FreeThink: a blog published by Maxwell PR
Maxwell PR 1600 SE Bybee Blvd., Suite 202 Portland, Oregon 97202

Coach Needs Some Coaching on Ethics

Adweek ran a story today on an incident that caused a stir in the blogosphere lately: the fake Coach campaign executed by PR students at Hunter College. The campaign included a fake scenario posted in Facebook and MySpace profiles, created by students in a class being taught by someone with no PR experience, with a curriculum paid for by a special interest group. In a nutshell, the counterfeit campaign violated PRSA's and WOMMA's ethics and contributed to the popular belief that marketing people are lacking in values.

The list of moral lapses is long and detailed in the Adweek story, so let's go straight to the kicker: Hunter student Sarah El-Edlibi says "Public relations people, in general, have very little morals when it comes to being completely honest with the consumer." Is this what we're teaching the next generation of PR professionals?

I'm willing to chalk this up to youthful naivety and hope that Sarah gets some perspective once she's finally out in the real world. In the meantime, Sarah, please don't bother sending us your resume.

- Jen Scott

posted on May 05, 2008


Comments: Post a Comment
  This spirited, open forum by Maxwell PR staff members, studio mates and colleagues features people who are, in our opinion, doing the right things to get people talking. You'll see us rave about organizations building communities and rant about those who are missing obvious opportunities. We sprinkle in a little marketing and PR rhetoric from time to time for extra vigor and enthusiasm, and will share observations and insight based on our own experience honing our craft every day.  
 

Contributors

 
Articles
Recent Posts
Worth reading: