As a person who has been on seven cruises, with my first being on the Costa Riviera back in 1986, this tragic accident really gave me pause to think of how often I have taken for granted the safety drills conducted by these cruise ships I’ve sailed on.  Thousands of people each week are told to report to their muster stations on the first day of the cruise, most of the time before the ship leaves port.  This August, I sailed on a Carnival ship from New York, leaving one day before Hurricane Irene hit.  Our Captain instructed us we would veer 300 miles east to avoid the major impact of the storm. Even so, that next day at seas was the roughest I’ve ever experienced on a cruise ship.  Carnival did a good job of keeping passengers informed and I must say when we underwent the muster drill, I paid extra attention, knowing we were facing riskier conditions at sea.

Despite the misfortune of the Costa Concordia, I have not been deterred from cruising and I look forward to scheduling one in the next year or so. However, it certainly will not be with Costa, which is owned by Carnival Corporation.

How this company has responded to this crisis has rewritten the textbook on how not to do customer relations.  Just over the past day, the company announced it was not going to offer full refunds to the passengers of the ship but was going to provide a 30% discount for future cruises.  Below is an excerpt from a Gawker.com story, which cites a news story in the British Telegraph newspaper:

Those passengers fortunate enough to survive last week’s cruise ship disaster will be happy to know that their next seafaring vacation will come at a reduced cost. Costa Cruises spokespeople confirmed to the Telegraph that, “The company is not only going to refund everybody but they will offer a 30 per cent discount on future cruises if they want to stay loyal to the company.”

As the Telegraph story states correctly, this offer is an insult to these poor people that have been traumatized by the ineptness and negligence of their ship’s officers.  Eventually, law suits as deep as the Mediterranean are certain to abound.

Is this what Costa management should be offering?  What are they doing on other ships to reinforce ship safety?  They should be out front with new safety initiatives as they deal with this crisis, not insulting passengers with a 30% offer on a future cruise.  These are individuals that are thankful for being alive, let alone getting on another ship.

Costa should show humility and make sure they not only get to the bottom of what truly happened, but make sure these passengers are cared for, receive whatever they need to get home safely and ensure that they provide whatever resources it takes to ensure there is no environmental disaster off the Italian coast.

Costa’s customer service right now should be focused and committed to the safety of its passengers. That’s all. Forget about marketing cruises.  The survival of their busieness is at stake and how they deal with safety is crucial to whether anyone will book a future cruise with them again.

Instead of embarrassing themselves further they should take a page out of what Royal Caribbean’s CEO and President has done.

I have only cruised once on Royal Caribbean, yet I am on their email marketing list.  Today, I received the following letter from the CEO, reinforcing the company’s commitment to safety.  I thought it was a nice touch to reaching out to their consumers and outline their commitment to safety.

Dear Thomas,

All of us at Royal Caribbean International continue to extend our heartfelt sympathies to those affected by Carnival Corporation’s recent tragic incident on the Costa Concordia. As a Crown & Anchor Society member and loyal Royal Caribbean guest, we know you may have some questions as the situation continues to unfold.

At Royal Caribbean International, the safety and security of our guests and crew is our highest priority. It is fundamental to our operations. Our maritime safety record over our 42-year history illustrates our commitment to the safety of the millions of guests and crew that sail on our ships. The measures we take in the interest of safety are many, often exceeding the regulatory requirements – these are all part of our ongoing commitment to innovation and continuous improvement in every aspect of our business.

To address some of your questions and concerns, here is a video that will provide an overview of safety onboard our ships; the training of our crew, officers and captains; and the many regulations that govern our practices. Click here to watch.

As a past cruiser, we know your friends and family may be asking about your own time at sea. We hope that you’ll share this video along with your personal Royal Caribbean experiences with them, and reinforce that cruising continues to maintain the best safety record of any industry in travel.

Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to welcoming you aboard again soon on one of our ships sailing to 270 destinations worldwide.

