I Heard it Through the Gracevine

The NFL season is in full swing and is unfortunately starting to experience the consequences of playing during an epidemic, teams are being forced to cancel practice and multiple games have already been postponed due to positive results. 

 Tuesday afternoon, NFL executives announced that they believe they have the proper amenities in place to avoid having to bubble all NFL players. The NFL’s chief medical doctor, Allen Sills, said that if they chose to bubble they would still have to worry about infection being brought in from outside employees, and it would play an emotional toll on players and staff if they had to be away from their families over the holiday season. Not to mention, while this worked successfully for the NBA and NHL, they were testing significantly smaller amounts of people- 350 players compared to the 2,800 NFL players that would require daily testing.
As the PR professional for the NFL, I would be most concerned with a COVID-19 outbreak on a team that resulted in a death of an employee or other outsider. This is important to consider because it could lead to a crisis that creates a negative reputation for the NFL as a whole. This would also negatively impact FOX Sports because they cover and report on NFL games and rely on the content to post. Choosing to not bubble players could also result in players acting out and hanging out in groups of larger than 10 people which could negatively impact a whole team if it spreads among them.

It is apparent that the NFL has the proper protocols set in place to monitor and prevent the coronavirus, but as more decisions are made, it is vital to consider the target publics and who would be most affected if the choice to not bubble NFL players ends poorly. Audiences I would be most concerned with include: sports fans, staff, players family members of players and staff, the media, and the citizens of a city with an NFL team (games often bring in outsiders at bars and restaurants).

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nfl-schedule-changes-regular-season-bubble-likely-not-happening-week-18-still-in-play/

You KNOW you’ve really made it when you’re asked to be on a Wheatie’s box. Not like Lebron James isn’t one of the most famous athletes in the world already… but still. Having a Wheatie’s box adorned with images of yourself is a dream many athletes share from a young age, James is no exception. 

What makes this announcement especially exciting for James and his family is that the box will also feature kids and staff from his I Promise School located in Akron, a school that mentors academically at-risk kids to help them receive their high school diploma and get a free college education. Although this box is breaking tradition, Wheaties felt that James’ efforts to change the world are just as impressive as his skills on the court.

This story relates to my client, FOX Sports University, because a well-known brand is using a prominent figure in the sports industry to advertise a product. This is something Wheaties has been doing for over 85 years, but by introducing a new concept to the cereal box, they resparked conversation and interest in the topic. Not only does this create positive publicity for Lebron James, it elevates Wheaties reputation above other cereal companies. This box will attract consumers for various reasons and therefore will reach many audiences.

Different audiences respond to marketing efforts in different ways. Wheaties is tapping into their consumers pathos, they hope that by sharing the work that the athlete on the box is doing, that customers will feel more inclined to buy the product. Many may even assume that by buying the cereal, they are contributing to helping the organization on the box (I could not find any sources that stated that a portion of the proceeds would go to the I Promise School). 

Overall, I think that this box creates a special experience for its consumers because it shows an athlete using their platform to help others, and just shows good being done in the world. FOX Sports University has seen success themselves by implementing the Girls Inc. program. Brands that take the time to do good for the community attract consumers by showing that they care about more than just their product. 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/lakers/2020/10/07/lakers-lebron-james-join-breakfast-champions-new-wheaties-box/5909809002/

Ninety percent of the time I feel completely safe around the people at Penn State. But it’s the other 10% that continues to disgust me, the men that sexually harass women as they simply walk and run around the campus and downtown area.

I should feel comfortable going on a run in leggings and a sports bra, but no, I worry about being hollered and mocked at by college boys as they drive by and honk their horns. 

Fortunately, I live in a country where (most of the time) it is relatively easy to report sexual harassment, but some women in other countries do not have this privilege. That’s why the story of Nadeen Ashraf gave me a little bit of hope.

At the American University in Cairo, Egypt, there was a man known for harassing and blackmailing women. When a fellow student of Ashraf posted a facebook post warning others about this man, she noticed it was quickly deleted and became outraged, so she decided to take things into her own hands and create an anonymous instagram page under the handle “@assaultpolice”. The page blew up overnight, the man accused was arrested, and the Egyptian #metoo movement was born.

This news story relates to our PR campaigns course because hopefully, it is the start of a powerful movement in Egypt. But unfortunately, their government is structured extremely differently from ours and many of the women, even Ashraf, fear backlash from men in the community. As the PR person for the newsmaker, I would be primarily concerned with the well-being of the victims and create an anonymous form on the Cairo Police and university website where women could report sexual harassment of violence in a safe way. I would also encourage local and national politicians to use their positions to create momentum for the #MeToo movement. 

Overall, this is a positive story for the American University in Cairo because it highlights the efforts made by one of their students to create a change on their campus, it shows the good that can come from social media. Hopefully, they will continue to receive positive press if they follow through with the reported sexual harassment allegations. The University should continue to share stories about the beginning of this movement to promote a safe environment and encourage other students to get involved and follow their instincts. 

 

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/02/world/middleeast/egypt-metoo-sexual-harassment-ashraf.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage

When I began to express interest in boys to my mom, one of the first things she told me is that you never want to date outside of your religion. I initially never questioned why, but of course my first little middle school crush was on a boy who happened to be Jewish. When I finally asked her why she made this comment, she said it was because it causes too much strain on a marriage trying to decide what your primary religion will be in the house and what your kids will practice. 

