permit. No one thought past the project deadlines. No one planned how to transport the house after the fact. There was a lot of quick thinking, but there was no long term planning. PR needs long term planning to keep it sustainable.
  3. When the plan fails, evaluate. Evaluation is important after implementing any business plans or pilot projects. Ongoing evaluation during the execution stages is even better. With just a bit of foreshadowing, the Lego house might be raising money for charity. It might be a tourist attraction. It might be anything. But it’s a pile of rubble. Rubble doesn’t do us much good, unless we can honestly look at why the mess was made, we clean it up right, and we learn so we don’t have to take a sledgehammer to our work next time.

leggodemolition1

Goodbye Lego house! You were fun while you lasted.

Free the Children: We Day!

September 21, 2009 Public Relations
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wedaypicsquareWe here at Engine are really excited about a new opportunity we’ve had recently to help out a fantastic organization and cause. We’re going to be assisting our friends at Free the Children to spread the word, and raise awareness about the best day of the year: We Day! Take a look at the info below. If you know anyone who might want to volunteer their time, or any teens who might want to participate, please contact me, and I’ll put you in touch with the people who can help.

I’ll be traveling to Toronto to volunteer with the Media Team for We Day on October 5th, and I am so excited! Thanks to everyone at Engine Communications (especially Shaun Levy) for allowing me the time to help out with this amazing cause.

If you are a blogger and want to donate some space on your site, I have access to some gorgeous banners you could upload to promote the event to your readers. If all you can do is share this note on your Facebook profile, or retweet it on Twitter, I’d greatly appreciate it.

If you are on Twitter, please follow @realmetowe , @CraigKielburger , @robininkenya and @sarahamil.

Information From Free the Children:

 
We Day, Toronto, 2008 (courtesy Free the Children)

We Day, Toronto, 2008 (courtesy Free the Children)

About We Day 

A Free The Children initiative, We Day is like a rock concert for social change, celebrating the power of young people to change the lives of others. It brings together some of Canada’s top social issues speakers and entertainers to the stage, in front of a roaring audience of 16,000 student leaders who want to change the world. Hundreds of thousands more tune in online to watch it live.

Our first two We Days in 2007 and 2008 have already created a movement of youth taking action. We Day 2009 promises to be bigger, better and packed with even more inspiration than ever before, enabling thousands of young people to take action on social issues in their communities and abroad.

– Over 15,000 students from more than 1,000 school groups and 40 different school boards have attended the We Day event;
– Young people in the audience brought the messages back to their school, directly impacting more than 832,000 students.

Performers

**Still more to be announced!!

– Hedley – multi-platinum recording artists
– Elie Wiesel – Nobel Laureate, Humanitarian
– Jessi Cruickshank – MTV host
– Ben Mulroney and Tanya Kim – eTalk
– Jeff Skoll – Founder of eBay & Chairman of Participant Media
– Dr. Jeffrey Sachs – Professor, Director of The Earth Institute, Economist and Author
– Robert Kennedy Jr. – Author & Environmentalist
– Michael “Pinball” Clemons – community activist and CEO, Toronto Argonauts
– Louise Kent – activist and musician
– Robin Wiszowaty – activist and author
– Craig Kielburger – Founder, Free The Children
– Marc Kielburger – Co-Founder, Free The Children

* We Day is a Free The Children initiative. The event is made possible at no cost to students and schools through the sponsorship and support of numerous companies and organizations. National Bank Financial is the title sponsor of the event.

 
Marc & Craig Kielburger, Founders of Free the Children (courtesy Free the Children)

Marc & Craig Kielburger, Founders of Free the Children (courtesy Free the Children)

 About Free the Children 

Free The Children is the world’s largest network of children helping children through education, with more than one million youth involved in innovative education and development programs in 45 countries. Founded in 1995 by international child rights activist Craig Kielburger, Free The Children has a proven track record of success. Through the energy and passion of youth, Free The Children has built more than 500 schools around the world and it provides education for 50,000 children everyday. The organization has received the World’s Children’s Prize for the Rights of the Child (also known as the Children’s Nobel Prize), the Human Rights Award from the World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations, and has formed successful partnerships with leading school boards and Oprah’s Angel Network. For more information please visit www.freethechildren.com and become a fan on Facebook.

