Why Ryanair is not a PR disaster

At first glance it is easy to label the latest headlines for low-cost airline, Ryanair, as a PR disaster – but this analysis would be wrong on many counts.

Firstly, is this actually a disaster for Ryanair?  In terms of sales, having your £10 fares shown across the broadcast, online and tabloid media is free publicity.  Even BBC Breakfast this morning had two huge images of the offending advert in shot during its report of the story. 

Focusing on the sales impact is important as it reminds us that the issue relates to an advert – which was planned (not by any professional external agency as I recall of Ryanair’s strategy) to generate sales.  The resulting controversy was no accident, it was deliberately courted by Michael O’Leary and his team at Ryanair – it was placed in the Daily Mail for goodness sake.

Secondly, even if an advert does create unforeseen problems, can this be called a PR disaster – surely it is a management, marketing or advertising disaster?

Or do those using the term mean it is a disaster for the organisations’ public relations and reputation?  Well what about Ryanair’s reputation?  It positions itself as pugnacious; picking fights with the authorities wherever possible.  The response to the ASA is typical and laughable:

The ASA becomes more Monty Pythonesque by the day. It is remarkable that a picture of a fully-clothed model is now claimed to cause ’serious or widespread offence’, when many of the UK’s leading daily newspapers regularly run pictures of topless or partially-dressed females without causing any serious or widespread offence.

“This isn’t advertising regulation, it is simply censorship. This bunch of unelected self-appointed dimwits are clearly incapable of fairly and impartially ruling on advertising.”

This campaign could be said to be a PR success then – it has generated enormous amounts of coverage (just imagine the output measures: Advertising Value Equivalent, Opportunities to See, talkability, etc etc).  And, it has built on the reputation that Ryanair has carefully crafted.  If PR’s job is to manage reputation – then it has met its objectives here.

What about PR’s role in relationships?  Clearly this campaign, like most of those undertaken by Ryanair, has not improved relationships with key influencers and stakeholders.  But the point is, that O’Leary doesn’t seem to care.  So these folk aren’t assessed as priority for developing relationships.

Provided the airline has bums on seats, staff who will work within its culture and shareholders happy with making profits, Ryanair is achieving its corporate objectives.  Yes, this is a short-term view, and when the airline needs friends, it will find them short on the ground.

The answer isn’t to generate lots of hot air around this trivial advert, but to ask why other airlines haven’t been able to better an airline that treats most of its publics with contempt, and relishes a nasty reputation.

We might not like Ryanair’s PR strategy.  It might not fulfil Grunig’s definition of “excellent”.  We can question why the airline’s public relations does not extend to any attempt at being responsible (beyond having a good safety record).  But ultimately, we have to judge the PR activities of Ryanair against the corporate aims.  Today, I bet Mr O’Leary and his PR/marketing gang are very happy with the results of their sad little advert.  This is not a PR disaster.

Do we need a PR campaign to make motorists belt up?

It’s a day for motoring nostalgia with the 25th anniversary of seatbelts becoming law in the UK.  After this amount of time, you might think the simple act of putting on your seatbelt had become a habit for all car drivers and passengers, but apparently nearly 4 million still need to be persuaded.

Motoring website NEWCARNET.co.uk is calling for a celebrity endorsement public information campaign (in the style of the “Clunk-Click” campaigns of the 1970s and 80s) to change the attitudes of those not wearing belts, claiming it was instrumental in ensuring 90% of motorists buckled up by the early 1990s.

I’m not convinced that such advertising-led campaigns are the answer today – the government spends many millions on campaigns to curb drink driving, smoking, benefit fraud, drugs use, etc, with little apparent impact.  In fact, my students were stunned by a report in PR Week of a government campaign to advise businesses of compliance with the smoking ban.  For a budget of £500,000, the PR campaign had apparently increased awareness from 89% to 90%.  Hardly money well spent – in fact, hardly money that needed spending at all.

