Recommendation Re: Foster the People

In a recent assignment for my public relations management class, I had to pretend that I am a PR associate at Columbia Records where I was given the task of helping to plan for the May 24 release of Torches, the debut album from Foster the People. Foster the people is an indie band from LA that formed in 2009 and has since enjoyed a growing underground popularity, fueled by the blogosphere, college radio, music critics, and touring small clubs across the U.S.

The assignment was as follows:
An appearance on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” is booked for the night of May 24, in line with the CD release.  Posing a potential problem, however, is the fact that their biggest hit is about an isolated youth who fantasizes about using his father’s gun on other kids.  In fact, you have been assigned to this project because your company received a warning from Mothers Against Gun Violence that they plan to picket the Fallon show.

Below, I have posted my brief recommendation to the company as how to handle the complications. You will see the overall goal, a couple of objectives and some strategies on how to best fulfill those objectives.

Recommendation Re: Foster the People

Goal   

The main goal of what needs to be achieved is an overall feel from the public that the members of the band do not condone violent behavior. It needs to be made clear that not only do they not approve of egregious violence but also they especially don’t approve of the actions that are described in their hit song.

Objective #1

To make clear to the audiences of blogs, college radio stations, music critics and small music clubs that they don’t necessarily agree with or condone the actions taken place in their hit song.

Strategy

1. Prior to the appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, the members of the band must go on college radio stations and talk to the listener.
2. Prior to the appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, the members of the band or one of their representatives must contact major news outlets to explain what was stated in the objective. That way, when groups protest, the journalists will already have statements ready from the band.

Objective #2

To show the members of Mothers Against Gun Violence that the members of the band are sincere in what they say in the goal and objective #1.

Strategy

1. The band can host an event or have a special place at their next performance where people can donate to a charity or cause that is related to anti-violence.
2. The band can also choose to match donations.

Messages to Media

1. Music is an art just like photography, painting and sculpture. Even though some forms of art and what they depict aren’t agreed with, it does not mean that it’s voice must be held back.
2. The point of art is to make people stop and feel what is going on. That’s what we’re doing with our music. Though we don’t condone what is heard, if art doesn’t make people feel something different, then what is the point of making art at all

Credit: Some of the description of the assignment and it’s ideas belong to David Porges, PR Management professor and U.S. Regional Operations & Pacific Southwest Leader of Community Involvement for Deloitte Services LP.

 

Follow @nicklacroix

Barnes Foundation Assignment

For this post I want to do something a little different. I am currently enrolled in a PR management class that teaches students how to manage a proper PR campaign and many other things. For our first real assignment we were to do research about the Barnes Foundation and the moving of the Barnes art Collection. There is a lot of controversy surrounding its move from the Barnes Institute that I won’t explain in too much detail here but I do want to give a quick summary of the situation.

Basically, the owner of the collection, Albert C. Barnes, did not like the city of Philadelphia at all and did not want his art collection moved, sold or changed in any way after he died. The collection consisted of 181 Renoirs, 69 Cézannes, 60 Matisses, 44 Picassos and other works. All of the details surrounding the art was detailed in his will. Well, the art is being moved even though he did not want it to be. This is the lead into the assignment. A group of six people, including myself, had to come up with a pseudo PR proposal outlying what the movers of the art would do to lower the criticism they are getting for breaking the will.

There is also a documentary that was made about the situation that I watched and thoroughly enjoyed. I highly recommend you give it a watch. It is also available for instant streaming on Netflix. Here is the link to the official trailer. The Art of the Steal Documentary – Official Trailer The video is also posted at the end of the proposal.

Here I have posted the entirety of the proposal. Not all of the writing is mine but  about 1/4 – 1/3 of it is.

PR Proposal Re: Barnes Art Collection

Though most of the people who know the story of the Barnes collection believe that it was in fact stolen and used in ways not outlined in Barnes’ will, our objective is to make those involved believe that moving the collection is a good idea.

