Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Monday, this article hit the net and to no surprise made it on to all of our desks.  Then it came in memo form from the big man in the corner.  

Ketchum employee's Tweet causes client controversy

Now I twitter, blog and have facebook.  I try to keep client names secret but so did that guy!!!  The Tweet came from James Andrews VP, director of interactive at Ketchum (a competitor PR agency of the one I work for) who goes by keyinfluencer on Twitter who said "I'm in one of those towns where I scratch my head and say "I would die if I had to live here".  Referring to Memphis as he was there for client meetings - FedEx.  

Someday over drinks ask me for some good client stories and I'll tell you - cause lord knows I won't talk about them on here anymore.  I have a handful of friends on Twitter - but on FaceBook I have half the company as my friends.  I sometimes have to sensor what I say ex. new job opportunities that were offered to me and take tags off pictures that may be viewed as distasteful ( I know you're thinking Kristen, distasteful? No) .  I speak my mind and stand up for myself but I just know if I didn't take that shit off then I would most definitely be called out by senior level folk.

Part of me wants to say how dumb this guy was (who I just added to my twitter BTW!) by doing that and being a prick - but I've done it too.  I feel a little bad for him but he seems to be loving all the new followers he has gotten on Twitter so I'm sure he's doing just fine.  He even got the attention of the head of FedEx who wrote a letter to him and made really valid points.  I think it's towards the end of the article.  

What do you guys think about this whole debacle?  And it applies to industrys outside of PR, Marketing etc etc - I've talked crap about even the shitty retailers I've worked for.

Also, NO the guy did NOT get fired!

On a totally random and unrelated note:  I have been listen to Sky 80's on iTunes radio for like 5 months.  I went on a hunt for a new station today and found Big 5 radio - 90's alternative.  AMAZING.  It will change your life.  

On a slightly related note to the previous note - NO DOUBT IS TOURING THIS SUMMER!!!!!!!!  More deets later.


3 comments:

CIP said...

This has got to be the dumbest "controversy" ever. He is allowed to dislike a city....he didn't say he disliked the client.

I don't get it. Like, it would have been okay if he said he hated Memphis on like a pleasure trip...but it's not okay to say just because he was there for work?

It's so dumb to me. What do you think?

Kristen said...

It is pretty dumb but it really made me think. I've said not so glamourous things before and I honestly think if it got back to the head of my company I'd probably get spoken to. It is really weird.

Alot of my present and former clients take pride in their local towns/cities etc so I can see why a FedEx took it personally. When they're flying him in and paying for everything.

But I really have to stop and scratch my head why this has made national news. And then I realize that these guys work in PR - of course they publicized it!

Maxie said...

I don't think he should get in trouble b/c he didn't say anything too horrible and didn't include specifics...

but with that said I've never told the people at work about my blog or twitter-- I think it's kind of asking for trouble.