Walmart, Red Ink, and Corporate Communications

There has been no shortage of articles and online posts firing accusations of mistreatment and foul play by giant corporate retailer Walmart. The company has dealt with everything from statements claiming that their employees are underpaid and living in poverty to claims that they do not pay their fare share of taxes. Situations like these where companies must protect themselves while appearing forthcoming and transparent to the public can be hard to balance. Especially when the accusations tend to come faster than the communications professionals can respond.

One such article entitled "The Corporate Daddy" written by New York Times writer Timothy Egan blasted the Walmart brand for all of the aforementioned and then some. Rather than let this one slip through the cracks, Walmart decided to respond back in an incredibly direct and slightly comical fashion.

Vice President of Communications for Walmart, David Tovar, responded to the writer by providing his edits and fact checks to the article, which he submitted in red ink. His edits included links to articles which discredited Egan's statements and backed the multi-billion dollar brand. The full article, with Tovar's edits can be viewed on the Walmart blog.

What's good about it -
Though many have thoughts on the way that Walmart opted to respond, the fact that they did respond directly to Egan's claims is a good thing. The issue, many times, with corporate communications is finding the balance between the human needs of consumers and the realities of the corporate world. The handwritten edits in red ink add a personal element to the the response. It's not a stuffy press release or a strategically and overly formalized social media post. It is simply one person, disagreeing with another person in the most human way that the internet allows.

What they could have don better -
While the response can be appreciated for all that it does well and aims to achieve, the fact still exists that the Walmart brand is perceived by many in a certain way, and one handcrafted response isn't going to change that image overnight. The coy and comedic response from Tovar could be perceived as the company downplaying the issues and facts that numerous people have claimed and proven to be huge issues for the brand. While Tovar did provide articles to back up his assertions, it is important to note that though the response may have been aimed at Tovar, it really had a much wider audience. Every corporate analyst and conscious consumer is also looking at Walmart with a watchful eye.

Moving Foward -
Walmart, keep responding! If the claims made against you are indeed false, then the evidence will more than speak for itself. Promote that evidence. Use your platform, voice, name and influence to showcase the good that you do, and help us realize what your brand is truly about. I'm calling for more transparency, more real content, a greater human touch to warm audiences up to the issue. As previously stated, Walmart's image may not change overnight, but with the right communications strategy, change is possible.

What do you think about the Walmart response? What advice do you have for the brand moving forward?

Women and Business #GirlPower

The New York Times recently published an article on how to be successful as a woman in the dog-eat-dog business world that has been dominated by men for so long.  (Don't worry, guys, this isn't a post full of man-bashing).

I was intrigued by the fact that I was recommended this article by my male boss.  It shows that there really are some high power male figures out there that believe women have just as much a place in the c-suite as guys do.

I wanted to share some great tips that the female executives in the article had to offer for all my fellow power-seeking women out there:

1. Be unafraid. Introduce people, compliment someone when it's deserved, stand up for something you really believe in. Don't just go with the flow.

2. Don't let your emotions get in the way. It's hard to stay composed sometimes, but it's better to wait and have a conversation when you're calm instead of getting emotional at work.

3. Practice being more vocal.  Go out of your way to strike up a conversation with people around the office to let them know that you have an intention of letting your voice be heard.

4. You have control. You have power. Don't be afraid to use it.

In my opinion, the situation has greatly improved for women in the business world over the past few decades.  Some may disagree, and obviously it would be much better to have a totally equal playing field with men.  Hopefully some of you ladies out there can take these tips and integrate them into your professional lives and start instilling even more girl power into the workforce.

Smartphone Anonymous

You fall asleep to it every night, and you wake up to it every morning. You obsessively check on it through out the night, and sometimes it even wakes you up. No, it's not your significant other or your child - it's your smartphone. A New York Times article written by Tanya Mohn, "Silencing the Smartphone" discusses how companies are making resolutions to wean their employees off their smartphones by adopting in office policies.

More and more companies are adopting these technology policies in order to keep employees alert, refreshed and balanced. A nationwide survey of 2,254 adults found that 44 percent of cellphone owners had slept with their phone next to their bed and that 67 percent had experienced “phantom rings,” checking their phone even when it was not ringing or vibrating. Contrary to popular belief, these habits actually undermine productivity. In order to combat this vicious cycle, the Chief Executive of Empower Public Relations in Chicago, Sam Chapman, has enforced what he calls a, "BlackBerry blackout policy". From 6 p.m. until 6 a.m., both Chapman and his employees turn off their smartphones. Chapman stated that the policy has increased company productivity and morale.

Still, one of the best pieces of advice I took from the article was from a founder of a startup company who said, “Just because you can e-mail at 2 a.m., doesn’t mean it’s a good thing". I'm not recommending we all go cold turkey but we can probably all agree we should put down the phone every once and awhile.