Sincerely,

Adam Goldstein

President and CEO

Royal Caribbean International

This was an effort that iMedia Public Relations has jointly worked on with our sister agency, Capital Public Affairs, for the past three years. We are proud that we played a role in bringing this legislation to fruition and equally proud that it was done using a total grassroots approach. The passage of this legislation was a total David vs. Goliath struggle pitting our firms and the small wineries in New Jersey matched against the powerful liquor lobby intent on keeping in place its three-tiered system of distribution of wine. Our argument, which we made continuously, was that the majority of New Jersey wineries produced too small a quantity of wine to be of interest for wholesalers. Our effort was focused on helping the New Jersey wine industry, currently seventh in the nation in production of wine, continue to grow by expanding their distribution network and at the same time giving New jersey wine consumers greater choice.

In December 2008, Capital Public Affairs launched http://www.uncorknj.coma website that provided information on the importance of giving New Jersey wine consumers the same choice that the majority of states in the U.S. had the ability to order wine and have it directly shipped to their homes. The site also provided news updates and gave consumers the chance to contact their legislators directly from the UnCorkNJ site. This site was launched in conjunction with the start of a lobbying effort in the legislature to bring this cause to the forefront of legislators and begin the process of developing legislation to seek the enactment of direct shipping. The original client was AmericanWinery.com, but after a few months they ceased their involvement. Thus, for some time, Capital Public Affairs pursued this on its own until about two years ago, when Tomasello Winery, the state’s largest winery, came on board as a client. iMedia began serving as the agency for Tomasello Winery and also served to help promote UnCorkNJ.com.

In December 2010, a U.S. Court of Appeals Federal Court ruling effectively ruled that New Jersey wineries were operating in an unconstitutional manner by not allowing out-of-state wineries to operate retail outlets and tasting rooms in the state. New Jersey had unconstitutionally discriminated against out-of-state wineries by permitting only in-state vintners to sell directly to consumers. The appeals court sent the case to U.S. District Judge Katharine Hayden in Newark to preside over the constitutional challenge. Her options were twofold, either give out-of-state wineries the same right, or prohibit all wineries from selling directly to consumers. Judge Hayden extended her deadline for New Jersey to correct the situation to March 21, 2012. Failure to act on this could mean the closure of retail outlets and tasting rooms in New Jersey which would effectively close many of the state’s wineries. Over a dozen new wineries in New Jersey are frozen from being licensed until this matter is resolved. The effort then turned to merging a remedy for this situation into the direct-shipping legislation.

This process started with putting this issue in front of media throughout the state, making them aware of the danger facing New Jersey wineries that would be threatened with having their retail outlets and tasting rooms closed by Court order unless the state remedied the situation by enacting legislation. In June, we held a press conference at the statehouse in Trenton with former Governor James Florio, whose firm represented the Garden State Winegrowers Association, winery owners and my partner Steven Some of Capital Public Affairs representing UnCorkNJ.com. The purpose was to raise the seriousness of a pending deadline placed on New Jersey wineries by the District Court. At that point, the legislation did not have enough votes to pass.

However, U.S. District Judge Katharine Hayden in Newark gave New Jersey legislators a deadline of March 21, 2012 to remedy the situation before acting. Throughout the summer and fall, we continued to make our case both legislatively and through the media. This issue was strongly endorsed by editorials in nine leading newspapers in the state.

Newspapers that published editorials in favor of the legislation were:

Burlington County Times, Courier Post, Daily Record, Express Times, Gloucester County Times, Newark Star Ledger, Philadelphia Inquirer, Press of Atlantic City and Trenton Times. In December, S-3172, sponsored by Senate President Sweeney, passed the Senate 23-13 with bi-partisan support. The accompanying measure A-4436, sponsored by Assemblyman John Burzichelli, Deputy Speaker John Wisniewski, Assemblywoman Celeste Riley and Assemblyman Ronald Dancer, passed with amendments on the last day of the legislative session on January 9, 2012.

This legislation was signed into law by Governor Christie yesterday morning. In his State of the State speech later that afternoon, the Governor said the NJ Comeback had begun. For the New Jersey wine industry, the future was just beginning. We are proud to have played a small role in planting the seeds of its growth.

Tom Cosentino

On Thursday in Trenton, the Assembly Budget Panel, by a vote of 7-0-4 advanced and released A-4436, out of committee bringing this piece of legislation to the floor of the Assembly for a full vote on Monday, January 9.

