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November 2021: Top media blunders and lessons


                                                  

DISCLAIMER.

This article strictly offers academic insight. It should be used for educational purposes and not viewed as an attack on institutions and individuals. The writer assumes no responsibility for the contrary interpretation.

This article draws lessons from what some brands were up to in October and November. October was eventful with PR issues. The New Entebbe Airport mandatory COVID-19 testing programme caused a public outcry over waiting time. This was effectively resolved. In the media, there were counter-accusations among EAC members over the hiring of a clerk and a deputy.

Air Canada CEO French-speaking attempt turns into a PR firestorm 

Air Canada CEO Michael delivered a speech to Montreal’s chamber of commerce in English but turned to French when responding to some reporters, which he struggled to do. CEO apologised the following day and promised to take lessons.  A senior Canadian government Official weighed in on the issue. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Chrystia Freeland, challenged Air Canada’s Board to prioritize French-language proficiency as a job requirement for senior managers.

There was a communication planning gap. His speech can pass anywhere, but it is an area known for passionate French speakers. He would have continued with English. Trying anything you are not good at isn’t bad until you do it before an audience that hates mediocre. Communicators should utilise in-house resources, would the airline be in that mess if it got another staff fluent in French. Some Uganda corporate companies have been called out on billboards that sometimes have typos in local languages. Maybe your brand wants to look local, just make sure you consult experts in that local language before that billboard is put up. It would be a good online engagement campaign if the CEO documents his French classes every day.

Pallaso starts UGX 100m fan fundraiser to pay car tax. 

A November tweet that caused a public storm, seemed to have registered some success. Singer Pallaso asked his fans to contribute UGX 100m to enable him to pay car tax to URA. His fundraiser was written off publicly as a copy to Nigerian star Davido’s just concluded one.Nigerian singer donated proceeds to orphanages. Pallaso reminds us that numbers matter in resource mobilisation, and it is not always about having a worthy cause to get people to give. There will always be people to stand with you. Who would have thought that during a pandemic, fundraising for a personal luxury would raise more than UGX 3M? Pallaso campaign teaches us that any fundraiser will always have social media critics, but you have to keep moving. He would not have helped Ghetto kids and a musician with medical bills.

He used mobile money platforms and was accountable. His timeline is full of messages of money as he received it. The only mistake is that he diverted proceeds to something else, not paying the car tax as earlier intended, which may cause public mistrust issues in future. Local media has been reporting that he donated UGX 7.5M to the Ghetto kids and Oscar BigTym’s medical bills.

Isma Olaxxes loses brand ambassador deal

A local Daily reported that the famous blogger had lost a brand ambassador deal with a real estate company over alleged reckless communication on Facebook following the recent Kampala bombings. “The company therefore wishes to distance itself from such criminal, extremist and fundamentalist views that you shared in the video.” Kampala Sun(Newspaper) , quoted a company official following their termination of his contract. According to a local newspaper, he has represented Home Connect Properties Uganda Limited as a brand ambassador since August 2021.The crisis is another reminder to brand managers to always rethink controversial brand ambassadors and be clear on rules of engagement besides the numbers. Secondly, some brand ambassadors should not be publicly unveiled, depending on the sector. Wrong Brand association, in this era of cancel culture, can affect business operations in a matter of seconds. Vet brand ambassadors and know when to let go.

Ivan .N.Baliboola

PR and organisational diagnosis specialist

[email protected]

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Written by Baliboola N Ivan (0)

Public Relations and Organisational diagnosis specialist

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