My name is Cori and I'm addicted to my smartphone, are you?

Is it Worth it to Interact?

This past week The New York Times experimented by replacing its Twitter automatic feed with its social media editors Liz Heron and Lexi Mainland. The experiment started off by @LHeron and @LexiNYT asking, "What do you want to see from us?" a standard question that generated numerous promising responses. Heron states in the article "Why The New York Times replaced its Twitter ‘cyborg’ with people this week" by Poynter, "This week’s experiment is about changing the perception, and it’s about being a little more strategic about what we put out there — finding the most engaging content."

While The Times is just starting on the human interaction journey, the Wall Street Journal has been interacting with its followers since January 2010. Zach Seward, the man behind @WSJ, explains how the activity increased instantaneously. So why is New York Times just starting to interact with its followers? Short answer, man power. The big issue that New York Times is trying to tackle is determining whether hiring full time employees as well as editors and even an entire staff dedicated to social media necessary. While hesitant in taking the human interaction lead, Zach Seward has proven the extra work in payroll is necessary.
 
The results are not in but the future of The New York Times rests in the follower's hands. 

NEWS ALERT: Know Your News!

We hear it time and time again as young PR professionals... how it is our job to stay on top of the news and be aware of current events and trends. Yet, you'd be surprised how very few college students actually follow this advice and are unable to name a single headline from the today's news. Understandably, college students are spread thin with classes, internships, part-time jobs and student organizations that sparing 30 minutes of our days to read up on the news seems daunting and unnecessary. However, I can never express to fellow students enough how important it is to follow the news, to be aware of reporters and their beats and to be familiar with what each outlet generally covers.

So, for my fellow busy students, here are a few pieces of advice to work the news into your daily routine. Just like exercising, it takes some dedication and motivation, but once you have incorporated it into your daily routine you won't be able to go a day without it.

1. The world of media is quickly changing. It's no longer required to gather your news from a newspaper, or even by turning on the TV. Social media is revolutionizing the way news is distributed, delivering breaking news faster than ever. So while you are procrastinating on writing that ten page paper by scanning Twitter, take the time to click on a few of the headlines that pop up in your Twitter feed. Make sure you are following @nytimes, @phillyinquirer, @cnnbrk, or @abc. Follow your favorite news sources and make it a goal to click on at least 5 of those headlines and read the stories. It will only take you about 20 to 30 minutes, and its time you were going to spend putting off your homework anyways.

2. When you actually do get around to your homework, have the news on your TV playing in the background. We all need breaks from reading, writing and researching and often spend those breaks watching mind-numbing reality TV or surfing our Facebook newsfeed for the latest gossip. So instead, keep your favorite news channel streaming in the background and when you start gasping for air from the hours of homework that you are drowning in, take a 10-15 minute break and watch the news.

3. A large amount of us have smartphones now and although we have millions of apps to download, I know maybe a handful of students who have downloaded news apps to their phone, even though they are FREE. So, with all "broke college student" excuses aside, download one or two free news apps, such as The New York Times or The Huffington Post, and while you are riding the subway to your job/internship or waiting for class to start in the next ten minutes, pull up the app and read a story or two. Tell your boyfriend/girlfriend that you'll text them later, turn off your angry birds game for a few minutes, and invest 10-15 minutes into bettering yourself personally and professionally.

I encourage all of you to try making the news a part of your daily routine! It worries me when I speak to people that still have no idea what is going on in the world, within our own country, within our city and even within our own university. While you may be impressed with yourself for knowing Kate Middleton's dress designer the royal wedding, I promise you there are much more important things going on around you that you should invest the effort into being informed about.

What other pieces of advice can you offer for helping college students understand the importance of knowing the news and how to stay on top of it? Let us know!

New York Times Digital Subscription

I received an email earlier this week from The New York Times sent to all readers. Thursday marked the day The New York Times introduced digital subscriptions. Readers and media professionals alike have been awaiting the day a major newspaper would introduce subscriptions for readers to access its online content.

The email says, "It's an important step that we hope you will see as an investment in The Times, one that will strengthen our ability to provide high-quality journalism to readers around the world on any platform."

There are two steps to the introduction of digital subscriptions. The Times launched its new model in Canada this past Thursday in order to "fine-tune" the experience. Digital subscriptions will be offered to the United States on March 28. Home delivery subscribers will continue to have free and complete access to online content. Typical readers will only have use of limited content.

In a move of great customer service, the email breaks down what this new model means for readers. It defines the terms of the subscription service, regarding how many articles can be read free of charge, as well as the function of digital subscriptions on smart phones and tablets.

The day has arrived that could potentially put a spark back into the newspaper industry. Are you a fan of major newspapers offering digital subscriptions? Do you think these print publications will lose readers? Share your thoughts with our readers.