Monday, December 9th, 2013...12:39 am

Uses and Gratifications: Loss of Sponsors

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By: Jason Davis

Paula Deen, the famous celebrity chef featured on Food Network has been cooking for audiences on the channel since 1999.   Aside from being a celebrity performing in front of a camera, she has illustrated a handful of books, magazines and sold products for those who have a similar passion for cooking.  Her two cookbooks are focused on southern style recipes built up from her roots of growing up in Georgia.  People respect Paula Deen for her enthusiasm for cooking and delicious recipes.  As most of us are aware of, in June of 2013 Paula Deen admitted to using the N-word on occasion.  She ineffectively moved forward by issuing multiple viral apologies and cancelling numerous interviews, further damaging her future.  Paula Deen’s public relations team wanted improve her image too quickly in an effort to save longtime fans.

Paula Deen’s organization and her public relations team showed stints of uses and gratifications theory throughout the time she was looking to resurrect her image.  This theory is based on understanding what audiences do with media outlets and their thoughts and behaviors behind it. Katz, Blumler, and Gurevitch describe the concept as “the social and psychological origins of needs, which generate expectations of the mass media or other sources, which lead to differential patterns of media exposure”. Satisfying a groups needs is a goal of any organization and through a public relations team, Paula still has the opportunity to win back her audience.  Her organization showed positive and negative public relations while looking to expand on other media outlets.  The correct thing to do after making a mistake is issuing an apology, and Paula Deen did just that, unfortunately not in the best way possible. The botched apologies on top of failing to show up for an interview with the Today show prompted the Food Network to fire her.  Her career was not over at this point. The uses and gratifications theory explains, “Audiences are responsible for selecting media outlets that best fulfills their needs and that media outlets are used by the audience to fulfill specific gratifications”. The Food Network may have not wanted her, but her fans may still be interested.

Following her misunderstood apologies and losing multiple sponsorship deals Paula Deen’s organization went out and hired public relations crisis firm Smith & Co employing well-known crisis manager Judy Smith.  Deen’s public relations may have lost her biggest claim to fame, but as previously mentioned Paula has other media outlets as well as cookware product’s sold by retailers.  The team has been focused on improving her image through other media outlets as being a lovely individual who enjoys helping out in the community.  People are aware of the wrongdoing she has done and there is only so much Paula Deen can do to win back those fans.   She was very popular and a great cook. That being said there are still many people who will continue to seek out Paula Deen for specific needs.

This was sent out as an email from Paula Deen magazine publisher. The email contained a graphic, which reads: “We support Paula Deen and you can too! Subscribe to Cooking With Paula Deen today and you’ll receive a FREE Preview Issue.”

 

Other Sources:

–http://www.cbsnews.com/news/paula-deens-food-network-contract-wont-be-renewed/

–http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/22/dining/paula-deen-is-a-no-show-on-today.html?_r=0

–http://adage.com/article/media/paula-deen-hires-smith-inspiration-scandal/242849/

 

 



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