Author: Clairemont Intern

Crisis Com: A Crock-Pot Crack Up

Clairemont InternBlog, Public Relations, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, , , ,

NBC’s hit TV series “This Is Us” wrapped up an emotional third season last week. Since fans are still reeling from the dramatic ending, I can’t help but think back to the events that played out after last year’s season finale, bringing together a few of my favorite things: Crock-Pot, a strategic PR crisis plan and actor Milo Ventimiglia. (I bet you didn’t ever expect those three things in the same sentence.)

For Ashley Mowrey, director of global social media marketing, Newell Brands, January 24 of last year was just a typical morning. She woke up at 6 a.m. to get ready and picked up her phone to scroll through Twitter. Almost immediately she realized that the Newell brand Crock-Pot was trending. Sure, we all love a classic Crock-Pot dinner, but even she could admit that Crock-Pot trending on Twitter was a little unusual. Little did Mowrey know, one of the most unusual crises she had ever encountered was beginning to take form.

So what was it that led Crock-Pot to be a hot-topic item on Twitter? The night before “This Is Us” had finally revealed to fans how beloved protagonist and fictional father Jack Pearson was killed. A slow cooker identical to the Crock-Pot had caught on fire after the family’s Super Bowl party, burning down their Pittsburgh home and killing Jack Pearson.

“This Is Us” fans were both outraged and devastated at the loss of a character who had won over the hearts of so many. They  immediately took to Twitter by storm. Fans tweeted videos of themselves throwing away their Crock-Pots, and some vowed never to use their Crock-Pot again. Luckily, Mowrey and the crisis management team with help from Edelman reacted strategically, and here are six lessons we can pull from the Crock-Pot playbook.

1. Choose your social media platform strategically.

Majority of the outrage towards Crock-Pot was surfacing on Twitter, a platform that (surprisingly) Crock-Pot was not using. Knowing the brand would have to react fast to douse the emotional flames, Mowrey instructed her team to create a Twitter account, @CrockPotCares. The brand began using the hashtag #CrockPotIsInnocent, so they could respond to people who were questioning the safety of their slow cooker and demanding a Crock-Pot boycott.

2. Be empathetic and genuine.

Even though the death of Jack Pearson was completely fictional, the team had to be empathetic and aware that fans were grieving. The loss of this character felt very real. All of Crock-Pot’s responses to Twitter fans were genuine, reassuring and also interwoven with facts that backed up the safety and quality of the Crock-Pot brand.

In addition to their Twitter account, they posted a message to Facebook, adorned with broken heart emojis and a heartfelt response:

“THIS IS US SPOILER ALERT. We’re still trying to mend our heart after watching This Is Us on Tuesday night. America’s favorite dad and husband deserved a better exit and Crock-Pot shares in your devastation. Don’t further add to this tragedy by throwing your Crock-Pot Slow Cooker away. It’s hard to pass something down from generation to generation if you throw it away (grandma won’t be too happy). Spending time with his family while enjoying comfort food from his Crock-Pot was one of his favorite things to do. Let’s all do our part and honor his legacy in the kitchen with Crock-Pot.”

3. Go the extra mile to make consumers happy.

Crock-Pot’s response went beyond what was expected. Instead of just releasing a traditional press release online, the team knew they had to level with “This Is Us” Twitter fans on the same platform and acknowledge what had happened on the show. The empathetic responses and personal touch (Crock-Pot went as far as gifting a distraught “This Is Us” fan a Crock-Pot for her wedding registry) gave them a leg up is resolving the crisis. They took the time to respond to every concerned “This Is Us” fan on social media instead of waiting for it to blow over.

4. Get creative with your strategy.

This was not a crisis that the brand could have ever predicted. Crock-Pot did nothing wrong, yet found itself pulled into the middle of a fictional death catastrophe that rattled consumers and left them questioning its products. So how do you respond to an issue that isn’t part of your crisis plan? Mowrey ditched the traditional handbook and got creative. Crock-Pot teamed up with “This Is Us” creator Dan Fogelman and actor Milo Ventimiglia (who plays Jack Pearson) to craft a well-planned Super Bowl ad that cleared the air for Crock-Pot.

5. Tell a compelling story.

In the ad, Milo Ventimiglia delivers a message to fans ahead of last year’s Super Bowl match-up, reminding audiences to find the ability to forgive … followed by a close-up of a Crock-Pot and the hashtag #CrockPotIsInnocent. The ad was a smashing success with viewers and one of the most watched Super Bowl ads of the season. In addition to their Super Bowl coverage, Crock-Pot partnered up with the Ellen DeGeneres show. When Ventimiglia appeared on Ellen, he made sure to defend the Crock-Pot brand, and fans at the taping of the show were gifted Crock-Pot appliances and gift cards. When it comes to spinning negative publicity into great publicity, Crock-Pot knew what they were doing. Between the Super Bowl ad and the rave reviews from the tv show’s cast members, Crock-Pot had solidified its version of the story in a way that caught the public’s attention.

6. Utilize the brand’s loyal followers.

Additionally, Crock-Pot enlisted the help of its trusty consumers. Crock-Pot has a loyal brand following, including many consumers who have used their slow cookers for years. They were quick to defend the Crock-Pot when the Twitter conversation began to unravel, which was a reassuring testimony to Crock-Pot of its faithful buyers.

A Crisis Communications Success Story

From Ventimiglia’s Super Bowl Ad to #CrockPotIsInnocent trending, the conversation began to shift in a matter of days in a favorable direction. Sales for the brand even saw an increase in weeks following the “This Is Us” episode, and Crock-Pot began selling personalized Pittsburgh Steeler Crock-Pots in honor of Jack Pearson.

Even though Mowrey’s head still starts to spin when she thinks back to that morning on January 24, she is proud of the work her team accomplished to resolve the crisis. This is a prime example of an issue that is completely unpredictable, but when handled right, can be a valuable lesson  for crisis communication professionals everywhere.

Want to read about another one of my favorite PR crisis recoveries? Check out my blog on Zion Williamson’s broken shoe, and Nike’s strategy to make (literal) amends.

Written by Alex Davis-Isaac, a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill. She heard Ashley Mowrey speak on the Crock-Pot crisis this past January at the Atlanta PRSA convention. 



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From Shoe Blow Out to Custom Knockouts

Clairemont InternBlog, Public Relations, Raleigh PR Agency, , ,

All it took was less than a minute of the most anticipated college basketball game of the season. Ticket prices hovered just below those of the Super Bowl LIII, and celebrities from around the country had flown to North Carolina to watch what many sports fans call one of the greatest rivalries of all times, the University of North Carolina Tar Heels versus the Duke Blue Devils.

This year’s game had an even higher percentage of viewers than normal. Duke’s Forward Zion Williamson, the likely number one pick in the 2019 NBA draft and arguably the biggest basketball powerhouse since young LeBron James, had developed an enormous following. It was 30 seconds into the game at Cameron Indoor Stadium when Williamson jumped down and planted his feet. Jaws dropped as Williamson tore entirely through his left Nike shoe, leaving him flat on the floor with a minor knee injury. Far from a tiny rip or hole in the shoe, the sole was completely ripped.

Within hours, Nike found themselves trending on social media. Viral videos of former President Barack Obama (who sat courtside at the game) saying, “His shoe broke!” took the internet by storm, and close-up pictures of Williamson’s destroyed Nike PG 2.5’s were the front-page story for countless sports outlets.

Nike Works to Dissolve Crisis

One of the hardest parts of crisis management is the inability to predict when a crisis (big or small) will happen. Unfortunately for Nike, this shoe fiasco hit during the most-watched game of the regular season, with 4.34 million viewers on ESPN.

Nike, however, pulled out all of the stops to diffuse the crisis. Immediately after the incident, the company released an official statement acknowledging the broken shoe and identifying the actions it was taking.

“We are obviously concerned and want to wish Zion a speedy recovery. The quality and performance of our products are of utmost importance. While this is an isolated occurrence, we are working to identify the issue.”