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Dream Big

September 16, 2009 Public Relations
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van-gogh-vincent-starry-night-7900566This morning I had the privilege to speak to the students in the Loyalist College Public Relations program, of which I am a graduate.

In remembering my time there, and the snippets of wisdom I might have to impart to those just beginning their journey, I realized that everything I learned in school I learned from Loyalist PR.

Kerry Ramsay, the coordinator and facilitator of the program, is one of the most amazing, dynamic teachers I know. She inspired our class to get involved in our community, to give back to others, and that PR is inherently about servant leadership.

Above all she encouraged us to dream BIG!

She pushed us out of our comfort zones into places of creativity and experience that I had never had in four previous years of post-secondary. She gave us the skills and practical know-how to excel in our fields. She also imparted in our class (and many others from what I’ve heard), a fearlessness to take on big projects, communicate effectively, and do things we never thought possible.

Being back in her classroom this morning brought so many memories back. Getting to stand up with one of my fellow grads, the ever-eloquent and hilarious Jeff Lauritsen, was such a treat. It’s amazing when you see pieces of your life come full circle.

For anyone reading this who might be looking for inspiration, I encourage you to dream big. Do something you’d never do. Look for creativity in the most unlikely places. And check out the Loyalist PR blog. You’re sure to find something to bring out the best in you. I know I did.

Community Events

September 9, 2009 Public Relations
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This info won’t apply to all of our readers, but sometimes it’s nice to share the spotlight with other businesses and non-profits in our community who are doing great things! So here are a few pieces of interest to those living in the Quinte area.

PELA CFDC Business Plan Competition

From September 1-September 28, your small business could win a $50,000 interest free loan from the Community Futures Development Corp of Picton! Check out the website, or Facebook page for more information.

PELA

The Lung Association Wine Tour

Who wouldn’t want to tour local wineries for charity?!winetour

Cougars for Cancer

cougars

Have a girls night at the Ramada Inn on October 2, to support the Canadian Cancer Society. This night will feature fashion, fun and food. It’s hosted by the Cat’s Meow Salon & Spa. Check out the website or Facebook page for more details.

The Un-Starbucks?

August 17, 2009 Marketing / Public Relations
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A shot of 15th Ave Coffee & Tea in Seattle
A shot of 15th Ave Coffee & Tea in Seattle

For those of you who don’t know, Starbucks recently decided to attempt a de-branding experiment by opening three ‘street level’ coffee shops in Seattle, called 15th Avenue Coffee & Tea.  Why? Good question. I can only imagine it’s an attempt to cater to a clientele that wouldn’t normally go to Starbucks ie. the free-trading, guitar playing, local business proponent, hipster.

Let’s face it. There are people who love Starbucks and there are people who hate Starbucks. There don’t seem to be too many people on the fence. And there aren’t too many people on the fence about 15th Ave either. With this de-branding effort, the love/hate relationship continues.

Take this commentary in Harvard Business Publishing by Peter Merholz:

Perhaps my biggest beef with 15th Ave is that it’s fundamentally dishonest. Everyone knows it’s run by Starbucks, but the website and the store do all they can to suggest it’s a true independent (though the high level of interior design suggests a bankroll out of the reach of most entrepreneurs).

I don’t love the notion of touting yourself as one thing when you’re actually another. It lacks integrity. This is bad branding. However, I disagree with the author that:

There’s no way a corporate coffee chain can create an authentic neighbourhood coffee experience.

Our local Starbucks actually has a neighbourhood coffee shop feel. It’s frequented by a regular cast of characters, and the staff is friendly and actively involved in the community. Yes, the decor might be de rigeur, and the chairs might be a little hard. (Why did they take away our comfy chairs? Why?) But really, it’s the people who make the ‘community,’ not the brand.

That’s where I do have a problem with 15th Ave. I’m confused as to why it’s necessary at all. It seems completely redundant. They’re even selling the same coffee (not sure if it’s at the same price point though).

When you’re already the most popular brand on Facebook with over 3 million fans, you have over 200,000 followers on Twitter, and you’re not doing too bad financially, de-branding doesn’t seem like the likeliest business strategy.

So what’s up Starbucks?

Why not work with the resources you already have, and empower your staff to get even more involved in their communities? Or create customer incentives to reward those who frequent your shops every day?

If you build it, we won’t necessarily come. Serve us better, and we’ll be there (and we’ll bring all our friends).

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