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Successful NYC agency tour leaves members excited for the future By Jaclyn Hockenbury
inside this issue: Page 2 News from North Road Communications and Mentor Program
Page 4 A look at Pampadour, the new social media site for beauty
Page 6 A roundup of PR news from the stars of Hollywood
Page 8 Meet the 2013-2014 E-Board!
Page 10 Members explain how companies should fix their #PRFails
Page 12 The continuing woes of Carnival cruise lines
Bliss Integrated Communications and Ruder Finn PR opened their doors to 16 lucky PRSSA members for our spring agency tour on Friday, April 26. Participants had the opportunity to speak with industry professionals about public relations as a profession and the atmosphere of working in an agency. Visiting the two firms provided a glimpse into the real world of pitches and press releases. There was a noticeable feel between the two, Bliss being young, hip, and integrated, while Ruder Finn prided themselves on having creative culture, intrapreneurial spirit and close-knit teams. The representatives at Bliss Integrated took us through a history of the firm, explaining that they moved from Bliss PR to Bliss Integrated because of the changing industry through developments in social media. Members also learned about client focus at Bliss Integrated, comparing business-to-business versus business-to-client strategies. Ruder Finn provided some insight to the ethical foundations of public relations which help follow company policy and ensure cli-
PRSSA Members gather around the table at Bliss Integrated Communications HQ Source: Meredith Krim
ents are not competing against each other. A representative from Ruder Finn’s RFI Studios spoke to members about the innovative web design they do for clients both independently and through the main firm. I personally had a great time at the spring agency tour and enjoyed comparing it to my experience as one of two freshmen to go in the fall 2012 semester. I noticed the differences in environment between Ketchum and Edelman versus this year’s firms, of course learning more along the way. I find it interesting how each PR firm has its own personality, so to speak, based on the clients they serve and accounts they handle. A note to all freshmen: it’s OK to feel overwhelmed (I know I was)! But with the many sectors of PR in the industry, there’s bound to
be something for you. Katherine Kilpatrick from Bliss recommends going in with a "broad spectrum of desired PR sectors. Test them out and read up on each," adding that you probably won't be able to choose your one ideal section. Eventually, you’ll start to understand the jargon and find your niche. Keep your contacts and take advantage of agency tours, and you’ll be well on your way. Some advice from Matthew Kirdahy, account director at Bliss Integrated: “Be hungry. Be curious. Be driven. Show an interest in an agency by asking questions, as many as time allows. A job interview is just as much about your interest in an employer, as it is about their interest in you. And always remember to say, thank you.”
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A word from North Road Communications By Charlotte Catania Firm Director N o r t h R o a d Communications had an exciting past few weeks. Our account teams have been hard at work, doing everything from writing feature new stories and press releases to visiting Sprout Creek Farm to work on some event planning ideas! Our publicity team has been working on our marketing materials, including a brand new logo that we are all thrilled about. They also hope to have a new blog underway by the end of the semester.
Mentor program through the eyes of “mentee” By Haylee Caravalho The PRSSA Mentor Program allows freshmen or new members to be paired with older, experienced members. This helps them develop their public relations skills and become involved in everything PRSSA has to offer. Mentors can give advice, help with schedules, introduce mentees to other members, professors, and much more. Mentor program meetings are held a few times a semester and each one has a specific agenda designed for the mentor to help his or her mentee with something new.
The first meeting was the most helpful. Mentors and mentees that had signed up for the program reviewed their “Degree Works” information, which includes all the requirements needed before the student graduates. Mentors showed mentees what classes they took and gave advice on what courses were helpful, in what order those courses should be taken, etc. The Mentor Program's LinkedIn workshop was also very helpful and interesting. This meeting helped mentees who did not have a LinkedIn profile make one
and mentors showed them how to effectively use the network. This was a great program because many students are unaware of the benefits of having a LinkedIn profile. There are many benefits to joining the mentor program and mentees have been very pleased with their experience. Freshmen can feel comfortable knowing they have an older friend and mentor that they can go to with questions about PRSSA, classes, or Marist in general.
Taking NYC by storm, Marist PRSSA style Get a glimpse of our spring 2013 PR agency tour! A great time was had by all future PR pros
Election results were announced and a big congrats goes to Mary Kate Mullhauser, our fall 2013 firm director and Maria Gironas who will take her place for the Spring 2014 semester while Mary Kate is studying abroad. They worked extremely hard on firm activities this semester, and we’re excited for them to take on their new roles. Source: Meredith Krim
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By Elizabeth Odachowski It has been an exciting time for our Chapter as we conclude the spring semester! Next week, we will are focused on passing the torch to our new members as well as saying goodbye to our graduating seniors. We recently held our annual elections and have a fantastic e-board of eager students excited to broaden the Chapter. Our Chapter also took part in Marist’s Open House and met with many prospective public relations students. We also introduced our Chapter to incoming communication students at the Open House PR breakout session. Our semester concluded with events to help our seniors shape their career paths and further our members’ public relations knowledge. We hosted an event in which students had professional head shots taken for use on their social media sites. The Chapter also hosted a Skype session with Leslie Walden, a highly involved professional in the political PR arena. Leslie has worked with presidential candidates such as Barack Obama and John Kerry. Additionally, the mentor program conducted a mock interview workshop.
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A Farewell Letter from the Chapter President L a s t year, I remember f i nal izing our last i s s u e of esPResso and formatting Alexis Murphy's farewell letter from the president. At the time, I thought how difficult it must have been for her to say goodbye to something on which she devoted her entire academic career. Now, that difficulty is realized as I end my time at Marist, and in turn, my service to PRSSA. It's been an exciting journey watching this Chapter transform and enhancing my leadership skills in the process. From the beginning, I never wanted to make PRSSA about myself, how I could get ahead or how this would look on a resume. Truly, I wanted to connect with my peers, become more involved in the School of Communication and the Arts, and learn as much about public relations as possible. Therefore, our Chapter didn't benefit because of me; it benefitted because of the work of a collective whole. Erica: I watched you blossom from a nervous wreck haphazardly planning an agency tour into a confident
PR pro ready to lead (in pure Elle Woods fashion). You'll do amazing things in the future and I'm anxious to see it in action!
rising up together over the past four years.
Deanna: My selfless chauffeur, you always managed to be on the same page as me, whether it's planning a community service event or drowning our unemployment woes in a round of
All of our members: You're what keeps our Chapter running. Although I might not know all of your names or faces, without you, I would have no one to email on a bi-daily basis.
Charlotte: Your radiant personality set the tone of nearly every guest speaker this year, and I couldn't be more proud of the work you and the North Road team set forth.
I know we are leaving the Chapter in great hands with Chapter President Erica Conover and her fearless and enthusiastic e-board. I wish all of my peers the best of luck in the future, and I'll always check my inbox for an invitation to be a guest speaker.
Liz: You always lent a helping hand whenever needed, and your big ideas for our Jackie: I've admired your Chapter laid the stepping dedication, attention to de- stones for what’s ahead. tail, and stellar Photoshop skills, and I'm almost certain Jennie: Your dedication to you'll be my boss one day. helping guide my leadership skills is something that will Meredith: My work wife, you follow me for years to come. have been my counterpart Also, I don't know how you through all of this and I can't put up with my endless pop wait to see our next PR jour- culture references in weekly ney unfold (hopefully in the meetings for the past two direction of Olivia Pope). years, but thank you.
Chelsea: Despite our constant financial frustrations, you stepped up to the plate right when our Chapter needed you and I couldn’t be more grateful.
Always my best,
Abbey: You’ve been my PRSSA buddy from the very beginning and I’ve enjoyed Michael
Our induction ceremony will take place next week in the Cornell Boat House. We will congratulate graduating seniors, induct new members and honor our Chapter’s accomplishments for this year. Be sure RSV Photo Courtesy of Brian Apfel, Marist Pinterest
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Latest social networking trend calling all beauty junkies! brands and friends helps you keep up with the quickly changing beauty trends.
By Kerry Haggerty Trying to keep up with the latest beauty trends can be hard, especially when you’re not sure how to get your hands on the latest nail polish, shampooor whatever your favorite item may be. Now it’s all at the click of a mouse with Pampadour, a fun, new way to share everything beauty. Founded by brother and sister-in-law, Roy and Jennifer Hakimian, Pampadour is a family affair. Jennifer was looking for a place to share her beauty wisdom. Rather than annoying everyone else on her Facebook feed and sifting through endless products online, she realized sharing beauty could be a lot easier and fun, with a social network of its own. A mix between familiar social networks tailored toward beauty lovers, Pam-
Love beauty products and social media? Then Pampadour is the site for you! Source: fmvmag.com
padour allows users to virtually store their favorite beauty products. You’ll never forget the name of that lip-gloss you always wanted to try, or even how to create your favorite braid because it’s all right on your Pampadour profile. The Pampadour feed helps users discover new looks, products, tutorials and so much more. Show off your look by creating a
post and tagging the products you used, get advice on the latest products and tutorials, or simply Pamp (share) a photo to your friend that you know she’ll “Adour”. All products that are featured, tagged or shared are linked to the retailer’s website allowing “pampers” to make immediate purchases. Making connections with professionals,
Not only is Pampadour convenient, it’s fun! I’m sure you never thought you’d be getting beauty advice from professionals such as Matin Maulawizada, artistry director and brand ambassador for Laura Mercier and makeup artist for Claire Jones. Now you can learn to perfect their red-carpet looks with tutorials and advice from famous makeup artists all in one place. Maybe you’ll find your new hair or make-up look for this weekend’s night out on Pampadour! Check out what everyone’s talking about in the beauty world right now. Be a beauty enthusiast. Join Pampadour and start ”pumping!”
Email:
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Future President takes on internship interview By Erica Conover My interview for Cashman + Katz Integrated Communications was on a Wednesday morning. I kept going over everything I learned in the portfolio and resume workshop. Don’t be late. Look professional. Don’t talk too fast. Those 15 minutes I spent waiting for my interview felt like a lifetime. Once I was there, conversation came naturally. The main topic of conversation was our PRSSA Chapter. Gary Turco, director of public affairs at Cashman + Katz, was so impressed with everything I had to say about our Chapter and all that we’ve accomplished. The interview was going great. However, once he told me they are only taking two interns out of the 16 that he’s
interviewing, my heart sank. On my drive home, I felt discouraged. I didn’t even think I had a chance. I emailed Gary the next day, expressing my gratitude for giving me the opportunity to interview. The first day of classes back from spring break, I remember sitting in class and seeing an email flash on my phone. It was Gary Turco. My nerves started to kick in. I grabbed my phone and walked out of class, preparing myself for the worst. I didn’t even read the whole email at first. One word stood out. Congratulations. Honestly, I might have screamed I was so excited. I felt a huge weight lift off my shoulders. As soon as I got out of class, I contacted Gary and gladly accepted his
offer to become a summer intern. Now that I’m done with the dramatics, I can talk about what Cashman + Katz Integrated Communications is all about. Their disciplines include research, production, PR, social media, and creativity. The coolest part is that they have their own production studio where they film commercials for some of their clients like the Connecticut Lottery. As an intern, I will have a variety of tasks including writing pitches and press releases, maintaining contact with the media, working at client events, and keeping up with the news. I am looking forward to the summer and gaining real world experience that will prepare me for my post grad life after Marist.
INTERN STYLE BROUGHT TO YOU BY PINTEREST
Don’t know what to wear on the first day of interning? Have no fear. We’ve scoured the Pinterest universe to bring you the best styles to model all summer long! For more inspiration visit The Marist PRSSA Pinterest and the Marist Career Services Pinterest boards. Happy styling! Sources: pinterest.com/maristprssa, pinterest.com/maristcareer
Michael Bernardini Chapter President @mrBERNARDINI Erica Conover Vice President (President-Elect) @vivalaerica Jackie Mucilli VP of Chapter Development @YackieYacks Meredith Lowe Director of PR @merekaylowe Charlotte Catania Firm Director @charcatania Deanna Morosoff National Delegate @Deanna_Morosoff Chelsea Conroy Treasurer @ccon27 Abbey Scalia Secretary @abbeyscalia Elizabeth Odachowski Historian @LizOda27 Jennie Donohue Faculty Adviser @JennieDonohue
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A M A N DA B Y N E S By Monica Couvillon The recent Twitter posts and public appearances of Amanda Bynes have the online community abuzz with rumors. Will Bynes follow in the steps of other child stars, like Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears? Is a trip to rehab in store for the actress? Are her controversial tweets really her?
Source: people.com
By Casey Galasso Hollywood’s favorite playboy John Mayer seemed like a changed man when he spoke on Ellen about ending his relationship with superstar Katy Perry, saying, “it was a very private relationship going in, it was a private relationship during and it’s a private relationship still.” While we’d all like to believe Mayer has abandoned his bad boy ways, could his new demeanor and recent breakup with Perry be simply to garner some buzz before he kicks off his Born and Raised Tour in July? Since a throat surgery in August 2012 left him on indefinite vocal hiatus, Mayer has been virtually off the map in the music world. A relationship with pop’s biggest and most beautiful superstar was just the fix to get him back in the spotlight. Has Mayer really changed? Looks like we’ll have to examine his next relationship to find out.
With her recent step back into the public eye, the media is having a field day. Bynes has pierced her cheeks and continuously posts “selfie” shots of the piercings on her Twitter. She is known to vaguely tweet at media outlets for targeting her and making a spectacle of her career. One of her most famous tweets, a shout-out to rapper Drake, has appeared on websites, television shows and magazines. Many are making a spoof of the tweet while others are seeing it as a cry for help. Her public image is being severely tarnished. Amanda Bynes was once considered one of the few child stars that had maintained her adolescent fame while keeping her life in order. Now, she is heading down a dark spiral that has landed stars like Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears in rehab, jail, and on the cover of every tabloid.
SHAIN FROM BUCKWILD By Amanda Orzo On April 1, 21 year-old MTV reality star Shain Gandee was found dead in his truck at a nearby “mudding” site in Sissonville, WV. What was once a common recreational activity for the cast of the hit MTV series Buckwild became a deadly attempt at fun. MTV took measures to protect and honor Gandee’s short life by turning his Twitter account into a special tribute for the star. They also scheduled a Buckwild marathon leading up to an episode strictly dedicated to Gandee’s cheerful life.
Source: nydailynews.com
On April 10, MTV also announced the network would put an end to filming the second season of Buckwild because it “was not appropriate to continue without him [Gandee]”. This news stirred up controversy with his fans nationwide. While some think this was the proper decision, others are lashing out with criticisms. Fans have posted on various social media sites that Shain would have wanted the show to go on. Despite objections, MTV is standing by its decisions as they strive to create a “meaningful way to pay tribute to his memory on air and privately.” When all is said and done, however, honoring Gandee’s life is what matters most.
