Big Pork Post Lactivist Options

[AbleReach]

If you were responsible for SEO/SEM, online promotions, brand management/monitoring, etc., for the Pork Board, what would you be doing now?

Suddenly you're on the radar of search marketers and breastfeeding moms. Now what?

[bragadocchio]

I'd be (hopefully) reading the emergency plans that we came up with last year when we purchased the trademark for $60 million, and that we updated a few times since, to see what we decided to do when our lawyers attempted to tarnish someone's name and reputation using the "unwholesomeness" approach to make a diminishment of trademark case in a C&D request, without having done any of their homework first.

I'm a big fan of emergency plans when it comes to reputation management. One of the first goals that you should have, when something like that becomes public is to act quickly, and as positively as possible.

I'd also be checking to see what kind of communication the law firm involved provided us, when they decided to go on attack, to make sure that they give us all of the information that they could in a timely manner.

If an emergency reputation management plan isn't in place, I'd make sure that we set one up, with the opportunity to review it on a regular basis. I'd also be doing a post mortem on our actions, to see if we can either avoid something like this in the future, or at least handle it better.

[A.N.Onym]

Well, I'd put up some text on the site, something like:

"This site SEO is infuriated by the board and needs a new home. Any takers?"

Seriously, though. I'd be creating a page about The Lactivist and explaining everything there, together with the apologies, mentions of breastfeeding and links to milk banks (with call to action) and such. I'd also let as much people as I can about the page. This includes most bloggers, mostly. Perhaps a viral campaign with links to the page should help.

This post has been edited by A.N.Onym: Feb 6 2007, 06:46 PM

[AbleReach]

I think this is a great time for the Pork Board to start a blog. I'd want to see posts about healthy recipes and public-spirited activities. Demonstrate that Big Pork is interested in and accessible to moms of young kids who may be interested in inexpensive protein. Make it personal and personable.

And, I'd be looking for education about the power of the Internet, from someone with a thick skin, a warm heart and a level head who could "get" both the business and social side of blogging.

I don't know that I'd want to be reminded of the mess up @Lactivist, as much as I'd want to do something to show that what happened there is not what should be expected from the Pork Board. I might be looking at if giving to a milk bank would get me more bang for the buck right now than giving to a lobbyist.

[A.N.Onym]

Well, yeah, but you still need to put up a sign for everyone that visits the site is that you have understood the problem, because the links are forever.

And yes, having a blog with lots of useful stuff for all the new crowds of visitors should be a good move. Maybe even a forum - but a national organization wouldn't do that, right?

This post has been edited by A.N.Onym: Feb 6 2007, 07:34 PM

[AbleReach]

I was thinking of something more relaxed, like Six Degrees of Bacon with a less macho feel, though this may not be the right time for the Pork Board to indulge in out and out irreverence. (No jokes about if talking pigs taste better after an apology, please.)

The Pork Board owed Jennifer Laycock an apology, but as they weren't responsible for directly insulting more than The Lactivist I see no reason why they should send an apology to the world. That's not to say they wouldn't benefit from looking at how to regain some trust.

An apology wouldn't do much for me after breach of trust. Showing understanding and good behavior would make more of an impact and be more believable.

This post has been edited by AbleReach: Feb 7 2007, 12:23 AM

[A.N.Onym]

Yeah, who says they only had to put up an apology, anyway

[AbleReach]

Jennifer Laycock and the National Pork Board have come up with some plans for the future.

The Lactivist will not use "The Other White Milk," and...

Jennifer Laycock asks that now we spread some good news.

The National Pork Board is collecting donations for The Mother's Milk Bank of Ohio, by passing the hat among their employees. They can't directly make contributions, because of their own regulations.

Having just spoken to the Georgia Morrow, Director of the Mother's Milk Bank, I can share that the funds raised by the members of the National Pork Board (along with the $1000 raised during the Lactivist fundraiser) will go toward the purchase of desperately needed refrigeration units that the milk bank had been struggling to purchase.

I want to make it clear to my readers that based off of our contact with the staff at the National Pork Board it is quite clear to me that they were extremely upset that anyone would feel they were not supportive of nursing mothers. The fact that the staff has dug into their own pockets in order to make a contribution strikes me as extremely generous and I think that they should be applauded for their response to this issue.

Take a gander at her pork-approved shirt, breast; the original white milk. Can't you just imagine legions of breast-feeding Pork Board employees wearing these, or gifting them to breast feeding relatives? I imagine that if pork is your life, an influx of new joke material would be quite marvy.

I still think this would be a good time for the National Pork Board to launch a friendly pro-pork blog. Recipes are always nice. Pear-Pork Wild Rice Salad, anyone?