I was around 12-years-old when she told me this, 12! I was almost offended that she was already thinking about me marrying a boy, but I guess I was her little girl and she was just passing on whatever her mom told her. However,  it goes to say how much your parents influence can have on your life.

I really enjoyed watching Meet the Patels because it gave me a whole new perspective on religion and culture in relationships. I was aware of arranged marriages but it was a topic I had never researched or looked into and it has always been portrayed as a strictly royal practice in movies and TV shows. However, it is a cultural practice still very common today. The thoroughness of the process through bio data resume sheets and online dating sites to meet the perfect indian girl was incredible, and the involvement of the parents was like nothing I had ever seen before, but that is their normal.

This documentary contradicted most of what I thought I knew about arranged marriages. I thought it was a dead practice that wasn’t used anymore in the United States, when in reality, immigrants that moved here years and years ago have continued to pass down the importance of marrying within the indian community your family originated from. 

Understanding multicultural audiences is vital for public relation professionals. The United States has a diverse population that is made up of thousands of cultural practices that define different groups of people. When a PR professional is knowledgeable about their different audiences, they are not only a more cultured individual, but they also have the ability to connect and converse with a wider range of people. This relates to the Diffusion Theory and being aware of how groups of people process new innovations and begin adoption.

Another important point is that in order to be a successful PR professional, and just a moral and decent human being, you must know how to respect everyone around you. In order to do that, you have to have a basic understanding of other cultures to know what they value and what offends them. This could potentially prevent a pr crisis.

There is always room to grow and learn, and I try to do that by reading news articles about other countries as well as watching foreign films and documentaries. I have also made it a habit to just start a conversation about religion or culture when out with friends that I know have different beliefs from mine. This starts an open dialogue and allows for everyone in the conversation to learn something new.

Like Ravi Patel said in the documentary, “the culture has to adapt to the times,” but we also must embrace them to ensure that we are accepting and understanding of everyone.

In the above image is a tweet from Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell, “The winner of the November 3rd election will be inaugurated on January 20th. There will be an orderly transition just as there has been every four years since 1792.”

I think it is imperative that every citizen participates in the election by doing their duty and voting and while it isn’t always easy, it is what our democracy stands on, and it is a privilege that citizens of other countries do not have. Elections have a history of causing chaos with the people of the United States, but when the President blatantly states that he will not abide by the Constitution, we approach new territory. 

During a press conference this past Wednesday, President Trump insinuated that he would not participate in a peaceful transition of power if he loses the election. This statement comes from his ongoing frustration regarding ballots, as he feels that mail-in voting permits the opportunity for fraud. Meanwhile, the G.O.P is frantily working to reassure voters that the President will accept the results of the election in a non-violent manner.

I can only try to imagine the unrest in the White House at the moment, PR professionals  and politicians scrambling to decide how to respond to the recent comments made by the President. So close to the election, comments like this could drastically impact the results. If he wishes to continue and win the votes of the American people, the best results would come from him apologizing and explaining the intentions of his comment. Additionally, it is important that politicians of the republican party continue to reassure voters that President Trump will honor his oath of office. 

The abundance of articles currently being published by major news outlets is contributing to the fear instilled in voters right now, and the primary audience PR professionals need to be focused on addressing content to is older voters who have participated in numerous elections. This could be done by posting stories and responses on facebook and print sources, which are typically used by older news consumers. 

The negativity surrounding this story will directly impact the results on the election if the comments made are not addressed quickly. Threats made on constitutional rights are not taken lightly by most, and frankly shouldn’t be at all. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/24/us/politics/trump-republicans-election-transition.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage

 

I’m a sucker for products endorsed by celebrities. The worst part is, usually whatever I get persuaded into buying isn’t even anything special, it just happens to have a name attached to it and I’m sold. Why? Because people LOVE feeling connected to a celebrity through their product.

A picture perfect example of this is the new Travis Scott meal at Mcdonalds. This meal isn’t much different from your regular quarter-pounder meal, except that it only has cheese, bacon and lettuce, and comes with a side of barbecue sauce to dip your fries in. Nothing super special, but it has been so popular that it is causing a quarter-pounder shortage across the country, forcing Mcdonalds to monitor their supply and prioritize shipping ingredients to certain locations. Demand for the Travis Scott meal has also contributed to an increase of its market value.

From a PR perspective, this isn’t necessarily a terrible problem to have, but it will require professionals to respond quickly and continue marketing efforts since the meal is only here for a couple more weeks. If they want to continue the hype and excitement behind the meal, they need to continue serving the product for the full duration that they promised their customers. 

After all the covid-19 madness, many restaurants have struggled to stay on their feet and are taking similar approaches by presenting an affordable, fast meal. This campaign utilized a celebrity that is well-known by younger generations to bring in new customers who may typically not eat fast food. To advertise their new meal, Mcdonalds had Travis Scott promote it on his social media platforms to his millions of followers. TikTok creators have also started a trend where they go through the drive-thru and blast the Travis Scott song “Sicko Mode” on the car speakers to order. This in itself is a form of advertising because consumers want to go just to record a video of themselves doing it. 

Overall, this is a positive story because it shows the success of the campaign efforts. They were able to raise their market value and their overall sales by offering a limited menu item endorsed and inspired by a popular celebrity. 

If you were wondering, yes I purchased this burger the first week it came out, and yes it tastes the same (but it says ‘travis scott meal’ on the receipt) so yes it was worth it. 

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/16/mcdonalds-travis-scott-promotion-is-so-popular-its-causing-shortages.html