Managing Diversity witihn Public Relations
In the age of hyper-connectivity in part due to social media, society, otherwise known as public, has essentially leveled the playing field with organizations. Gone are the days when an organization can neglect the concerns of their respective publics. Yet, the Public relations practice is strongly driven by perspectives. Over the years, organizations have failed to successfully satisfy their respective publics in part because of one-way of thought. Through diversity or the lack thereof, not just only from a physical sense, but from a thought and authority perspective, it impacts organizations both internally and externally.
Below are the three trends I developed upon completing my research.
Trend 1: Intersectionality
Organizations fail to understand that you cannot just treat race and gender as their own. That there is an overlap between identities.” (Vardeman-Winter, J., 2011). Public Relations professionals must strive to create campaigns that are not solely one size fits all. (Vardeman-Winter, J., 2011). Internally, it is a difference between one gender thriving over another regardless of how many, or how little they may be. (Bardhan, N., 2013).
Trend 2: Equity
Internally, organizations need to create an environment in which people of diverse backgrounds have an equal opportunity to influence the decisions that are being made. (Choi, S., & Rainey, H. G., 2014). By establishing equity, an organization can extend their reach to new markets and can maintain positive relationships with their current publics, from an external point of view.
Trend 3: Inclusion
It’s one thing to have a diverse work environment that is reflective of our extremely diverse society, but what are organizations doing to incorporate these individuals. What internally is being provided to comfort these individuals emotionally. (Choi, S., & Rainey, H. G. 2014). Professionally, what is being done to help retain and grow diverse talent. Externally are organizations advocating on issues that isn’t commonly associated with them. (Logan, N., 2016).
Theories & Research Methods
- Religion
- Gender & Race
- Agenda Setting Theory
- Framing
- Qualitative & Quantative
Case Study: IBM’s “Hack A Hair Dryer” Campaign
IBM is short for International Business Machines. They are a computer hardware company headquartered in Armonk, New York. Generally speaking, there has been a huge push by the country to address STEM, short for Science Technology, Engineering, and math. “According to the U.S. Department of Labor, only 5% of U.S. workers are employed in fields related to science and engineering, yet they are responsible for more than 50% of our sustained economic expansion.” (Adkins 2012)
In response to such alarming statistics, many organizations and the country as pushed for many STEM programs within schools. Outside of STEM, IBM is a part of “Silicon Valley” which is a nickname of the southern portion of the San Francisco Bay Area and home to many tech organizations such as Apple and Google. However, in recent years, there has been a discussion on addressing diversity within Silicon Valley. Data shows that Silicon Valley consists of predominately white males 71% to be exact. On the other hand, 29% of employees are women.
In response to the problem addressed many companies have created campaigns/initiatives to address such issue. Unfortunately, not all have been effective in their messaging IBM being one of them. In 2015, to encourage women both young and old to peruse a career in coding and to change the perception of women in tech. The campaign was titled “#HackAHairDryer” IBM created a video that was focused on hair dryers and girls using hair dryers for their science projects
As expected it failed. It failed for the simple fact that it stereotyped and pigeon-hole women into traditional gender stereotypes. The public had a field day with IBM in particular women within STEM fields. “I code. But it’s to mess around with salamander DNA sequences, not hairdryers,” said Cathy Newman, a biology Ph.D. student.
After enough backlash from the public, IBM offered a public apology and within two months took down the promotional video and ended the campaign.
Why Diversity ?
- Multiple viewpoints
- Better understanding customers
- Enhancing client connections
- Delivering insights into trends
In summary, as our world grows so will issues surrounding diversity if it is not addressed accordingly. We are at a point where publics can no longer be ignored. They have the ability to cause havoc within a matter of seconds as a result of social media.
Also, diversity is more than just having a physical representation of diverse employees within the workplace. There must be programs and resources put in place to make them feel included in the overall function of a business. Also, growth, when diverse candidates enter your organization what are you putting in place to make sure that they can grow and develop to become potential VP and above and not remain as juniors forever.
Secondly when creating campaigns for diverse audiences, one must avoid having a one size fits all approach towards campaign execution. Not all audiences are the same. Factors such as race, gender, sexuality, location, religious beliefs, etc. all play a role in one’s identity.
“Strength lies in differences, not in similarities”
-Stephen R. Covey
Election Night-Mare 2016
For some it was the night we all waited for a while for others, it was the night we possibly will dread for the next four years. Sadly, it turned out to be the latter.
