April 16, 2008

Bob LeDrew and the sad tale of Ottawa’s Mayor

Lee Hopkins wrote this at 9:10 pm:

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And to prove that ‘cluelessness’ is not just a corporate affliction, Ottawa’s Mayor Larry O’Brien has given us a spectacular example of how NOT to engage with the media.

As Bob LeDrew comments,

I’ve been interested in politics — as an observer — for a long time. And since buying a house here in Ottawa in 2000, my interest in civic politics has been keen. And I’m a flack.

With all of that, I have to shake my head in disbelief at the utter hash that Ottawa Mayor Larry O’Brien has made of his public image.

Bob goes on to describe how, in a moment of what can only be described as ’sheer genius’, Mayor O’Brien just ever so slightly over-reacted. To wit:

Apparently, one of O’Brien’s two sons found some posts on a political blog, Apply Liberally, to be annoying, and left what the blogger says were “insulting” messages on the blog.

When CBC reporter Alistair Steele asked O’Brien about his son’s behaviour during a previously scheduled interview, O’Brien seems to have gone just a teeny bit apes**t. He grabbed Steele’s audio recorder, tried to stop it, then tried to erase what had already been recorded, and then ordered Steele to leave, carrying on the interview with an Ottawa Sun reporter.

Bob has a fantastic breakdown of Mayor O’Brien’s chequered political history, and as Bob says at the end of his article,

So if he’s going to stay, he’s got to pull in his profile, get his office and his persona under control, and consolidate whatever support he has on council and within the city’s administration.

Right now, he’s bobbing in the water and the journalists are humming the theme from Jaws.

I bet they are! Great article, Bob!

 

 

* Filed under: PR, blogging, customer service, ethics, interviews, politics, public speaking
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April 4, 2008

Social Media newsletter - issue 2 now out!

Lee Hopkins wrote this at 8:39 am:

The Better Social Media Communication Results newsletter

Each month the BetterComms team produces a glossy, must-buy hard copy newsletter filled with the latest ideas and case studies on the business use of social media tools and strategy. In addition, we produce an audio cd containing an interview with one of our industry’s Social Media gurus. You can pop the cd in your car or burn it to your computer and mp3 player.

 

In this month’s issue:

  • hear Shel Holtz explain why business really needs to understand social media tools
  • muse on the idea that Social Networks are turning pre-teen
  • Better Social Media Communication Results - cd02 - an interview with Shel Holtzsee for yourself why headlines are still such a big deal
  • gain insight into how viral marketing is powering one of the giants of the pharmaceutical world
  • read a great answer to the question, ‘What IS social media?’ and then photocopy it and send it around to your management team and clients so that they ‘get it’ too
  • Read about a fabulous new free e-book on Digital Reputation by the fabulous author Ted Demopoulos

To subscribe and receive your own copy of this exciting new addition to our Social Media arsenal, just flip over to this page and register your details (sorry — for some reason the paypal button doesn’t work on this blog… grrrrr!).

Once you subscribe you will receive in the post the newsletter and an audio cd interview each and every month (no holidays for us!). And remember, the first month is just $14.95, then $29.95 each month thereafter.

Happy reading and listening!

Lee

p.s. Money back guarantee!
If you are not completely satisfied, for any reason, just send us the newsletter and cd back and we’ll refund your money. No questions asked!

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* Filed under: interviews, social media newsletter
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