Random Thoughts by Tyler Picard

Croc of Trouble

mtpicard — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 09:31:29 +0000

A Pennsylvania mother brought about a 7.5 million-dollar lawsuit against the makers of Crocs footwear after her young son’s foot was caught and mangled in an escalator at the National Aquarium in Baltimore. Kelly Burdick claims that Crocs Inc. was aware that their footwear were unsafe for escalator travel, yet failed to notify the public.

This claim seems to be legit, as over 200 people across the world have reported similar instances. The company has yet to respond to any of the mishaps directly, but did announce that they will be posting a warning label on shoes manufactured that Spring as part of corrective action. After receiving over 60 complaints about Crocs related escalator accidents, Japan’s trade Ministry requested that Crocs Inc. redesign their shoes.

The following statement was released by Crocs Inc:
“Escalator entrapment’s have occurred for more than 40 years, far longer than Crocs has been in business, and these accidents often are preventable”

While this statement may be very specific, it does not accept responsibility or admit to any wrongdoing, which may be wise during the legal examinations of this case.

A member of the Consumer Product Safety Commission said that “It’s not the shoe causing the injury but an unintentional risk when using an escalator.”

It will be interesting to see what actions they take to protect their image. It seems like their target audiences are mothers and children. Safety scares do not sit well for a company who’s main focus is women and kids!

SOURCE

Wal-Mart’s Black Friday Fiasco

mtpicard — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 01:42:46 +0000

This weekend, Dlisted.com, one of my favorite generally comedic, blogs posted about the tragic events that occured at Wal-Mart over the holiday. We all know that the day after Thanksgiving is THE DAY to shop for those in search of a great sale. Unfortunately, this year the frenzy at a Long Island, NY Wal-Mart caused an employee to be trampled to death by hundreds of impatient shoppers. After he was knocked to the ground, laying lifeless, numerous people passed by without notice. It is said that the employee’s duty was to help control the crowds, which ultimately resulted in the loss of his life.

Wal-Mart has since issued a statement: “We expected a large crowd this morning and added additional internal security, additional third-party security, additional store associates and we worked closely with the Nassau County police. We also erected barricades. Despite all of our precautions, this unfortunate event occurred.”

It seems that this statement was a bad attempt at taking responsibility for an employee’s death. I realize that they are not solely responsible, but a company the size of Wal-Mart could go the extra mile and issue an apology not only for the family of the individual, but also the general public. Tragedies like this should not happen in a protected atmosphere.

for more information please click here

November PRSSA Meeting

mtpicard — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 02:46:36 +0000

The November meeting for Clemson’s Chapter of PRSSA took place in Brackett 213 on November 19th at 7pm. Although I personally have no previous meetings to compare it to, this meeting was great! Guest speaker Brett Turner, PR director for Jackson-Dawson shared his experience and offered several helpful tips to the students who soon will be searching for a jobs in the PR market.

Here are some highlights from the meeting:

When applying for jobs in the PR field it is important that your application packet contains three items in order to have an edge on the competition:

The Cover Letter-When applying for a job, a cover letter is just as important as the resume. It should state many things about an individual. It’s goal is to outline your interests in the field, and to tie the potential position to your lifestyle, personality, and abilities.
Resume-The resume is vital when applying for jobs. It should be approximately half a page, with little fluff. It should only include information relevant to the job at hand: i.e: clubs, honors, and organizations where skills were acquired that will assist the individual in the workforce.
PR portfolio-The PR portfolio contains a few items that help a candidate stand out amongst the competition. Mr. Turner stated that the portfolio should: have a purpose, stimulate interest, build desire, and sell the individual. About five well-written items are sufficient in a good portfolio. They should paint a picture of someone’s skills an abilities.

General Tips:

Mr. Turner urges individuals to know something about the job prior to applying. It takes little time and makes all the difference in the world. A follow up call is vital to display continued interest. Be sure there are no spelling or grammatical errors in any of the application contents.

