Bob LeDrew at Flacklife posts about a fake campaign carried out by Hunter College on behalf of Coach. I’ll let you read the specifics here and here.
Social media tools are powerful. They can help create dialogue and conversation with your customers and they can help humanize an organization through transparency and authenticity. Of course, they can also create buzz, better your search engine results and reach new audiences in new ways- which are the nice tangibles for many clients, and, too often, the “short cuts” for social media use and can lack the strategic focus necessary.
Unfortunately, they can also be extremely opaque and obscure the true identity, motives and money at work. It’s unfortunate that the students at Hunter College learned how to use social media in this way, rather than in an authentic way.
What I think is AS disappointing is that, while there are plenty of smart people like Bob calling Hunter College and Coach and the International Anti-Counterfeit Coalition out on this shady curriculum, I’ve watched several PRos on a listserv I belong to approve of this technique and rationalize it away.
Bob interviewed Stuart Ewen via email (reposted here) and he had some terrific insights (of course). Here’s my favorite bit:
8. Does the social media aspect of this (the use of blogs, videos, etc) add new wrinkles or increase the potential for negative outcomes?All media have the potential for abuse and/or enlightenment. They can promote and/or be used to quash public discussion. The internet adds new capabilities, and was used to facilitate a lie in defense of the luxury goods industry’s trademarks. The real issue is one of responsible communications, whatever medium is employed. Here, responsibility was sacrificed at the altar of expediency. Insofar as universities participate in media, public relations and business
education, ethical practices must be front and central.
I hope that my students and young PRos (and veterans) who read this blog approach their work with more ethicality, transparency and authenticity than the Coach and IACC did help the organizations with which they work open up and participate in the conversation rather than try to manipulate it.
UPDATE: Robert French at Auburn has some good updates to this campaign. Go here.
UPDATE2: Dr. Mihaela Vorvoreanu at Clemson has more good insight. Go here.
I have been thinking about where I want to work after graduation and I am still unsure. But I do know one thing; I will not work for a firm, company or agency that calls me to act in an unethical manner. This is the most important thing to me and I believe that most new PR grads are just happy to find a job. This fake campaign just reinforces that reputation is more important than salary and more PRos should abide by the unwritten law of transparency. It’s okay to call bullshit and tell your client that you won’t act in an unethical manner.