This is an issue that iMedia Public Relations and our sister agency, Capital Public Affairs have been driving for almost three years. We created www.UnCorkNJ.com, a grassroots community of wine enthusiasts in New Jersey to help lobby for legislation that would give New Jersey wineries the right to do what wineries in 38 other states currently can, directly ship wine to the homes of consumers within and out-of-state. The proposed legislation also allows small out-of-state wineries that produce 250,000 gallons of wine and under each year to ship directly to New Jersey consumers.

A-4436, sponsored by Assemblyman John Burzichelli, Deputy Speaker John Wisniewski and Assemblywoman Celeste Riley, is a vital piece of legislation that ensures the future of the New Jersey wine industry, bringing New Jersey wine to a national market of 38 other states that allow direct shipping, while also preserving farmland and creating jobs in New Jersey.

This issue has been strongly endorsed by editorials in eight leading newspapers in the state. You can access each editorial by clicking here. Newspapers that have published editorials in favor of the legislation are:

Burlington County Times
Courier Post
Express Times
Gloucester County Times
Newark Star Ledger
Philadelphia Inquirer
Press of Atlantic City
Trenton Times

 
A year ago, a Federal Court ruling effectively ruled that New Jersey wineries were operating in an unconstitutional manner by not allowing out-of-state wineries to operate retail outlets and tasting rooms in the state. The Federal Judge extended her deadline for New Jersey to correct the situation to March 21, 2012. Failure to act on this could mean the closure of retail outlets and tasting rooms in New Jersey which would effectively close many of the state’s wineries. Over a dozen new wineries in New Jersey are frozen from being licensed until this matter is resolved.

A-4436 remedies that situation by allowing out-of-state wineries to open retail outlets in New Jersey. Senator Sweeney sponsored S-3172, which the Senate passed with bi-partisan support, 23-13 in December. This bill, and its accompanying piece of legislation in the Assembly, rectify the situation and protect the retail operations of NJ wineries, while allowing them to ship wine directly to consumers.

Those of you in New Jersey that are in favor of giving New Jersey wineries the chance to grow their industry can show their support by contacting their Assembly representatives and urging them to pass this bill on Monday. You can do it directly through www.uncorknj.com.

Tom Cosentino

Think about it, how productive right now is the workforce across America?  Regardless of whether you are observing the holidays from a religious perspective, the season has certainly taken a toll on how business is conducted.  As a public relations agency, we are still working on behalf of clients, sending out pitches and releases this week for a number of clients.  However, this could have been done from any remote location.

Would it not be more beneficial for the economy than for this last two-week period of the year be declared a national holiday for most non-essential corporate employees?  This would free these individuals up to go about their holiday shopping in greater earnest, frequent local restaurants and shops, malls, etc., and thus, boost the overall economy.

Let’s face it, as the year winds down all efforts become focused on starting fresh for the New Year. Maybe a short respite is what corporate America needs to start the New Year off with a bang.

Tom Cosentino

You cannot escape seeing the image of Santa Claus at this time of the year. Although the Christmas season is really about the celebration of the birth of Jesus, the Santa Claus figure dominates the retail season and the mindsets of children worldwide as they anxiously await the toys and goodies he will bring on his sleigh come Christmas Eve.

For many of us, the innocence of childhood can best be reflected in our belief in this jolly old soul. From the letters we wrote to him at the North Pole, filled with our wish list of the toys we wanted for Christmas, our visits to him at the department store or mall and the numerous shows and movies we watched on television, Santa Claus was as real as the full head of hair on our childhood head.

But then, at some point along our path through grade school, our innocence was shattered as a fellow classmate, sibling or eventually our parents, broke the news that Santa wasn’t real at all. Christmas was never the same again, until we had children of our own and suddenly, we couldn’t wait to share with them the stories of Santa and our beliefs in him.

What has always struck me is why this need to raise the spirits of children, only to see them shattered when there is a true historical person that the legend of Santa Claus is based on.