For more information about Clemson’s Chapter of PRSSA please click here

Bone Marrow Transplant Cures AIDs Virus?

mtpicard — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 20:07:01 +0000

I found a very interesting news article on the Wall Street Journal website. A German man who received a bone marrow transplant during Leukemia treatment rids himself of the HIV virus. No traces of the virus have been found in his system in over 600 days! Who knows what this could lead to, it seems like a major step in the right direction–worldwide!

Link to article here

Domino’s on the Tube

mtpicard — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 07:48:31 +0000

Pick up or delivery via the TV?

This afternoon I read an article about a possible venture between Domino’s Pizza and TiVo. Allegedly, they are joining forces to allow consumers to place their orders directly from the television. While it seems like a great invention and will surely be successful, one must wonder-Is this really good for us? It seems that the citizens of our technologically advanced country get lazier and lazier day by day. My question is, aren’t we attempting to take steps to move away from the ever growing obesity trend that is sweeping our nation? This seems like a great advertising effort, but not necessarily a good PR effort. These companies should take a route to promote health and well-being rather than assisting a main problem that ultimately plauges our culture. Something to think about…

Tyra is too much!

mtpicard — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 06:25:19 +0000

Tyra and Isis

Not sure how many America’s Next Top Model fans will be reading this, but Isis was a recent top model contender with something a little extra: male body parts.

Never one to avoid controversy, Tyra is bringing Isis back for what will likely be the most risque episode of the Tyra Show thus far-footing the bill for Isis’ gender reassignment surgery AND filming it for America!

This is a horrible attempt to boost ratings, pure exploitation if you ask me. If Tyra really wants Oprah’s spot, she’s going to have to be a lil bit more serious.

Britney’s Back!

mtpicard — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 06:19:01 +0000

So we’re a couple of weeks away from the release of what I’ve been waiting for FOREVER. The princess of pop Miss Britney Spears has returned with the release of CIRCUS! While I absolutely LOVED her last album BLACKOUT, I feel like one huge element was missing-her brain. Brit has been through a lot and I’m pumped that she’s gluing the pieces together. In my opinion, this will be the biggest rise, fall, and return to the top in music history! It’s cheesy I know, but I urge everyone to purchase it on December 2nd!

On another note, it’s impossible to not notice the PR efforts by her label and management. Girlfriend has been keeping busy! This season she is doing everything possible to retain her position in the entertainment industry:

THE VMA introduction (collection of 3 awards)

Reissue of britneyspears.com

“Womanizer” video release on 20/20

Suprise performance w/ Madonna on the Sticky & Sweet Tour

TRL finale named “Baby One More Time” video of the decade

Britney’s Greatest Video’s Special on MTV

“For the record…” documentary on MTV (November 20th)

Birthday celebration on Good Morning America (December 2nd)

Rumored X-factor performance
and several other spots on TV

okay, there’s a few examples…I’m beginning to sound obsessed….WAIT! I am!

That’s all for now.

Return to Blogging

mtpicard — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 06:01:56 +0000

WOW, guess who’s back? It has been a crazy semester so far, and I’m learning more than ever and gaining the sense of fulfillment. I’m at the point in my college career where I’m actually learning real world applications, and that’s an exciting feeling. These next few weeks will undoubtedly be ~trying times~ for me. I hope to blog more often and get in the habit of collecting my feelings for your viewing pleasure. This will be an outlet to help me reminisce and remember things a little better.

AP Style Blurb

mtpicard — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 06:23:25 +0000

In print media, there are standards and rules for consistency that many of the publications utilize. This specific writing format is called AP which is the shortening of Associated Press. Although some organizations may choose to publish their documents in other formats, AP is the most widespread. Every PR pro should know the essentials in AP, because it is likely that they use it every day in their careers. Having a specific writing style helps better organize materials all the while helps limit fraud.

Chapter 6 Reading Notes

mtpicard — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 06:18:25 +0000

Ethics and Social Responsibility in PR:

ethics-values in action.

Ethics Codes for Values-Driven PR: International, Societal, Professional, Organizational, Personal.

Making ethical decisions in the work force is extremely vital, not only for your own reputation, but also for trust in the company and space for advancement.