When Nike stocks dropped by more than 1 percent the following Thursday morning, Nike decided to go the extra mile. That same day, the company sent a team of upper-level employees to Durham to meet with Zion Williamson and his coach Mike Krzyzewski to figure out what had gone wrong. Following their meeting in Durham, the team then flew across the globe to China. They personally oversaw the construction of a more durable and resilient shoe for Williamson.

The priority treatment didn’t stop there. Within the same week, the Nike team returned to Durham with a variety of shoe alternatives for Williamson. Nike wanted to ensure the same incident wouldn’t happen again and that Williamson would be ready for his anticipated and suspenseful return to the court in the ACC Tournament against Syracuse.

Williamson didn’t disappoint. His return following the shoe fiasco was a basketball game filled with one-armed dunks and electrifying energy that led Duke to a quarterfinals victory. After the game, Williamson raved about his custom knockout pair of Nike Kyrie 4’s to reporters, giving an enthusiastic thanks to Nike and the steps they had taken for him.

Nike’s Next Steps

While not every company can afford to fly around the world to appease a client, public relations professionals can still take a note out of Nike’s crisis management handbook. Nike was thorough and strategic in its crisis management. Since Zion Williamson is one of the most popular players in the country, it reflected highly on Nike that the team took the time to oversee the production of a custom shoe, reinforcing the idea that even a corporate powerhouse believes in a personal touch and quality care. Nike didn’t try to deny its responsibility in the crisis. Instead, they owned up to the isolated incident and went above and beyond to ensure Williamson and devoted fans were satisfied.

Nike’s actions are also a great look for a future endorsement deal with prodigy Williamson, who will be signing a contract with one lucky shoe company once he goes pro later this year.

Want to learn more about how social media can be detrimental during a crisis? Check out our blog post on Social Media in Crisis.

Written by Alex Davis-Isaac, a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill.

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Go Green for St. Patrick’s Day

Clairemont InternBlog, Public Relations, Sustainability, , , ,

St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner, and with it comes a cavalcade of parades, floats, shamrocks and people bedecked in green hats to celebrate.

At Clairemont, we love to celebrate in every shade of green while we search for the gold at the end of the rainbow. But we also use the occasion to reconnect with a different “green” side — the kind that decreases our footprint on the planet while bolstering a sustainable legacy.

Why Go Green? (From a PR Viewpoint)

As the impact on our environment is increasingly felt, corporate social responsibility (CSR) is taking on a deeper hue of green. Companies have redefined their CSR policies to prioritize sustainability, which until a few years ago was considered by many simply a “nice to have,” feel-good factor.

Authentic CSR efforts can support innovation, boost cost savings and increase brand differentiation as well as build authentic, transparent bonds with fans. As Freya Williams states in her book “Green Giants,” some of the most respected billion-dollar companies have achieved success from a business plan built on sustainability and social good. For example, Briar Chapel and Wendell Falls, two Clairemont Communications clients, were founded on principles of sustainability — from the initial land plan to the green-built homes. The foundational positioning and commitment to a long-term legacy, coupled with quality lifestyles and homes, have helped position these master-planned communities as the top-selling areas in the Triangle. Companies from all sectors have been integrating an authentic wider purpose into their brand which, in turn, supports an enriched relationship with their audiences and, on occasion, long-term profitability

Whether a small business, a large corporation or just you, there’s no better (or more color-appropriate) time to consider your sustainability commitment than St. Patricks Day. For fun, we gathered easy tips on how to celebrate your Irish side in the greenest of ways.

Here are four easy ways to encourage your business with a few green practices:

1. Make it Fun

Add a little extra encouragement for employees to go green by implementing an office challenge. Give “points” to those that walk, bike (or scoot!) to work, participate in a carpool, abandon the elevator for stairs and cut down on their printing. Each week, reward the employee with the most points with a treat such as a gift card to their favorite coffee shop or lunch on the company. Incentives work, and if the office is consistent about hosting and promoting the challenge throughout the year, these employee efforts – no matter how small – have the chance to become real habits which can make a big difference over time.

2. Flex Your Green Thumb

Encourage employees to bring in a desk plant. Not only is the greenery appealing to the eye, but it will purify the air and liven things up a bit around the office. Plus, it’s fun to watch something that you’re responsible for grow. There are many plants that thrive indoors easily, needing little to no care. Have even more space? How about grow some window tomatoes (yes, inside) or plant a small garden of herbs (even if only for the smell)? Have some outdoor space? Get crazy and plant a whole bed of seasonal veggies, which is sure to get a cluster of people involved. A bonus: offer up those “points” to those that help care for the garden.

3. Walk the Walk

It’s very important that owners, managers and senior staff set the example for the rest of the company. Make sure company-wide policies are in place that cover the basics, like keeping the thermostat at a certain temperature, initiating a recycling program, going paperless and turning off the lights when employees leave their offices.

4. Go Local

Try to find local suppliers to cut down on transportation time and greenhouse gas emissions, and ultimately help your community. Browse business directories, attend small business meetups in your area and, if need be, ask your local officials for help.

To learn more about our CEO’s journey in launching Clairemont Communications as an agency that is sustainbly aware, read our blog “Doing Our Best at Doing our Part.”

Written by Clairemont Intern Ru Wolle, a senior at NCSU.
Photos from Canva

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Lost in Translation: The Greatest Hits

Clairemont InternBlog, Marketing, Public Relations, , , ,

In 2009, HSBC Bank was ready to unveil its new “Assume Nothing” U.S. campaign overseas. The perfect slogan had been chosen, and all the campaign materials were prepped. It wasn’t until after it launched its campaign that HSBC realized it had missed one of the most crucial steps for any global campaign …

… Communication. HSBC had not considered the language differences when taking its “Assume Nothing” campaign abroad. While this tagline was strategic in the United States, the translation in many foreign countries meant “do nothing,” which had the opposite effect that HSBC desired. After the campaign backfired, the bank spent almost $10 million to re-brand and play it safe with the modified tagline, “The world’s private bank,” (a little harder to misinterpret).

person holding pens and papers

Language and word translation differences across the globe are easy to overlook yet key to consider when taking a campaign abroad. Forgetting to do your research (or lacking knowledge about the chosen country for your next campaign) could leave you with a full-blown PR crisis on your hands.

A Pregnancy Preventing Pen

The Parker pens translation blunder is one of my personal favorites. Who knew such a product existed! When Parker first entered the Latin American market and introduced its product, the pen advertisements were supposed to read: “It won’t leak in your pocket and embarrass you.” However, the company had mistakenly used the Spanish word “embarazar,” thinking it meant “to embarrass.” In reality, “embarazar” is the Spanish verb for pregnant. The translated slogan, “It won’t leak in your pocket and make you pregnant,” most definitely caught the attention of locals, but not the attention that the Parker brand had been seeking.

two black and blue click pens on white book page

Taking ‘Naked Leather’ a Little Too Literally

Another famous translation blunder occurred in Mexico in 1987. Braniff Airlines unveiled its luxurious leather seats with the slogan, “Fly in leather.” Even though the Spanish translation “Vuela en Cuero,” was technically correct, it was almost identical to the phrase “en cueros” which means “naked.” When listeners heard the ad on the television or radio, they often heard “fly naked.” We can only imagine the kind of customers that jumped to book tickets for Braniff were not the ones the airline had in mind.

For every large corporation that’s made a translation blunder, there are countless examples of small businesses that have made the same mistakes.

airplane on sky during golden hour

Potatoes Find Newfound Fame

Rumor has it that when Pope John Paul II visited Miami in 1987, t-shirts were designed to say “I saw the Pope” in Spanish for locals and tourists alike. Instead of using “el Papa” (“the Pope”), a t-shirt manufacturer mistakenly substituted it for “la Papa” (‘the potato”). Somewhere in the creation of this t-shirt idea, the concept of the Spanish gender pronoun was forgotten. While the potato industry surely saw this as a bonus, we can only imagine the Pope’s reaction to the potato connotation.

Translation critiques and language understanding are must-dos for a global campaign, but it is not always about the literal translations. Making sure your team is knowledgeable on the cultural differences around the world is also crucial.

It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s a … Peach?

One of Procter & Gamble’s biggest advertising uh-oh’s occurred in the late 1900s when the firm introduced its Pampers brand in Japan. The company used an advertisement that had resonated well with U.S. customers: an animated stork delivering Pampers diapers to a happy home.

Unfortunately, the cute commercial didn’t even come close to hitting its mark with Japanese consumers. They were confused as to why a bird was delivering diapers. Unlike Western folklore, storks are not supposed to deliver babies in Japan. If more research had been done, Procter & Gamble would’ve discovered that a 14th century fable in Japan reads that babies arrive in giant peaches, floating peacefully along rivers and streams to deserving parents. Move aside storks; peaches are in!

Time and time again, a simple lack of proper translation and research have left companies with an easily avoidable crisis. The stories are laughable years later, but doing your research could prevent you from being the next public relations professional that forgets to check the meaning of “embarazar” in Spanish.

What are your favorite translation blunders? Tell us here.

Written by Alex Davis-Isaac, a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill.

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Kate Spade Knew Its Audience

Clairemont InternBlog, Fashion, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, , ,

“Our new logo. Our new label. Our new pink,” read the caption of a recent Kate Spade Instagram post alongside a photo of its new tag color. One spade motif at a time, Kate Spade dropped its spring 2019 line — and longtime fans sprang up with vocal feedback as they noticed the striking changes. But Kate Spade became a shining example of a brand that knew its audience and had a plan in place to ensure a successful debut.

As public relations practitioners, we know that a crisis with a strategic, thorough plan is always manageable. But in the age of social media, customers expect businesses to respond online with unprecedented speed. Kate Spade led a master class in customer advocacy, as the team anticipated questions its audience would ask ahead of time and was therefore adequately prepared with responses for each during the roll out of the campaign. Comment after comment, the brand tackled each fan’s issue with ease, consistency and aplomb on social media.

Here are some examples:

1. Fan: @rancatburtanog wrote, “I feel like ‘re-imagined’ is a word for ‘we’re phasing it out.’ I love KS and I have loved it for a long time but please do not turn this brand into a bunch of ‘signature’ collections like Coach and MK. They are everywhere and it makes the handbags look cheap and ordinary.”
Kate Spade: “@rancatburtanog we promise we are not phasing out the spade. You’ll see it featured in lots of products throughout the collection ♠️. We are excited to show you!”

Lo and behold, not long after, Kate Spade posted a few Instagram images featuring the use of the spade, such as the following:

2. Fan: @breeflan wrote, “I liked the green. It was more unique. Everyone associates pink with being girly, I’m sad to see this change. I really valued the fact that everything wasn’t pink pink pink. That’s Victoria’s Secret.”
Kate Spade: In a follow-up post, the brand captioned, “Our new gift boxes. They’ll have our new tissue paper inside, too. Each box has a different combination of our brand colors—the ones we call pink kiss (bright pink) to clover (dark green), cherry blossom (light pink) to honey bee (yellow). 5 days until we share all the newness that’s coming on January 28th. We can’t wait.”

3. Fan:@denise_caskey wrote, “Where is Kate’s trademark♠️? “
Kate Spade: “@denise_caskey hi! you’ll see the spade featured throughout the collection in new and exciting ways. we can’t wait to show you!”

There is a stronger feeling of loyalty that grows when a brand responds to you directly as an individual in a public forum. Remember, your brand is not your logo, colors or name. As author Maya Angelou said, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Your brand is simply how you make people feel, which in turn generates how they feel about your brand.


See the complete Kate Spade New York Spring 2019 collection!

Ultimately, being handed the reins of a big lifestyle brand like Kate Spade is a tremendous responsibility. But will the brand’s loyal fan base follow the newly appointed creative director Nicola Glass as she continues to push forward with Kate Spade? No doubt her goal is to bring new customers into the fold while still keeping those die-hard Kate Spade fans happy. It may be a high-wire balancing act, but Glass is acing it so far.

Brand revolutions can take many forms. For tips on approaching your own rebranding efforts, check out our Miss America: Brand Revolution? blog!

Written by Clairemont Intern Ru Wolle, a senior at NCSU.
Photos from @katespadeny [Instagram]

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