Communicate Your Success

Jonathan Richardson March 30th, 2007

As I give regular presentations on how to prevent identity theft, I expect to be ahead of the curve on understanding how to safeguard against ID thieves. But even if I didn’t know a single thing about it, I’d still laugh at the statement from a recent TJX press release regarding the company’s loss of what turns out to be 45 million credit and debit card numbers.

In standard quasi-apology form, the company states it regrets the inconvenience and that “TJX will also provide information for customers on its website, www.tjx.com, including tips on preventing credit and debit card fraud and other steps customers may take to protect their personal information.” I’d suggest that first on the list should be “Don’t buy anything from a TJX company unless you’re using cash, because it’s our fault your information was compromised in 2003 – 2006.”

If I sound bitter, it’s because I am. I was one of TJ’s lucky customers that received a letter from my bank stating my account could be compromised. I will never shop at TJ Maxx again, even with cash.

There is more to a shopping experience than just the storefront. Customer experience starts at the store but carries through to actions made by nearly every employee within an organization. As communicators, we should remember to regularly consult with other departments within our organization to be prepared for this type of negative situation. When practicing for a crisis, ask other employees what’s being done to prevent that crisis from ever happening. In TJX’s case, the fact that the company was storing certain consumer information, which may have run contrary to VISA’s Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards, should have raised a warning flag about possible issues regarding network intrusions.

So goodbye TJ Maxx. I’ll miss your great deals and wide selection, but I’m just not down with any brand that suggests a credit check after every purchase.

• Customer Relations , Public Relations , Business , PR
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Jonathan Richardson February 5th, 2007

Shift Communications has released their take on the online pressroom with a new social media newsroom template. I don’t know that the reporters I typically work with would use a newsroom like this to its fullest potential, but it’s a step in the right direction none the less. Better to lead the way and have to wait for others to catch up than starting from last place in an all hare race. Download the template at at http://www.shiftcomm.com/downloads/smnewsroom_template.pdf.

• Social Media , PR
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Jonathan Richardson October 30th, 2006

Here are some social media resources for more information
Print

The Cluetrain Manifesto - Locke, Searls & Weinberger
The Long Tail - Chris Anderson
Small is the New Big - Seth Godin
Life After the 30-Second Spot - Joseph Jaffe
Naked Conversations - Shel Israel and Robert Scoble
White Papers

PR 2.0 Essentials - Shift Communications
Influence 2.0 - Cymphony
What is Social Media? - Spannerworks

Online

The NewPR Wiki

Remember you can also find the blogs and podcasts I subscribe to by clicking on the links to the right.

• Presentations , PR
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Jonathan Richardson October 30th, 2006

The presentation given Oct. 31 for Eileen Perrigo’s Integrated Communication Management class can be downloaded here.

• Presentations , PR
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Jonathan Richardson October 8th, 2006

PR Week reports this week that Harold Burson, founder of Burson Marsteller, has shifted from his previous position and is now in favor of licensing in the PR profession. According to the article, Burson believes licensing “would overcome the derogatory manner in which we are depicted in the news media.”

Am I missing something here? Since when has licensing ever rooted out the problems of a profession? Think about law and the constant scrutiny its practitioners bear. I know many lawyers that are upstanding citizens in their community and beacons of light in their profession. Nevertheless, there are also those whose lapses in ethical or moral judgment tarnish the profession: a profession with high barriers to entry and licensing requirements.

Practitioners should stop thinking about how to create external methods to justify positions and practices, and start focusing internally on personal ethics and the integrity of their organizations. Rather than searching for the best band-aid to cover our wounds, let’s stop hurting our profession by falling on the stakes of mistrust and ineptitude to start with.

• PR Licensing , PR
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