I can’t lie, leading up to election night, I was skeptical about both candidates. On one hand, you had Hillary Clinton who in my opinion, wasn’t the most trustworthy candidate. Many millennials couldn’t take her seriously in comparison to Bernie Sanders who seemed to have our interest going back to the primaries.
On the other hand… you had a man who, like most of America, believes that his run president was a joke when he announced that he was running during the summer of 2015. I didn’t take Trump seriously at all! and to make matters worse, the divisive rhetoric he preached angered me as an African-American male. Myself along with women, Muslims and Mexicans were all unfairly targeted throughout his campaign.
You would think that our country wouldn’t stand for such hate speech, but his campaign proved otherwise. I was surprised to see the amount of support he was able to receive during his campaign. Tuesday night/Wednesday morning was a total nightmare. We can argue that more people should have voted, or individuals shouldn’t have voted for a third party, but sadly we can’t go back and change what happens. What’s done is done.
I would be lying to you all if I said that I wasn’t scared. I fear that his election as President will give confidence to a select group of individuals to spew unnecessary hate and further divide a nation that is in desperate need of healing. I don’t know what to tell the kids I teach, the international students who came to this country expecting it to be the land of the free.
I just hope that in due time we can come together.
Indy & PRSA/PRSSA Confrence
After a long and eventful weekend, it’s a good feeling to be back with you all. I just returned from the annual PRSA/PRSSA conference in Indianapolis and I must say, it was everything and more.
Initially, I was a bit skeptical about the conference. Mainly because of the amount of money that went into it (it was extremely expensive folks!) Besides me having to get patted down twice by TSA (they can be a bit of a hassle,) the plane ride there wasn’t bad. After a stop in Detroit, I was finally in Indy an hour later.
This was my second time being in Indy, the first was for the National Conference on Race & Ethnicity (NCORE.) Like most cities I travel to, I notice that the individuals who reside in these cities are extremely friendly. I guess it seems like that because I am from New York City and NYC has a known reputation for being a “Grimey” city. Very few individuals are smiling and if people are overly welcoming, it is a cause for concern in NYC.
I enjoyed the conference because it was the first time I was in a room filled with PR-junkies. Besides my grad cohort at Newhouse, it is very rare for me to run into individuals who are passionate about PR and have a true understanding of its value within today’s society. From the networking, catching up with my mentors and the sessions, It’s not crazy for me to say that I was in PR-Heaven.
The highlights of the trip were Derreck Kayongo, bonding with my cohort and Steak & Shake. Kayongo gave an amazing speech on his story and the why behind his organization that donates unused soap to those in need.
As for my cohort, although everyone wasn’t there, it was great to finally get a chance to truly bond with the ones that were on the trip. With the intensity of the program, it makes it hard for us to come together and vibe with one another. Last but not least Steak & Shake. It is a fast-food restaurant that is very popular in the midwest that’s open 24 hours. For the times I was hungry and didn’t want to pay hotel price for food, Steak & Shake was a blessing.
Overall, it was a well-needed trip, I had a lot on my mind and I was in desperate need to get out of Syracuse for a bit.
In words of Bryson Tiller, I can now say,
“I’m Back and I’m Better” lol.
My Love for Music & Hip-Hop
To many Music may be sound or just music. For me, music holds a very special place in my heart. For me, music was and is my education, escape and most importantly, my therapy.
I can not tell you off the top of my head when I first fell in love with music. It’s just something we as humans, wheater you realize it, or not have grown accustomed to listening to. I can say when I was in middle school. Outside of the Ghanian music that would religiously play in my home, I grew a love for Hip-Hop.
One surprising fact that nobody believes is that I grew up on the block that was coined, “The birthplace of Hip-Hop,” on Sedgwick Ave. I can’t lie, I didn’t discover that until several years ago when I did extensive research on the history of Hip-Hop. Early on, I pretty much just jammed out artists such as NAS, Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Sean Paul and many of the other popular artists of the late ’90s and the early 2000s.
It wasn’t until around the 5th/6th grade where I began to develop an understanding of what I was listening to. One of the artists that stood with me during this growth phase was Lupe Fiasco.
I had heard a track of his in “NBA Live 06,” A basketball video game I played during that time, but it was the track “Kick Push” that had me sold on Lupe. From there, the rest was history. I was hooked. I studied lyrics just so I could recite the lyrics of the songs word-for-word. I studied so I could understand the meaning of what I was listening to.
