The Flack

This weblog attempts to shine a brighter light on the subtle role public relations plays in politics, culture, media, business and sports. Through greater transparency, the author hopes to make the profession better understood and perhaps more widely appreciated.

Example

EuroDisney started out much the same way: with negative media coverage of the sparse attendance at the brand extension of the popular theme park. Today, word from the beta-testing of the soon-to-open Hong Kong Disneyland is negative, but for quite the opposite reasons. The facility cannot accommodate the large throng of visitors, which has led to long queues, food shortages and short tempers.

Rather than admit that some kinks still need to be worked out, Disney officials, in a nod to investors, defiantly refused to limit the number of daily visitors. Spokesperson Esther Wong says the company is “confident we can manage peak day attendance in the future and have designed our marketing and sales plan to manage attendance at Hong Kong Disneyland throughout the year.”

(Tell that to those in line at the ladies’ restrooms!)

Posted in Hong Kong Disneyland Opening | No Comments »

Sharks & Whales

Posted by Peter Himler on 25th June 2005

Example

The folks at Hong Kong Disneyland prudently decided to take their specialite de la maison shark’s fin soup off the wedding banquet menu at the amusement park. The head of the park explained: “Striking the right balance between cultural sensitivities and conservation has always been our goal…”

I would opine that pressure from one of the more effective non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the World Wildlife Fund, actually sunk the daily special. Don’t underestimate the power of NGO’s! Edelman’s Trust Barometer found that public trust is higher for NGOs than for politicians, business leaders and the media. Trust means influence.

Now what do to about Japan’s whale sandwich? It too will discover the teeth of some NGO or another.

Posted in Hong Kong Disneyland Opening, NGOs, World Wildlife Fund | No Comments »