Photo by Pascal-P

Ford keeps proving itself as a self-sustaining company. While GM and Chrysler both get all the flack, Ford keeps coming out on top:

Ford, the only of the Big Three automakers to so far refuse government bailout money, said this morning that it has slashed the debt in its automotive division, enabling it to save $500 million per year in interest expense.

I’ve said it before, and I will say it again: I am still considering a Ford for my next car purchase on grounds of reputation alone at this point. That is, of course, if and when I decide to buy an American car.

Ford’s reputation has reached levels above and beyond the expected. CEO Alan Mulally’s vision and strategy is—and has been since the beginning of the industry’s difficulties—clearly differentiated from GM and Chrysler. A huge public relations win.

The best part?

As recently as first quarter 2008, Ford was profitable.

So, we might end up with a single American auto-maker in the end, but at least they deserve it.

Ford Slashes Debt, Stays Ahead of GM and Chrysler [The Ticker - Economy Watch - The Washington Post]

Photo by JLee20

Well, I was waiting for something like this to come along.

According to AdAge, Ford is leading the PR struggle that automakers are currently facing, by proposing an alternative plan that they will forgo any government aid through 2009 as long as possible.

After all, Chrysler’s decision to announce they were shutting down all operations for a month last week seemed, well, just too phony. The fact that President Bush stepped in straight away to “alleviate” the problem fell right into the trump-playing hands of Chrysler’s CEO Robert Nardelli.

Thank you Ford, for standing up and proving to the American people, the world, and your customers, that you can stand on your own two feet and come up with an alternative — let’s say innovative — plan of making a situation work in your favor.

And how? Well, we all remember the initial public relations disaster:

At first, it didn’t look so good for Ford. Alan Mulally made the same PR mistake as his fellow CEOs, GM’s Rick Wagoner and Chrysler’s Robert Nardelli, by flying in to Washington last month on a private jet to pitch Congress on a $25 billion bailout.

And who has a plan that makes the most sense to consumers? Ford:

But after being told to come back with a plan — and not a private jet — the next time around, Ford was first out of the gate with its proposed strategy. The automaker said it needed a $9 billion line of credit that it would only touch if the economy were to get dramatically worse and that it could make it through 2009 without any government aid.

Of course, it won’t be easy for Ford, but I respect them more than ever now, especially when compared to either GM or Chrysler at this point:

The tricky part for Ford now is to leverage this groundswell of reputation and consumer goodwill without looking opportunistic but still make sure it is on top of consumers’ shopping lists.

If all three auto makers were to take the money, I was going to swear off ever buying an American car again. Ford — you’re quickly changing my mind. Keep it up. My first car as a teenager was an old beat-up ’88 4-cylinder Mustang, but I was proud to drive it. Maybe someday I’ll be driving a Ford again.

Ford Picks Up PR Points for Declining Auto Bailout [AdAge]

Photo by serafin_s

The Center for Democracy and Technology reports that consumers don’t like it when advertisers track online behavior to tailor ads and content, according to a recent study by Harris Interactive and Alan F. Westin:

The 2,513 adults surveyed were told that Web sites like Google, Yahoo!, and MSN can provide free search engines and email accounts because they profit from online advertising. When asked how comfortable they would be with these sites using information about their online activities to tailor ads and content to their interests, 59% of survey respondents said they would not be comfortable, while 41% said they would be comfortable.

So, is tracking an ethical business practice? I personally don’t mind it. I’m a consumer with needs and problems to be solved. If a company can cut through the junk and tailor ads specific to my needs, then maybe it’s okay as long as I’m interested. Still, this is an ongoing ethical dilemma and most consumers aren’t even aware they are being tracked.

Consumer (Dis)Comfort With Online Tracking [CDT]

I just have to say how disappointed I am with Spitzer.

I voted for him, and I watched—and loved—his every move. He brought change to our state and stood tall as a respected beacon for New York State.

Hearing him speak was always moving. He pushed for equality. He pushed for a better world.

But he also pushed to rid the state of corruption. Ooops. And the rest is history…

I’m disappointed with the whole ordeal because of how great he was as Attorney General and then as Governor, but also because his actions rub off on Hillary—let’s be honest.

However, from a reputation management, ethics, accountability, and public relations perspective, his swift apology and resignation—the story broke on Monday and he resigned on Wednesday—shows that although he’s a swarmy cheat and liar, he had enough respect for those around him to just get out of the way. End of story, let’s move on, the people of New York no longer need him tarnishing the image of our state.