An “awareness” campaign only makes sense if those not wearing their belts are unaware of the need to do so.  Of course, public relations can be used to address this lack of understanding, but it is vital to research the reasons why some people aren’t belting up.  Would they be motivated to do so simply by a celebrity today?  The death of Princess Diana, which is back in the news, is the ultimate example of the consequence of not wearing a seatbelt.

The Road Safety Minister Jim Fitzpatrick claims seatbelts have

prevented prevented an estimated 60,000 deaths and 670,000 serious injuries since 31 January 1983 when seatbelts were made mandatory for drivers and front seat passengers.

He also highlights that “93 per cent of adult front seat passengers and 94 per cent of drivers wear seatbelts. For back seat passengers, 93% of children (under 14) and 70% of adults are secured.”  

This reveals the real challenge.  When something is new and few people are doing it, a campaign can generate momentum that carries along the majority.  When most people are already complying, an awareness campaign isn’t going to reach the laggards – particularly those with ingrained non-compliance behaviour.  So it is good to see that:

the Department for Transport is undertaking a major research project into the use of and attitudes towards seatbelts and will use the findings to inform a new seatbelts campaign which will launch towards the end of 2008.

Of course, this is a two-way asymmetric campaign (theory for the PR students) in that the research is being used to change the behaviour of others.  Although it would be interesting if the recommendations involved a two-way symmetric campaign, as it is up to those not wearing belts to be convinced to change their behaviour.

PR gears up for the 1980s

The cars are the stars on ‘Life on Mars’ sequel – ‘Ashes to Ashes’ is a nicely timed press release from BCA (British Car Auctions).  Ahead of the start of the 1980s based television cop show, ‘Ashes to Ashes’, it highlights the cars from that decade that are set to become classics.  The original ‘Life on Mars’ was full of great 1970s nostalgia, and unfortunately, we are about to see the decade that taste forgot getting the media make-over treatment.

So lots of opportunities for savvy PR folk to piggy back the show.  The motoring classic image of that decade has to be the Golf GTi advert with Paula Hamilton – although detective Gene Hunt is swapping the Ford Cortina he drove in the first series for an Audi Quattro.  In reality, the police were more likely to have been driving the Ford Sierra, the “jelly mould” that replaced the Cortina.

The Sierra might not be as iconic as the Audi Quattro, but it is amusing to note that:

When the Sierra made its appearance at the 1982 Birmingham Motor Show, it made the national news. Trevor McDonald and Angela Rippon solemnly proclaimed the end of the Cortina.

There really is more to PR than this…

Top marks to one of the CIPR Advanced Certificate class who spotted this profile of working as a publicist from The Guardian called “decent exposure”.

Sadly the piece does little more than portray a stereotype of luvvie London agency life.  But what can you expect when the previous profile of someone trained in shiatsu therapy was portrayed as the working life of a masseuse?

The article on Sophie Knight, of Shine Communications may actually tell us more about journalist Leo Benedictus.  He not only equates PR with publicity, but has a style of writing that is full of cliched detail.  This is evident in his descriptions throughout the piece, making it an interesting exercise in deconstructing language.

From “an open expanse of steel girders and glass brick” to “a froth of personalising clutter”, via the “rack of style magazines” to “Knight’s funkily dressed colleagues”, an image of PR is created.  And, it’s not one of strategic consultancy.

PR is presented as trying to “inveigle” marketing messages into the media by “creating a situation that the news will want to report on,” according to Ms Knight – the “grubby detail” as the journalist notes.

The entire approach to PR is presented as reacting to the current news agenda, which is ironic for the Adv Cert class as the guys had spent Saturday looking at the value of planning.  That included understanding evaluating PR is not simply getting excited by “hits”.

No offence to young Sophie, as she “didn’t plan to go into PR”, having studied environmental science at Oxford Brookes University.  Hence, the “the buzz, the music, the people” at Shine sold her on the profession.

It would be great if Sophie does decide to add some depth to her enthusiasm – not least as she has thought about the ethical aspects of her business.  She would undoubtedly benefit, like the current Adv Cert students, from not just seeing PR as something you shouldn’t do, but enjoy.

And maybe she’d realise that real PR practitioners are working with the news stories that so annoyingly affect the “hits” generated by the creative twaddle produced by too many agencies.

Copier engineering and public relations

Once upon a time there were copier repairmen, now of course, they are service engineers (roll over Isambard Kingdom Brunel). Does this job title change reflect an inate ability at public relations? I wonder having seen the following advice to avoid copier problems:

“With the changeable weather and high humidity it is important to look after the paper used for copiers and printers correctly.

All paper should be left in the paper wrapping until used.

All paper from the wrapping should where possible, be put in the machine at once. This saves the paper absorbing moisture from the atmosphere

Paper should be put in the machine the way the packet has been opened, ie not turned upside down. There is an arrow indicating the correct side

The top sheet should be discarded

The paper should be fanned before placing in the machine. This enables air to circulate between each of the sheets.

REMEMBER PAPER IS A LIVING COMMODITY AND ABSORBS AND LOSES MOISTURE”

This strikes me as a marvellously persuasive approach to ensuring users take more care when copying. It encourages you to be part of the “engineering solution” and protect the natural state that paper demands.

PR and 60th anniversaries

Although MIPAA is celebrating its 40th birthday this year, I’m more intrigued by the 60th anniversaries being recognised as they hint at a world that seems like another world.

I notice that the Morris Minor is collecting its pensioner’s pass this year, along with the original Land Rover.  Although very different vehicles, they seem to have an honesty about them which is missing from today’s smart little urban run-arounds (with their hybrid or low emission credentials) or intimidating over-glossy “Chelsea tractor”.

The CIPR is also celebrating six decades since a cohort of chaps who’d honed their skills in the military services predominantly, decided to form a professional body.

Despite being so close to the end of the 2nd world war, 1948 seems to epitomise a gentler time, when driving and public relations were the work of “gentlemen”.  Women were back in their place – which wasn’t behind the wheel of a car and the world was hopeful of exciting new beginnings.

Of course, the reality wasn’t quite the picnic tea image that we might have of that long-ago era.  The PR practitioners were turning the skills they had learned in wartime practice to commercial purposes.  But there’s still the impression of a bunch of awfully decent gents meeting the Fleet Street johnnies over a glass or two of G&T in the Cheshire Cheese. 

The vehicles of those days were only affordable to the elite – even the Morris Minor was the preserve of the refined middle classes.   Of course, the world revolved around matters of class and sexism – everyone knowing their place. 

Such reflections are a reminder that both PR and motoring are intrinsically linked to their social and political times.  For MIPAA’s anniversary year of 1968 – that means Mini Coopers and mini skirts.  The year after the Summer of Love – so maybe a little more emancipation for women.  Yet few still evident in the world of automotive PR back then, when MIPAA was founded by thirteen men about town (prompted by the Guild of Motoring Writers which is still a predominantly male concern). 

In 2008, there are nearly as many female members of MIPAA as men.  It is perfectly acceptable for women to be truck drivers or opt for a sporty number – spending their own money most of the time. 

But I wonder, in both PR and motoring – are things really much better in 2008 than they were in 1968 or 1948?

Welcome to Facebook – all hope abandon ye who enter here

Is it time Facebook changed the “mission statement” on its log-in page?  Does it really do what it says, as the unofficial facebook blog states?

In September 2006, founder Mark Zuckerberg said Facebook’s mission statement was “to help people understand their world.”

However a recent BBC Money Programme showed he now sees Facebook as a powerful advertising tool.  It primary stakeholder group then is not “you” but advertisers who are interested in marketing or otherwise accessing your connections.  That is your social network is for sale.

If a mission statement is “a brief statement of the purpose of an organisation”, it gives direction to those, including the PR team, determining strategies and plans within the organisation.  From the external perspective, it should similarly clarify organisational aims.  The current statement portrays a benign purpose for Facebook, that doesn’t seem to reflect the reality of the business strategy.

Although I can’t quite imagine people being so lax about their personal and professional information at Facebook if the log in page reminded users:

Facebook is a powerful advertising tool targeting you and the people around you. 

Or maybe it should adopt Dante’s immortal words:

Through me you pass into the city of woe:
Through me you pass into eternal pain:
Through me among the people lost for aye…

All hope abandon ye who enter here.

Technorati Tags: facebook,mission statement,abandon hope

Fuel fools or eternal optimists?

Like many of us, I regularly receive emails asking me to pass on information about various viral campaigns.  Today’s topic is fuel prices – the content of this particular email is that boycotting selected oil companies will lead to a reduction in pump prices.  Snopes.com tracks this urban legend back to 2001 (before debunking the logic of the email’s argument).

There are variations on the theme – which I find quite interesting.  Rather than simply passing on an email, someone obviously takes the time to amend the detail, such as the profession of the said originator, “Philip Hollsworth” who is reported as a mathematician, economist, even the “bass player for punk band innSincere“.

As I noted recently with the Facebook hoax, it doesn’t take two minutes via Google to check out the veracity of such messages – even if you aren’t naturally cynical.

A PR contact in the fuel business reports losing count on the number of times this email has circulated – which is another interesting aspect in terms of how such urban myths come and go in waves.

As my contact advises, one of the critical aspects of fuel prices in the UK is the level of tax and duty, which the suggested boycott will not affect.  I’m not so sure I agree with my petrolhead contact’s “well-known fact” that the UK enjoys some of the lowest cost petrol in Europe, based on comparisons with what my parents pay in France (let alone the benefits of a short-drive up to Andorra).

The United Kingdom Petroleum Industries Association’s web site:  http://www.ukpia.com includes some publications on the topic of fuel prices.  The source, of course, reflects a vested interest – but show how the industry is not likely to be as easily influenced as the fuel fools and eternal optimists circulating the boycott email may hope.

An interesting question for PR practitioners is what to do about such emails.  The obvious strategy is to ignore them – as I said, there is plenty of information available from independent sources online to debunk them.  But should the motivation of people to pass on such messages be ignored?  Does having your brand mentioned in such viral campaigns have any impact? 

It seems a holy grail of many marketers/PRs in respect of new media to originate a viral message that promotes a brand – quite another issue though when you are on the negative receiving end of such missives.  Even when they are totally rubbish.

Who knows what is news?

Andrew Arnold has picked up at Native Edge on Peter Brill’s post at Net.Mentor that reflects on Toni Falconi’s blog at PR Conversations on objectivity in PR and journalism.  I highlight this trail, not as link bait, but to illustrate the delightful connectability of blogging.

What each of these posts does is to present a personal perspective on a topic, and also develop it in a new direction.  In addition, posts themselves attract comments (12 so far on the original PR Conversations post) to develop the initial idea with thoughts of support or differences of opinion.  Bloggers can also send trackbacks (as I have done between this post and Peter’s – having left comments on the other two) to help visitors to one site pick up on discussion elsewhere.

The subject of the various posts has related to whether journalists expect PR practitioners to be objective (and whether they are objective themselves) and the blurring of the roles of both.  Although this topic is clearly of interest, it is not news.  Nothing newsworthy has happened.

So what is news?  This is a question that I ask at the start of the press release writing workshop that I run.  In particular, I mean hard news that captures the media attention, not the fluffy kind of celebrity-nonsense or other “creative” ways to generate coverage.

Kevin Keegan’s return to manage Newcastle FC is clearly news.  The “new manager” story involved speculation initially over whether either Harry Rednap or Alan Shearer would be persuaded by the millions on offer.  Then the surprise reappearance of King Kev provided just the kind of news that is loved by the tabloids – and is talked about in bars, offices and online. For PR practitioners, speculation, suspense and a surprise aide news generation.

The crash landing of the BA flight yesterday is news – although for the print media, it is already old as the story unfolded live on 24-hour television news.  Today the “news” involves a variety of talking heads giving their views on what went wrong.  It is interesting to see the Seattle Post Intelligencer take on the issue – which is all about the safety record of the Boeing 777.  Even more local is the take of the Worcester News focusing on the fact the pilot lives in the city.  Here we can see the value of good crisis management on part of BA but we should also remember that media like to add their own twist making the news relevant to the audience, whether it is a local or trade angle.