Fast forward to today, that passion for music is still there. I may not listen to Lupe as much I did back then, but other artists have filled that void for me. Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, and Bas are some of the artists I am currently hooked on. I also listen to a wider genre of music, for me, it’s about consistent growth and not boxing myself in.
It is all about the vibes with music regardless of the genre. As Bob Marley puts it,
“One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain”
From Hiplife to Afrobeats
For those who don’t know, I am West African. To be more specific, I am Ghanian. I didn’t always take pride in it —many of you are probably wondering… “Why Not?”— I was ridiculed for being African and got called some pretty harsh things. One phrase peers used to call me and many other Africans was, “African Booty Scratcher.”
When I was at home, that wasn’t the case. from the food and music, I loved it all. It wasn’t until high school and beyond when I truly began to embrace my, “African-ness.” One of the biggest catalysts was Afrobeats.
For those wondering, Afrobeats is a genre of music that is a combination of traditional Nigerian, Ghanaian, jazz, highlife music and chanted vocals, fused with percussion and vocal styles, popularized in Africa in the 1970s. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afrobeat)
I can’t lie although Hiplife, the dominant genre of music before Afrobeats, was good, it just felt that it was catered towards my parent’s generation. I used to remember all the times at family gatherings I, and all the other kids, would sit and be bored out of our minds as our parents danced to Daddy Lumba, one of the most popular Hiplife artists of all time.
Then came 2010. Hiplife was on the decline and Afrobeats was beginning its takeover. With it came many new dances. one, in particular, was the Azonto. Azonto for myself and others made it “cool” for us to take pride in our roots. It was a chance for us to put our imprint on our respective African cultures for the future. We finally got our chance and the rest was history.
Link to Azonto:
Basketball & NBA 2K
“Basketball is my favorite sport I like the way they dribble up and down the court.” I figured what better way to open my post on love for the game of basketball, then a Kurtis Blow reference —for those wondering, Kurtis Blow is one of the earliest rappers in the Hip-Hop genre— For me, basketball was the game that did so much for me.
I remember growing up, my dad would always watch NBA games and in particular the Knicks. Being that I was from New York City, it was ALL about the Knicks in the 90s. Besides the Knicks, there was the bald dude from the windy city who wore spectacular kicks named
Michael Jordan. He made me fall in love with the game. He made me eager to ask my dad about the minor details of the game.
From it, It was the one activity I enjoyed doing. everyone in the neighborhood played the game, so I wasn’t alone in my passion. I did what I could to be the best that I could be in the game. When I wasn’t on the court physically, I was there virtually in the form of “NBA 2K”
In celebration of today’s launch of this year’s edition of NBA 2K —NBA 2K17— I wanted to dedicate a section of my blog to the game. Well, I wasn’t always a fan of the 2K Sports franchise. I was all about EA Sport’s NBA Live series. I played 2K occasionally since one of my closest buddies was the complete opposite from me and a complete 2K Junkie.
NBA 2k6 made me think about switching over, but NBA 2K7 was the one that did it for me. It was no comparison that year NBA Live 07 was horrible compared to NBA 2K7 and the rest was history. As games progressed I am always amazed at how video games are always taking a step towards mimicking reality. I’m eager to see what this year’s installment of NBA 2K brings to the table.
On a serious note, it’s not crazy for me to say that the game of basketball and NBA 2K saved my life. coming from where I come from, it kept me out of a lot of trouble and from harm’s way I won’t go into the details, but I am forever grateful for these two.
… until next time.
Kanye West & Saint Pablo Tour
Mr. West…Mr. West. The man that everyone today seems to hate, yet at the same time loves. To some, Kanye is a narcissistic individual who believes he is the greatest thing since PBJ while others see Kanye as a genius.
From his Yeezy sneakers to his clothing line “Yeezy Season,” Kanye has had his eyes set on spreading his wealth and not boxing himself in. Before Kanye became invested in fashion and sneakers, we must go back and discuss what got him to this point first and that was the music.
West, in my opinion, is often misunderstood, if you follow him from the onset of his career, he started as a producer making beats for a plethora of artists — most notably Jay-Z— however, Kanye always wanted to prove to the world that he can rap. He wasn’t the best out of his crew, but one thing you couldn’t deny his confidence. As time went along, he was able to make a lot of people and most importantly his idol Jay-Z believers. The momentum led to the development of his debut album “College Dropout” in 2004.
