Month: September 2014

Connecting Technology and Trust

Posted on | by Ketner Group

Technology is a cool thing. I’m realizing this more and more as I become immersed in the retail tech world. Our retail technology clients are able to help retailers become more price-competitive via price intelligence software, others can connect all the enterprise dots of an international, omni-channel retail organization to keep all the moving parts of the company on the same page. On a more personal level, technology has completely changed the way I communicate – because of social media sites like Facebook or mobile apps like Snapchat, I can instantly connect with with friends in Canada or Europe without leaving my chair or having an exorbitant phone bill, which is no fun.

But as the old saying goes, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Technology allows you to make all these social and business connections, but what about the flip side of it? The security side of it? You’re sharing your information over this invisible dimension and trusting that no one is going to use this information against you.

Technology connects people across the globe. Facebook is a great example of this, but have they taken it too far? Their messenger app recently received a lot of bad press for reportedly using personal contact information and using spyware-type coding, not to mention it’s a completely separate app from the actual Facebook app. This new application brought up a lot of discussion of terms and service agreements and personal knowledge of your privacy, which is something we should all be aware of when checking that little box. Here is a great read about the app and its permissions.

Trust is a major factor in any relationship made, whether between friends or as a loyal customer. Yet there are so many instances where trust is not enough. Take the celebrity photo leak scandal, or the five million Gmail passwords that were leaked. Home Depot is the most recent retailer to have a data breach with more than 2,000 stores affected and customer data exposed. Retail Systems Research analyst, Paula Rosenblum, recently published a great article in Forbes about the data breach and consumer protection.

Apple just came out with a payment platform, Apple Pay. Will our payment and banking information go the way of nude celebrity photos? Yes, Apple has security measures in place, most prominently not utilizing the traditional magnetic strip, but everything is safe until its not.

Retailers undertake a great responsibility using customers information, be it banking or personal, and if (actually these days its more like when) their systems get breached they have to be willing to go above and beyond to regain consumers’ trust.

Most all retailers have taken huge financial and operational strides to ensure their systems are PCI-compliant as to avoid costly customer data breaches. These are huge undertakings to protect us and maintain our trust, but as consumers, we must also monitor and protect our personal information and be mindful of technology’s capabilities, good and bad.

The Rise of Consumer Control: What’s a Business To Do?

Posted on | by Ketner Group
ThoughtWorks ParadigmShift 2014, a thought leadership conference on business disruption and customer engagement in Austin, Texas.
ParadigmShift 2014, a thought leadership conference hosted by ThoughtWorks in Austin, Texas, on business disruption and customer engagement.

With the evolution and widespread use of the Internet, mobile devices and social media, we’ve arrived in a fast-paced, noisy and fickle consumer environment.  It takes a matter of hours for consumer opinions to go viral across the web, and in a world where word-of-mouth travels like wildfire, businesses need to keep their ears to the ground to anticipate the next bit of buzz at the digital water cooler. Consumers have infinite stores and brands and tons of ecommerce choices to search for and buy the products and services they want – so how does a business foster a loyal community of shoppers in the digital world? Our client ThoughtWorks says let the consumer take the wheel.

ThoughtWorks has recognized the significance of the customer loyalty revolution in today’s hyper-connected economy, and plans to address the changing face of engagement at ParadigmShift — its 3-day, invite-only thought leadership conference September 21-23, right in our own backyard. “Technology is upending the dynamic of customer engagement,” says ThoughtWorks CEO Craig Gorsline, and ParadigmShift can help business leaders in all verticals prepare and execute the most effective strategies for two-way digital consumer interaction and loyalty.

Today’s shopper has unlimited instant access to information, reviews, social media and news surrounding a business, its products and reputation – all available at their fingertips. ParadigmShift will illuminate the profound changes in the customer landscape and open up the dialogue between top enterprise executives on how organizations can maintain relevancy with each other and their consumers.

Hugh Forrest, director of the ever-evolving and widely attended SXSW Interactive conference, will lead the closing keynote for the event, giving attendees an exclusive look into the dynamic inner workings of the minds behind the 4-day innovation summit that so wildly inspires SMB entrepreneurs and large enterprises around the world.

With redefined roles of engagement and brand loyalty, increased convenience, speedier interactions and the rise of personal choice, businesses must accept that handing the reigns to the consumer is not a bad thing. It’s what shoppers want, and when businesses embrace it, they’ll lead the next generation of successful customer engagement.

Stay tuned for more insights from conference sessions next week!

Oops, We Did it Again (and Again, and Again)

Posted on | by Catherine Seeds

We’ve all heard (or have perhaps said) in one way or another the expression, “I would love to have been a fly on the wall when….” On more than one occasion, I’ve often found myself wishing I could have been privy to certain conversations that led to decisions being made about this or that.  One of the many items on my bucket list, as my friends and co-workers know very well, is to sit in on a Saturday Night Live writer’s meeting and just take in all of the crazy creativity. Ah, to be a fly on the wall at that meeting!

But, as a PR professional, I would also love the ability to travel back in time and have the opportunity to observe and even participate in the meetings that have led to some of the most terrible PR blunders.  In recent months, major apparel brands have manufactured and tried to sell items that, for anyone with half a brain, would be received as offensive, tacky and downright unethical.  Let’s take a look, shall we?

  • Just this week, Urban Outfitters came under fire for selling a “vintage” Kent State University sweatshirt that included what appeared to be fake bloodstains – referencing the horrific events that took place at Kent State in 1970. The retailer quickly released an apology and explanation, “…the red stains are discoloration from the original shade of the shirt and the holes are from natural wear and fray.” You’d think Urban Outfitters would have learned their lesson by now, after trying to sell a crop top shirt with the word “depression” written all over it, or the time they tried to sell a t-shirt that said “Eat less” across the front.
  • This past summer, fast fashion retailer Zara decided it would be a good idea to sell a child’s pajama shirt that strongly resembled the uniforms of Jewish people imprisoned during the Holocaust. It gets worse, but stick with me – the shirt was black and white, and featured a six-point star on the chest. In researching this blog, I’ve learned that this was not Zara’s first rodeo into offensive fashion. In 2007, they released a handbag that included four green swastikas, which was apparently overlooked before production.
  • Beloved shoe brand Adidas created a line of “kicks” in 2012 that featured – I can’t even believe I’m writing this – plastic orange chains that could be wrapped around said shoe-wearer’s ankle. Of course, the shoes were criticized, with good reason, because of their resemblance to shackles worn by slaves. Adidas said publically in response that the designs were not offensive, but just the result of designer Jeremy Scott’s outrageous vision. As we Southerners say (in the sarcastically meant way, and not the way that my sweet mother means it,) “Bless their hearts.”

What I want to know is, who decided these (and countless other examples – I’m looking at you, Abercrombie & Fitch) apparel items were a great idea? We never know what goes on behind closed doors; however, one would think that in these meetings and creative sessions there would have been at least one person that should have said, “Hey guys, this is a really bad idea.” And if that idea made it through the filters of those initial meetings, you would think that someone in the C-suite group would have put a stop to it immediately. And, theoretically, if everyone else in the company decided “said shirt, with said offensive design” was a real winner and would make the company a ton of money, I would hope that a public relations executive would have gotten wind of it before production and done the right thing.

In life, we are all faced with decisions – some of them much easier to make than others. As PR professionals, it is our job to make sure the public-facing aspects of whatever company or person we represent is done so in the best and the most honest and ethical way.  Our recommendations are not always the most popular, but they are in the best interest of the company and should be listened to.

While the above-mentioned blunders were likely the result of multiple checks and balances gone wrong, the PR teams certainly fell down on their jobs in the worst way. The worst offenders are those from Zara, Urban Outfitters and Abercrombie & Fitch who let these “mistakes” happen again and again. In my job, when we make a mistake such as including the wrong boilerplate in a press release or quoting the wrong spokesperson, we take steps to make sure that it never happens again. If I were the spokesperson for these retailers, I would do everything in my power to make sure not a single piece of merchandise could be mistaken for a horrific historical event or crime against humanity –  never, ever again.

Do what’s right, do what’s ethical and all will be well – I promise.

September is PRSA’s national ethics month. For more information on PRSA’s code of Ethics, click here.