Christians know him as St. Nicholas and history records him as Nicholas, Bishop of Myra. His is a tale of great courage, charity and a love of children. It is no wonder why his life and legend became the basis for the Santa Claus character. This belief was brought to this country by Dutch settlers and was later immortalized in Clement C. Moore’s “The Night Before Christmas.”

Although St. Nicholas is not a client of iMedia Public Relations, I thought it was time that someone did a little publicity for his cause. We’re not the only ones that feel that way. A tremendous resource for learning about the life of Nicholas is through the St. Nicholas Center, a registered non-profit corporation in the State of Michigan with federal tax exempt status, which cooperates with other organizations around the globe that share its concerns for St. Nicholas. They have created a virtual knowledge center about St. Nicholas. Their site gives a great accounting to the life of Nicholas, his legend, good deeds and role in the early Christian Church. Here’s a brief biological sketch of Nicholas taken from the home page.

 The true story of Santa Claus begins with Nicholas, who was born during the third century in the village of Patara. At the time the area was Greek and is now on the southern coast of Turkey. His wealthy parents, who raised him to be a devout Christian, died in an epidemic while Nicholas was still young. Obeying Jesus’ words to “sell what you own and give the money to the poor,” Nicholas used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. He dedicated his life to serving God and was made Bishop of Myra while still a young man. Bishop Nicholas of Myra became known throughout the land for his generosity to those in need, his love for children, and his concern for sailors and ships.

 Under the Roman Emperor Diocletian who ruthlessly persecuted Christians, Bishop Nicholas suffered for his faith, was exiled and imprisoned. The prisons were so full of bishops, priests, and deacons, there was no room for the real criminals—murderers, thieves and robbers. After his release, Nicholas attended the Council of Nicea in AD 325. He died December 6, AD 343 in Myra and was buried in his cathedral church, where a unique relic, called manna, formed in his grave. This liquid substance, said to have healing powers, fostered the growth of devotion to Nicholas. The anniversary of his death became a day of celebration, St. Nicholas Day, December 6 (December 19 on the Julian calendar).

 Through the centuries many stories and legends have been told of St. Nicholas’ life and deeds. These accounts help us understand his extraordinary character and why he is so beloved and revered as protector and helper of those in need.

 One story tells of a poor man with three daughters. In those days a young woman’s father had to offer prospective husbands something of value—a dowry. The larger the dowry, the better the chance that a young woman would find a good husband. Without a dowry, a woman was unlikely to marry. This poor man’s daughters, without dowries, were therefore destined to be sold into slavery. Mysteriously, on three different occasions, a bag of gold appeared in their home-providing the needed dowries. The bags of gold, tossed through an open window, are said to have landed in stockings or shoes left before the fire to dry. This led to the custom of children hanging stockings or putting out shoes, eagerly awaiting gifts from Saint Nicholas. Sometimes the story is told with gold balls instead of bags of gold. That is why three gold balls, sometimes represented as oranges, are one of the symbols for St. Nicholas. And so St. Nicholas is a gift-giver.
So, as we prepare to celebrate Christmas, let us all take a moment to give some publicity not to a costumed figure at the mall, but to the life of an individual who can truly inspire us all. There’s no need to dampen the spirits of children the world over. Teach them about a man who truly lived and followed the teachings of Jesus, the one the Christmas season is all about. Nicholas was all about giving, and whether you’re a Christian, Muslim, Jew, Hindu, Buddhist or even an atheist, he is a person who inspires good in all of us.

Tom Cosentino

Thanksgiving was largely a regional holiday, celebrated first in the New England colonies and then spreading across the country. Back then, each state scheduled its own holiday, some as early as October and others as late as January; it was largely unknown in the American South.

Hale began her national lobbying efforts to make Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1846, a quest that lasted for 17 years. During that time she wrote to five U.S. Presidents, starting with Zachary Taylor and moving on to Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan and then Abraham Lincoln. Her letter to Lincoln finally convinced the president to support legislation establishing a national holiday of Thanksgiving in 1863. It was considered a unifying day after the Civil War. Prior to this, the only national holidays in the United States were Washington’s Birthday and Independence Day.

