Author: awp@uoregon.edu

My name is Aaron Porter and I am a non-traditional student. After 15-plus years in the radio industry I am attending the University of Oregon to acquire my degree in Advertising and Public Relations with a minor in Digital Arts. I am a runner. Trail running and ultra marathons are what I train for regularly, however I also run marathons, half-marathons, 5ks and 10k. My longest event thus far is 50 miles. I am integrating my passion with my education to work with race directors and coaching organizations. Using social and traditional media I will engage and grow audiences for races, and coaching organizations, first locally then worldwide.

Paula Deen (almost) Apologizes

Paula Deen was deposed in June of 2013 where she admitted that she used racial slurs and made jokes that degenerate blacks. Though this is horrible in it’s own right, it is not a situation where one cannot recover if handled properly. This is where Deen dug herself a deeper hole.

File Footage: Paula Deen, Food Network

Systems theory states that organizations and their environments are interdependent. Many public relations problems arise because of a closed system vs an open system. In the case of Paula Deen, decisions were made that did not adapt or seek to adapt to the environment; she didn’t hold herself accountable to her publics or stakeholders as evidenced by not one,

or two,

but three failed video apologies. Deen’s communication, though may have been timely, was not well crafted or sincere and did not focus on customers, publics or the environment. And here is her appearance on the Today show.

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Not a good showing.

In this example I would argue that Paula Deen attempted to follow the systems theory protocol but fell short. Prepared video apologies felt insincere, forced, and showed that she didn’t even really understand what she was apologizing for. In crisis management you’re given one chance at an apology, and if is lacking in sincerity you face isolation from your market. News agencies picked up and delivered this disingenuous messages, and the system backfired on her. It didn’t backfire because of the system itself, but rather because of how she played the victim and skirted taking responsibility for her actions. By doing so, Deen failed to show publics and stakeholders that she, as a leader, could show remorse, sympathy (for others), growth, direction and strength.

This scandal doesn’t have to completely ruin Deen. If she smartens up and uses this experience to actually learn and teach others that one can take responsibility she’ll be able to restrengthen her name and somewhat recover. I doubt her career and reputation will ever be the same, but with proper public relations and crisis management she’ll be able to slowly build her brand back up.