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GLEE By Monica Couvillion One of the most popular television shows of our generation, Glee, is bound to go under some major character reconstruction. This season’s change from a highschool centered plot to a flipflopping storyline between Ohio Source: ryanseacrest.com and New York City has hurt its credibility among fans and critics. It appears that more changes are in store for the musical comedy as actor Cory Monteith, who plays one of the main male characters, has checked into rehab for substance abuse. Season regular Heather Morris has also announced her pregnancy. It was reported that Monteith was slated to film the final two episodes of the season but is now written out of both of them and his absence will be explained. It is likely that Heather Morris’s pregnancy can be hidden from view during the last two episodes and her character’s story will not change this season, but what does this mean for her character next season? Glee will have to minimize her importance which could anger many fans of thew himsical character Brittany S. Pierce. Without Monteith in the season finale, fans may give up on his character’s on-again, off- again relationship that drives a majority of the show. With the ratings down this season, the popularity of Glee hangs a great deal on Monteith’s and Morris’s roles.
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JUSTIN BIEBER By Briana Flynn No one can deny the excellent work that Justin Bieber’s PR team has done in the past, from clearing up paternity rumors to securing an image of the typical, harmless teen pop star. Recently, however, it seems Bieber has become more independent, and the media attention directed at him has been less than positive. His problems started in Source: popdust.com January, when a photo circulated of Bieber smoking marijuana. He apologized for this when he hosted Saturday Night Live, but it was nearly a month later. Bieber received bad press following an incident allegedly involving getting Bieber’s friend, Will Smith’s underage son Jaden, into a club. Bieber has complained about the bad press on his personal Twitter and Instagram accounts, usually blaming his problems on the media rather than acknowledging his own actions. Further issues have included showing up to a concert hours late, cursing at paparazzi, and an odd incident involving his pet monkey getting detained in Germany. Bieber so quickly losing his image that some are even dubbing his new haircut “PR bangs,” which might be a way of reminding people of his younger, more innocent self.
J I M M Y FA L L O N By Briana Flynn After constant rumors and speculation, NBC announced on April 3 that Jimmy Fallon would be taking over for Jay Leno as host of The Tonight Show. As the current host of NBC’s Late Night, Fallon seemed the obvious choice for Leno’s successor, considering his connection to a younger demographic. Following media reports of bad feelings between the two hosts, Fallon instigated a skit where he and Leno sing a parody of “Tonight” from West Side Story, which addressed all the rumors and showed the two Source: foxnews.com were friends. A key humorous line in their amicable duet was “Who cares who hosts Tonight? People just watch online the next day,” which points at Fallon’s successful Internet presence. Fallon is known for his popular viral videos, including “History of Rap” with Justin Timberlake, which fans hope he will carry over to Tonight. Fallon also has a large Twitter presence and gets his followers involved in his show using various hashtags. He made a point to thank his followers for their tweets following the announcement, and also Instagrammed several photos recognizing his supporters. NBC executives expect Fallon to successfully compete with ABC competitor Jimmy Kimmel when he takes over in 2014.
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2013-2014 Erica Conover, Chapter President Class Year: Class of 2014 Hometown: East Haddam, CT Leadership Experience: Treasurer PRSSA, Vice President PRSSA, PR Chair ΣΣΣ Favorite TV Show: How I Met Your Mother, Mob Wives Favorite Food: Grilled Cheese
McKensie Saldo, Vice President Class Year: Class of 2015 Hometown: Pittsfield, MA Internship Experience: Communications Intern at Zogics, North Road Communications Favorite Book: The Things They Carried Favorite Movie: Elf Marguerite Pinheiro, Director of Public Relations Class Year: Class of 2014 Hometown: Wayne, NJ Leadership Experience: Coach at Marist Poll Internship Experience: Thrillist Favorite TV Show: Scandal
Amanda Orzo, Director of Member Services Class Year: Class of 2016 Hometown: Deer Park, NY Favorite Thing About Marist: Its sense of community Favorite Movie: 21 Jump Street Favorite Book: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
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Mary Kate Mulhauser, Co-Firm Director Class Year: Class of 2015 Hometown: Westwood, NJ Internship Experience: 360 Degrees PR Favorite Book: One Day Favorite Food: Mashed potatoes Maria Gironas, Co-Firm Director Class Year: Class of 2016 Hometown: Corona, CA Internship Experience: ACUI social media coordinator, media coordinator for Dalmastro Inc. Favorite Thing About Marist: The support system Favorite Food: Bacon Pizza
Ashley Hellberg, Director of Chapter Programming Class Year: Class of 2016 Hometown: Wantagh, NY Favorite Book: The Catcher in the Rye Favorite TV Show: Grey’s Anatomy Jaclyn Hockenbury, Director of Chapter Advancement
Favorite Food: Pickles
Class Year: Class of 2015 Hometown: Somerville, NJ Favorite Thing About Marist: Opportunities to try new things Favorite Movie: School of Rock Favorite TV Show: How I Met Your Mother, Modern Family
Kate Hardcastle, Director of Finance Class Year: Class of 2014 Hometown: Providence, RI Internship Experience: Harvard Communications Dept., Matter Communications, Fashaddict Favorite TV Show: Criminal Minds Favorite Food: All types of seafood
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PR CRISIS HOTLINE EsPResso analyzes the latest #PRFails in the media and how savvy PR skills were used to mend the issues
China calls out Apple on warranty woes
Source: forbes.com
By Cassie Yettru The CEO of Apple made a public apology to China in regards to the one-year warranty coverage that they provide which goes against the Chinese law that allows for twoyear coverage, in addition to mediocre customer service. Chinese trails the United States as China’s secondmarket, and therefore has significant influence over how well Apple does as a company. Apple should have recognized the influence of the Chinese market on their company and immediately responded to the accusations made, instead of waiting for a brief period.
Sheer LuLuLemon leggings reveal more than what yoga-lovers paid for By Lizzy Peper After numerous complaints in previous years, LuLuLemon Athletica found itself in a full-on yoga pant scandal in early March. The company was forced to recall 17% of their legging stock due to the products’ see-through quality. The sheerness of the pants was blamed on their manufacturer in Taiwan, The Eclat Textile Company. However, this did not prevent the firing of LuLuLemon’s Chief Product Officer Sheree Watson over the “unacceptably sheer pants”. The Source: yoganonymous.com company has also responded by promising more rigorous and effective testing methods for their products, making it unclear if the athletic company is still using Eclat as their scapegoat or assuming partial blame for their oversights.
Rick Ross provides “lackluster” apology By Cassie Yettru
The sneaker company Reebok dropped their endorsement of celebrity rapper Rick Ross after his recently released song, “U.O.E.N.O” contained lyrics about drugging and raping a woman. While Reebok handled the crisis with grace by immediately responding to the complaints and cutting all connections to Ross, the rapper reSource: foxnews.com sponded with a simple tweet saying that he doesn’t condone rape. If Ross did not want his reputation to suffer, he should have done far more than post an eleven word tweet, but because he did not he is being addressed as insincere and disrespectful to women.
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M down log w 14K their catal as $ boug caug listed Mac signs depa on alert of t Macy who neck $47p takin situa lettin not b as a
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acy’s mistake provides customers h more than a hot buy
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Public’s reaction to Rice’s rage leaves Rutgers no choice
manda Fiore
Macy’s is known for their “One Day Sales” and markns, but the price reduction listed in their recent catawas too good to be true, even by Macy’s standards. A gold and sterling silver necklace was featured in r catalog as a “Super Buy”. Originally $1,500, the log printed the new price as $47, but meant to list it $479 (forgetting to add in a 9). People immediately ght the necklace for $47 and that’s when Macy’s ght their typo. After realizing they had incorrectly d the price, cy’s placed s in the jewelry artment, and store doors, ing customers their mistake. y’s let those bought the Source: yahoo.news.com klace at the price keep it, ng responsibility for their typo. Macy’s handled the ation seamlessly, admitting to their mistake, while ng customers keep the necklace. Macy’s image will be harmed by this incident but perhaps just labeled bad proofreader.
By Amanda Fiore Rutgers University has fallen victim to another scandal. This past November a video leaked of Rutgers men’s basketball coac h, Mike Rice, physically beating his players while Source: mashable.com screaming gay slurs at them. After the video leaked, Rutgers Director of Athletics Tim Pernetti claimed that this abuse was not a fire-able offense and decided to only suspend Rice. Recently there has been an increase of public scrutiny and extreme pressure on Rutgers to fire Rice, who finally succumbed. Rutgers should have fired Mike Rice immediately after seeing the mistreatment on the video. Their weak decision to keep Rice around illustrates that the college is taking the situation lightly and values their employers over their players. The inaction demonstrated by RU, demonstrates that they are a college tolerant of abuse, giving the school a negative image.
Target’s plus-size customers take offense to whale reference By Lizzy Peper On April 3, Target customer Susan Clemons tweeted a color discrepancy she noticed when shopping for maxi dresses on the company’s website. The standard sized dress’s grey color option was labeled as “dark heather grey” while the same grey plus-sized dress was labeled as “manatee grey”. After over 400 retweets, Target representatives tweeted in response apologizing for the mistake and promising to make the needed changes. Target spokesperson Joshua Thomas explained to Forbes that two different teams were involved in the naming of the dresses and each used different standard color names used by Target. A spokesperson told Today.com that they are using the scandal as a learning experience to “do better moving forward”.
Source: sambranstner.blogspot.com
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Carnival’s sinking reputation steers cruisers to competitors By Caroline Ferrari The Carnival Corporation has found itself amidst a public relations circus. After having several incidents over the past few months, the Carnival brand has found itself in trouble as passengers are wary to climb aboard. The drama first began for Carnival back on Feb 10 when a fire started aboard the Carnival Triumph in the engine room. This caused the ship to lose mobility and power, stranded in the Gulf of Mexico. Passengers faced rough conditions including no air conditioning, little running water, limited access to bathroom, long lines and long waits for small amounts of food. Many guests also ended up sleeping in tents on the
deck of the ship due to the horrid smells in the boat caused by the lack of refrigeration. The 3,143 passengers and 1,086 crewmembers were stuck on the Triumph for five days while it was towed Mobile, AL. Passengers received full refunds for the cruise, a free future cruise and $500 compensation. Carnival’s CEO and president Gerry Cahill was there in Alabama as soon as Triumph arrived. He gave a sincere apology and thanked every person involved in the return of the ship. Carnival handled the crisis well by compensating the passengers and fully acknowledging their mistakes However, the trouble for Triumph did not end there.
The Carnival Triumph faced scrutiny on its return to Mobile, AL after fire caused power outages and unsanitary conditions Source: Aljazeera.com
A woman kisses the ground after landing in Mobile, AL after the disastrous Carnival Triumph cruise Source: Aljazeera.com
The ship broke away from the dock due to 80 mph winds. The two men inside were blown to the water and one man is still missing. The ship became further damaged after it drifted away. Carnival also had problems with two other ships. One of the propulsion units malfunctioned on the Carnival Legend, causing it to skip two planned stops and go back to Tampa at a reduced speed. Carnival Dream had difficulties with its emergency backup generator while in St. Maarten and had to end the cruise early and fly passengers home. Because of the malfunctions, prices for Carnival cruises have been down 20% while Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and Norwegian Cruise
Line Holdings have benefitted from Carnival’s troubles and have experience price increases. Carnival ‘s reputation is sinking fast and will only continue to do so unless they act fast. Though they already cancelled some cruises in March, Carnival has to take the time to do thorough safety checks in addition to their standard procedures. Even if no errors are found, this will reassure customers that the ships will be safe enough to travel again. Unless active safety measures are taken, not many people are going to be keen to sail Carnival any time soon. Hopefully they take active measures to improve their reputation and stay afloat.