The following is taken from Sarah Josepha Hale, “Editor’s Table,” Godey’s Lady’s Book, 1858
OUR NATIONAL THANKSGIVING

“All the blessings of the fields,
All the stores the garden yields,
All the plenty summer pours,
Autumn’s rich, o’erflowing stores,
Peace, prosperity and health,
Private bliss and public wealth,
Knowledge with its gladdening streams,
Pure religion’s holier beams –
Lord, for these our souls shall raise
Grateful vows and solemn praise.”

We are most happy to agree with the large majority of the governors of the different States — as shown in their unanimity of action for several past years, and which, we hope, will this year be adopted by all — that the LAST THURSDAY IN NOVEMBER shall be the DAY Of NATIONAL THANKSGIVING for the American people. Let this day, from this time forth, as long as our Banner of Stars floats on the breeze, be the grand THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY of our nation, when the noise and tumult of wordliness may be exchanged for the laugh of happy children, the glad greetings of family reunion, and the humble gratitude of the Christian heart. This truly American Festival falls, this year on the twenty fifth day of this month.

Let us consecrate the day to benevolence of action, by sending good gifts to the poor, and doing those deeds of charity that will, for one day, make every American home the place of plenty and of rejoicing. These seasons of refreshing are of inestimable advantage to the popular heart; and if rightly managed, will greatly aid and strengthen public harmony of feeling. Let the people of all the States and Territories sit down together to the “feast of fat things,” and drink, in the sweet draught of joy and gratitude to the Divine giver of all our blessings, the pledge of renewed love to the Union, and to each other; and of peace and good-will to all men. Then the last Thursday in November will soon become the day of AMERICAN THANKSGIVING throughout the world.

Cain has largely used the power of public relations in his climb from fringe candidate to frontrunner status with his 9-9-9 tax mantra and his congeniality and folksy approach during the nationally televised candidate debates.

Portraying himself as a different type of candidate, Cain has connected with his followers, especially conservative voters looking for an alternative to Mitt Romney. However, just as Texas Governor Rick Perry has faltered in the way he has handled himself in the televised debates, opening the door for Cain, the former Chairman of Godfather’s Pizza has also failed miserably in how he has dealt with this crisis.

Why has this “new” type of candidate failed?  Basically, because he has strayed from the basic tenets of public relations, something many individuals and companies do whenever they are faced with a crisis.

Let us explore the ways in which Herman Cain has failed PR 101.

When the news first broke, Cain quickly dismissed the charges saying they had no validity. He did so by going on television and then giving a talk at the National Press Club. Within a couple of hours he changed his story as he seemingly recalled some of the facts associated with the decade-old cases.  He also claimed not knowing about any settlements and then started estimating what he thought was the settlement.  The national media, now smelling blood did their job and began investigating the facts, showing in one case that one of the accusers received a year’s salary as a payout.

Never, should a company or individual be flippant when a controversy emerges. These are big stakes now for Cain. To dismiss charges automatically and then have to fill in the blanks with information on an hourly basis is not the way to handle a crisis.  It makes one beg to reason, where’s the truth?  By not addressing the charges head on and not putting out the correct information and instead, winging it, Cain opened himself up to further scrutiny.

Cain should have met with his staff and conducted a full download of the history of the cases with them. He then should have come
clean and admitted that his actions at the time were deemed questionable and he felt badly that they were interpreted that way and in no way does he condone harassment in any form.  This should all have happened before he addressed the media.

Playing the race card and making himself a victim was another cardinal sin.  It may have helped him raise a large amount of campaign cash but in the end, it will ultimately hurt his candidacy severely, as other past victims are tempted to come forward.

By also blaming his opponents, notably Rick Perry for launching this smear campaign against him, Cain continues to play the victim. This is certain to provide for great theater during the next televised debate. However, whether his candidacy survives will largely rely on how he deals with the continued fallout.

Cain has appealed to voters because they see in him a successful CEO that has built businesses and is proposing bold economic change with his 9-9-9 tax reform plan.  However, they are also looking for leadership. As his poll numbers have climbed, Cain
has faced intense scrutiny on every issue coming his way.

A true leader gets out in front of issues. Making things up along the way and dismissing serious issues is not the way to become
president.