Fast forward to now, Kanye has established himself as a prominent artist in the Hip-Hop world. For me and others growing up, Kanye influenced us all. from the Louis Vuitton bag to the pink Ralph Lauren Polo, so it was a big deal f
or me to have a chance to see him live at the Saint Pablo Tour.
My housemate and I drove out to Buffalo to catch the 8.27 edition of the tour at the First Niagara Center. As we arrived at the place, it was packed and with each passing minute, our anticipation grew. one of the shocking things about the concert was the fact that there was no traditional setup. Just a mosh pit at the floor level. I and many of us were wondering where the stage was and then boom! the lights went out. Moments after what appeared to be a moving object with lights turned out to be a stage and harnessed to it was the one and only Kanye West.
Kanye performed the whole night on the stage, which made for a unique and amazing concert experience. what I enjoyed the most besides seeing him perform live was the fact that there was no such thing as a good seat —unless if you were at the floor level in my opinion— everyone had a good view of Kanye. Overall it was an amazing experience and I recommend everyone to check it out.
Vauxhall Crisis
In this week’s class, we discussed the dreaded topic of crisis within PR. The crisis was centered on Vauxhall, a General Motors-owned carmaker. Part of our class period was spent analyzing their situation. Vauxhall has been in crisis mode after reports of their Zafira B car model, going up in flames. What was once thought to be an isolated incident, a group of mothers created a Facebook page that was dedicated to bringing awareness on the issue. Shortly after, many concerned Vauxhall car owners joined the page.
After watching the video of Rory Harvey, Vauxhall’s chairman, and managing director, I wasn’t impressed with how he responded to the situation. Before going into my critique, I want to pinpoint some of the good things Harvey did. First, he was able to provide an ongoing plan. Ongoing plans are key in PR. First, it eases the concerns of affected publics and it shows that the organization is committed to solving the problem going forward. Second, he is somewhat transparent. Let’s face it, there is always going to be someone out there that won’t be satisfied with your messaging. However, in this scenario, Harvey was very transparent about the next steps as well as the problem at hand.
In regards to what they did wrong, they’re a lot of ways you can look at it. The first glaring issue was the lack of empathy. I understand that you can’t be in someone’s shoes, but Harvey dropped the ball big time. The Zafira B was designed to seat seven people meaning that it is designed to be a family car. You are putting many families at risk and you are putting the kids at risk of death over an issue that needed not only one, but two recalls.
In addition to how they communicated about the issue, another problem was that Vauxhall poorly managed the crisis. There have been reports that the first reported case of the Zafira B going up in flames dates back to Feb. 11, 2009. Based on that recent discovery, it makes people wonder if Vauxhall is managing the situation with the proper attention to detail. It also communicates that Vauxhall isn’t as truthful about what is going on. A huge no-no in PR.
First Amendment & PR
The First Amendment according to kids.laws.com, “makes it illegal to make a law that establishes a religion, stops the freedom of speech, stops people from practicing their religion, stops the press from printing what they want, and stops people from exercising their right to assemble peacefully or demonstrating against the government.” It is a vital part of our constitution and the reason why we are able to live as free as we currently do.
For PR practitioners, the First Amendment is probably the most important law to the profession. To be more specific, the key aspect of this amendment is freedom of speech. Freedom of speech— although we may not always say the right things, yes I am talking to you Donald Trump— allows for us to be as expressive as possible. In a profession that demands us to bring facts and objectivity to decision-making, it is important that we have the freedom to communicate as openly as possible. We may not say what’s pleasant to our respective organizations, but we, under freedom of speech, can say what is needed for our organization to grow.
Freedom of speech allows for practitioners to create campaigns that will enhance relationships with current and potentially new publics. On the other hand, freedom of speech means publics too can have a say on the clients we represent. If our clients are doing a good job with adhering to their publics needs, then freedom of speech works in their favor. However, if they are not, it can potentially be the downfall of an organization’s brand.
During times of crisis, some companies already have a hard time with telling the truth and admitting their mistakes. Without freedom of speech, 
we would have no way to get organizations to commit towards transparency.
In summary, without freedom of speech, could PR pros still do their jobs effectively and most importantly, could they still do their jobs ethically?
Link to breakdown of the First Amendment: