P[hl]R

Image credit: Flickr user Matthew & Jenny

If you check out our Web site, you’ll see a quick note on ELISE communications’ location in Philadelphia. We love our Old City office; we love that we’re two blocks from Penn’s Landing, three blocks from the Liberty Bell and almost directly behind Betsy Ross’s house. We love seeing tour guides in colonial garb leading groups of schoolchildren through America’s most historic square mile and the sound of hooves as horse-drawn carriages carry tourists right past our front door.

But as much as we love Philadelphia, we’ve found that outside of South Jersey and the Five-County Area, we’re not in the majority opinion. This week, two major Philly-related events—the 2009 World Series and the Transit Workers Union strike—have once again cast Philly in a less-than-positive light. This isn’t good PR for the city, but it’s even worse PR for the people in the spotlight in these stories. So I thought this could be a good opportunity to look at the individual situations from a PR perspective and address how to make the situation more positive. Not by putting a “spin” on the situation that already exists, but by looking at next steps going forward.

Cole Hamels “Can’t Wait” for the Season to End
After the Phillies won the 2008 World Series (the first in nearly thirty years), Cole Hamels was named series MVP. Baseball fans from all over the Delaware Valley couldn’t wait to ride Hamels’ coattails back to another championship. And we very nearly made it there—but no thanks to our former ace. Hamels had an inconsistent season at best, and the Phillies 2009 NLCS victory seemed won more in spite of the pitcher than because of him. And after an inauspicious start in Game 3 of the World Series, in which Cole Hamels blew the Phillies 3-0 lead against the Yankees (final score was 8-5, Yankees), Hamels told the media: “I can’t wait for it to end. It’s been mentally draining,” sending Phillies “phans” and sports talk radio commentators into a tizzy. Although he clarified that, should the series go to the full seven games, he’d still work hard to deliver a win, the damage was done. Even Hamels’ teammates were allegedly upset by his remarks.

Analysis: There’s a song in Damn Yankees—a musical about baseball and a statement I agree with after the World Series—called “You’ve Gotta Have Heart.” Cole Hamels does, and he was wearing his on his sleeve at that press conference. Hamels has remarked that his words were taken out of context, but that’s a risk everyone takes when talking to the media. If ELISE was in his PR team’s shoes, now that the Series is over, I’d see to it that our client gets plenty of rest and gets to spend time with his wife and newborn son, who was born the same day Hamels threw a losing game in the NLDS series. And above all, I’d make sure everyone knows how excited our client is for the 2010 baseball season, and how hard he’s working to have a better year than the last. Hamels can still show he’s got heart—he just needs to prove that it’s in the right place.

TWU Local 234 Walks Out of Contract Negotiations and Goes on Strike; All Bus, Subway and Trolley Service within Philadelphia City Limits Suspended
Very few issues in Philadelphia can get more heated than our sports talks, but this is definitely one of them. Philly’s a very pro-union town, but few people outside of Local 234’s administration are backing the union on this one—even, I’ve heard, many union members themselves. The union first threatened to go on strike while the World Series was in Philadelphia, the Eagles were hosting the Giants and Pearl Jam was performing a four-night stand at the Wachovia Spectrum, but held off until Tuesday of this week—which was election day. Rumors and reports on the strike have abounded since, but one thing is clear: people are angry. Not at the city or SEPTA administrators for not working with the union, but at union leaders for being so out-of-touch with the current economic climate. Even Governor Rendell said that the union was crazy not to accept the deal they were offered just before the strike. TWU Local 234 President Willie Brown hasn’t helped himself any by referring to Mayor Nutter as “Little Caesar,” a statement that’s been met with both ridicule and confusion. As I write this post, Local 234 remains on strike, and the El station a block away remains shuttered. I’ve been driving to work since Tuesday. Although the latest reports indicate that the union is considering a revised offer, the general feeling in the Philly blogosphere and beyond seems to be that whatever the offer is, it’s more than the union deserves.

Analysis: SEPTA struck for a week in 2005 and for over a month in 1998. Three strikes in eleven years isn’t a great track record, and it’s certainly not a way to get into the public’s good graces. If ELISE was handed the public relations responsibilities for the Transit Workers Union Local 234, there are a few things I’d suggest our client do to help with public opinion—beginning, first and foremost, with asking that they consider an essential services clause in their contract. Such clauses are already in the Philadelphia Police Department and Philadelphia Fire Departments’ contracts, and basically prohibit or put restrictions on the ability of a union to strike because the job done by the union is necessary to the functioning of the city it services. This would be a good-faith gesture on the part of the Union, making it clear that they respect the citizens of Philadelphia enough not to leave them stranded again. Additionally, I’d propose that the union suggest SEPTA give free rides within city limits every weekend for a month. It would be a good way to get press to cover Local 234 in a positive way, and it would help make up for some of the cost and inconvenience of the strike to the public. Finally, I would also strongly encourage Local 234 President Willie Brown not to seek re-election when his term expires in a few months’ time. He already understands that he’s the “most-hated man in Philadelphia,” and it’s hard to overcome an obstacle like that. New leadership would give the TWU a fresh start, and if the new president worked to build bridges with Philadelphians rather than burn them, then perhaps he or she would find a more sympathetic public the next time the union’s contract is up for renewal.

What about you, ELISE friends and PR pros? If you were doing PR for one of Philly’s more controversial denizens, how would you make sure that things go from bad to good, instead of from bad to worse? Leave us a comment and let us know your strategy!