Companies and individuals that overcome crisis situations are those that recognize the vital importance of the issue facing them, gather up all the facts, and come out with an honest response.  They take the lead on the issue and do not allow it to lead them.

Which way will Herman Cain go? He can still use the public relations tools at his disposal, only he must be consistent and use them in a positive fashion. Blaming others and not recognizing the seriousness of the issue will not fly.

Tom Cosentino

After being found ‘not seaworthy’ to work in search and rescue with the United States Coast Guard (USCG), I returned to school and found a new career that I felt I could be just as passionate about, public relations, which I would choose as my
next and hopefully final career.

At 40-years old, I was extremely excited to graduate from Seton Hall University in May 2008 but was discouraged to discover that it was very difficult to find employment. I had just spent the last 36 months in school but had absolutely no experience in the field. School taught me to network heavily, both in person and online via LinkedIn, and my work paid off with an internship at iMedia
Public Relations. I now found myself with Tom Cosentino, my new boss, who doesn’t wear stripes on his sleeves or act as if he were made of salt water like my previous supervisors in the USCG.

My task since first arriving a month ago has been to raise awareness for “The Caesars Tribute II: A Salute to the
Ladies of the Ice,” with different media outlets. I have found that pitching an ice skating event in October, when it’s not even cold outside, is like trying to sell ice cubes to an Eskimo. Some editors entertained the prospect of interviewing a world famous skater but many nicely declined.

Building a rapport with the media was useful in receiving my first bite. One planning editor/producer at FOX
Television in Philadelphia, Berlinda Garnett, grabbed onto my story. I quickly built a connection with Berlinda and was able
to initiate a friendly and comical dialogue. After a few conversations, she took to the story of interviewing a skater but soon after I sold her on the story that ‘ice cube’ melted. However, the skater, who we planned to bring to town as part of the media tour, was unable to make the scheduled date.

A week ago, Tom informed me that he had scheduled Sarah Hughes for an appearance on “Good Day NY,” a Fox5 morning show,
and invited me to come with him to the interview. Sarah is a gold medal Olympian and as a participant in the Caesar’s Tribute, was booked to promote the event.  Tom’s job was to ensure everything went smoothly at the morning show.

The night before the show, I was very anxious knowing I had to be up at 4:30 a.m. to meet Tom for the drive into Manhattan.  I had met some important people throughout my life but meeting an Olympic Gold Medalist, who worked their entire life to gain such recognition, still put me in awe. I tried explaining to my daughter, Abigail, who is five-years old, what I was about to do. I showed Abigail a You Tube video of Sarah’s ice skating performance and she thought Sarah was a princess.

When we finally arrived in NYC the next morning and met Sarah with her mother, I was astonished to see how down to earth she actually was. She came across like any other young girl, if not friendlier than most. We were immediately escorted to hair and make-up which was even more exciting. Never in a million years would I have ever entertained the idea that I’d be in this kind of situation a year or two ago. I was dying to take pictures or videos the entire time so I wouldn’t forget a minute, but knew I had to restrain myself. The halls of Good Day NY were filled with past celebrities autographs who had visited over the years. It was
amazing.

After make-up, Sarah went to get her hair done. Tom, her mother, and I went to the Green Room (which was actually brown). As I stepped through the doorway, I saw someone who looked very familiar, Theresa Caputo, a psychic medium. Her ability to talk to the dead is the focus of a new show on TLC called “Long Island Medium.” Literally two days prior, I watched about 15
minutes of this show for the first time. She made everyone’s hair stand up as she explained to a pregnant assistant producer that someone was ‘visiting’ her.

This assistant was in tears and barely able to stand. Soon she turned her attention towards Tom and claimed his father and cousin were there. It was very strange.

Soon we were called into the actual studio. Sarah was already sitting next to Rosanna Scotto and Greg Kelly preparing to go
on air. The count down started; three, two, one and in minutes it was over. Since it was my first time to witness such a production, I had no idea how it went but it all looked good to me. Tom said she did well, he is the expert.

I look forward to my new career and many more similar experiences like I had my first time in a Green Room.