Having said this, I fail to see any news value in the “and finally” piece at the end of yesterday’s ITV News at Ten (in its much hyped return week).  It featured a journalist riding in a taxi whose driver had been on road alongside Heathrow when the plane landed.  He wasn’t presented as an eye witness but as someone affected by the incident.  But he had no real story to tell. 

What about the Golden Globe awards?  Whilst accepting the awards are a creative technique to generate coverage and sell cinema tickets, the “hook” ought to be who has won what.  This year, the news was the non-event as a consequence of the writers’ strike.  The winners were still announced – so why weren’t these viewed as news?  Without the images of actors and actresses on the red carpet or collecting their trophies in person, the sparkle was lost.  The “news” was still the same, but without the glossy packaging, the media interest dissipated.

But the oddest “news” of the past week for me relates to the badge for PR offered by the Scout Association.  This was a major story and has been picked up everywhere – even USA Today – but this is an 11 year old story.

Despite what the media and the PR scouting team said, this is that this is not a new badge.  The Scout website and PR Week note it was first introduced in 1997 – sponsored by nuclear power company British Energy. 

Why did Andrew Thorp, media officer for the Scout Association present the PR badge as “new” – and why didn’t national newspaper journalists bother to check this fact.  Should they have relied on the PR person’s word on this matter?  Wrongly, they merrily reported the “news” of the PR badge direct from the press release or PA Wire report. 

Do they care?  Well the Scout Association generated a lot of attention and the media also got a story.  Although here the news wasn’t really news.

Mind you, Mr Thorp admits he has not achieved the PR badge himself and is not listed on the CIPR website as a member either.  So he is clearly living up to the media stereotype in reporting the badge as one for spin-doctors.

Unlike Loyalist PR, Paul Dixon and Neville Hobson, I’m not convinced that the badge will encourage Scouts to pursue a career in PR.  However, I will suggest to the Wessex CIPR committee at our next meeting, that we could consider getting in touch with our local Scout Troops and offering to talk with them about what PR really involves and help the guys demonstrate better practice in their own media relations activities. 

Although, I don’t think the Association really sees this badge as improving skills or capturing the interest of Scouts.  Nor is the real value of this badge in its ability to attract headlines for its existence. 

Looking at what is involved the purpose of the badge is to use the Scouts to act as PR practitioners for the organisation itself.  Scouts are required to use the organisation’s own materials or the activities of their local troop to increase the profile and understanding of what is involved in Scouting. 

Newseum – holds the front page for news, but what about PR’s archives?

Via Judy Gombita, check out Newseum which has a pdf graphic for some 500 front pages from newspapers around the world. 

From the UK, the only paper listed is the Daily Telegraph and there are few papers from the rest of Europe (although there are several from northern Italy).  But there are dozens of US papers from across the country, which gives an interesting insight into what is capturing the attention of Americans – and as everywhere in the world, the importance of the local angle.

The Newseum is not simply an online venture.  After attracting 2.25 million real world visitors from 1997-2002, a new $435m landmark building will open, halfway between the White House and the US Capitol in Washington DC, early in 2008.

A physical display of the same front pages that are available online is set to be a feature of the outside of the new building.   It is brilliant to see the investment in Newseum as a resource focusing on news, and especially print media.

This is quite a contrast to the Museum of Public Relations.  Its website focuses only on a few US pioneers of the practice (some good video) and a bibliography of books in its library.  Although it is mentioned as a physical museum in New York, this appears to be the offices of consultancy Spector & Associates, which established the museum in 1997.  Its foundations were photographic records taken at Bernays’ home following his death on 9 March 1995 (aged 93, DOB: 22 November 1891).

Bernays donated papers to the Library of Congress during his lifetime (from 1966) leading to a collection of “227,000 items; 860 containers plus 54 oversize; 160.2 linear feet”.  Although listed online, this material does not seem to be publicly available (certainly not online).

I’m not aware of any other archives or artefacts of PR materials, but wonder if it is not time for either an online or real world resource to be established that focuses on the past, present and future of public relations.  Is this something that should be created?

 

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