In order to do that, the people must bet told what the situation is and be a little transparent, stating that the Barnes Foundation is simply running out of money. One of the best ways to raise money quickly is to go against Barnes’ wishes and display the collection to the public for a short time until there is enough money. Only then must they follow the rules Barnes left behind. The law states that actions can be taken outside of what a will says if those actions indeed make carrying out the wishes in the will possible.

To do this, the neighborhood and the city itself must be notified of what the intended actions are. Furthermore, notifying the art galleries, museums, enthusiasts and the wealthy would most likely be the groups that would be notified first.

Moving the art gallery from a residential neighborhood and into an area where there is more public access will actually help benefit the local economy as well. Relocating will allow the Barnes foundation to gain more exposure by being in a more public area. The move will create an opportunity to help build a world-class museum that will turn out to be a tourist attraction and therefore become an economic driver. It will be an attraction that will bring tourists into the city and provide some economic benefit to Philadelphia. Moving the Barnes collection will turn Philadelphia into a city that lovers of the arts and culture will have to come and see. In moving it’s the collection of 181 Renoirs, 69 Cézannes, 60 Matisses, 44 Picassos and other works to a museum will open the doors to tourist, and it will become a popular venue to visit which will bring in more money to not only the Barnes Foundation, but the state as well.

Also, even though the risk of loss is quite small to the collection in reality, the Barnes institute does need some repair. The people need to be told that collection would be at a huge risk of damage if the collection weren’t moved. Moving the collection to a museum will keep it safe and the staff there will do a great job and preserving it. The previous action would also provide funds to the repairs of the foundation so that the building would not be torn down. We must show that the foundation itself is in dire need of help and that there are no other options. It must be shown that the foundation itself does not want to go against Barnes’ will but it must to carry out his wishes.

Having this collection for citizens to view can also inspire a community. Future artists and art enthusiasts can visit this museum and share a meaningful and potentially motivating experience. Art and culture are important in communities because urban revitalization is created by the creatively minded; giving them more to expand their creativity can only enliven their future works.

Lastly, the collection was only made for students of the Barnes Institute, it can also be publicized that having the collection on display at a museum could make for a great educational experience for all. The young and the old, students and non-students can come to see and learn about the work of the famous artists. If the art stays locked inside of the Barnes Foundation, the public cannot see what it has to offer.

Follow @nicklacroix

Groupon Super Bowl Commercials (Bad PR?)

The Situation:

Big social coupon company Groupon is a small upstart that has quickly grown to be a big part of social coupons and a way for people to get great deals on daily products and services.

As stated by one of Groupon’s representatives in a blog post, the people at Groupon resisted using TV commercials for two years because they didn’t believe that they were worth the money and that they didn’t work very well. During the Super Bowl though, they released their first TV commercials.

The series of commercials unfortunately exploit bad things going on in the world, like the oppression of the Tibetan people, deforestation and the dwindling numbers of the whale population to make their TV spots successful. How did people react to the commercials?

The PR Angle:

Many people ended up being very offended by what Groupon did with its commercials. Exploiting others’ misery for your gain is not a good idea. Also, after doing some research, I could not find an instance where anyone from Groupon apologized for its misstep. After such a backlash from the public, making an apology would be a great thing for them to do. What they have said is that their commercials bring to light the atrocities going on in other countries. Like anyone believed for a second that that was their intention.

On the other hand, the people at Groupon are doing something good to make up for their lapse of judgment. They have set up ways for people to donate to the causes that were talked about in the commercials. They even say that Groupon will match donations up to $100,000 for the three featured charities.

“You can view the already aired commercials, as well as new ones as we release them, at SaveTheMoney.org. And if you’ve saved enough money for yourself and feel like saving something else, you can donate to mission-driven organizations that are doing great work for the causes featured in our PSA parodies. If you guys pony up, Groupon will contribute matching donations of up to $100,000 for three featured charities – Rainforest Action Network, buildOn, and the Tibet Fund — and Groupon credit of up to $100,000 for contributions made to Greenpeace.”

Check out a couple of the commercials I’ve posted here and let me know how you feel about them in the comments below.

Groupon Source

Follow @nicklacroix