Just imagine if he let it drag on for weeks. The media would have continued to have a field day and the image of New York, its people, its politicians, and most importantly, of Hillary, would have been damaged further.

A big rule in public relations ethics is to take responsibility, remain accountable for your actions, and apologize as quickly as possible. As much as I am disappointed with him and feel like I’ve been stabbed in the back as a voter and strong supporter, I respect his stepping-down today.

He screwed up and it wasn’t worth him hanging around making things worse.

Ugh. Politicians…

ING Direct Acquires ShareBuilder

So, I’ve been with Sharebuilder for months now as they’re the cheapest no frills trading site. And was kind of excited when I received an email that they’ve been acquired by ING Direct.

Great! I thought…

They did a good job announcing it to the world in the above press release, but did they stop and think about current customers? NO.

Does this mean I can use ING now? How can I login? WHAT’S THE PLAN? Where’s the transparency?

I feel left in the dark. Sharebuilder wants me to be excited, but for what? I don’t see it yet. And uncertainty pissed customers off because, well, we expect the worst when nobody is telling us everything. In other words, when will the costs go up…

Missed the forum last night? Here are the highlights from the three who matter most on their opinion about the top issue, gay marriage:

Hillary Clinton (see more highlights here):

Barack Obama (see more highlights here):

John Edwards (see more highlights here):

According to The Telegraph, Gordon Brown, the UK’s new Prime Minister, has had enough of paying the Ministry of Defense’s 1,000 PR practitioners an average annual salary of £39 thousand ($80 thousand—yes, I’m in the wrong country) to foster public support—or lack thereof—for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. But they can’t seem to figure out who these 1,000 practitioners are:

Yet in a striking admission, an internal Ministry of Defence (MoD) document reveals that senior officials have “no clear idea” of who they are, whether they are making an impact, or their actual cost to the country.

The document, The Defence Communications Strategy, also contains what is believed to be the first official admission by the Government that there is little or no support for the war in Iraq among the British public.

It looks as though Brown is trying to clean house but is a bit lost at the moment. However, he is taking the lead and trying to create change in a country where public opinion of its previous PM, Tony Blair, took a severe nose dive on issues like the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and even further for his alliance with the Bush administration on these and other sensitive international issues. In the meantime, Brown is listening to his people who are demanding change. Now let’s just wait and see if he can pull it off.

Missing: MoD’s army of 1,000 press officers [via Strumpette]

Seth Godin talks about how important good service is online because, well, that’s one of the most important factors of ensuring success. Taking this into consideration, you can’t ever turn your back on customers, even when there are a few bad apples who abuse your services:

The temptation is to embrace only the advantages of the web and insist on eternal vigilance against the possibility of getting ripped off. To act as if everyone online is a criminal. To assume that the moment you are generous or trusting, squadrons of bad actors will exploit your generosity. I don’t think that’s the answer. If you treat people like criminals, the good ones will leave, because people have a choice.

The honor system [via Seth's Blog]

Over at the University of Maryland, the International Center for Media and the Public Agenda have compiled a list of the most transparent newspapers in the world:

This study investigated 25 of the world’s top news sites to evaluate which of them open up their newsrooms to public scrutiny and comment:

1. Which outlets post corrections to their stories?
2. Which ones provide details about their owners and offer information about any other media and non-media holdings of those owners?
3. Which ones publish their internal guidelines for reporters (such as how potential conflicts of interest by reporters or editors are handled)?
4. Which ones publish their internal standards for stories (such as how anonymous sources are handled or how politicized language is identified)?
5. Which ones actively seek readers’ comments and complaints?

The New York Times comes in second, trailing behind the UK’s The Guardian.

Openness & Accountability: A Study of Transparency in Global Media Outlets [ICMPA]

Yet another reason why Imus simply deserved it:

It’s a good question, deserving a “blunt” answer, said Eugene Robinson in The Washington Post. Blacks and whites have an ugly, 388-year history in this country, beginning when “the first shackled African slaves arrived at Jamestown.” Given that history, a 67-year-old white disc jockey in a cowboy hat cannot call a young black woman a “nappy-headed ho,” even if black rappers use those same despicable words. Yes, there’s a double standard, and white guys shouldn’t bother whining about it. “Last time I checked, guys, you still ran most of the world.”

If I hear one more person trying to defend Imus, I’ll throw every cultural studies, critical studies, and sociology book at them, until they’re bleeding profusely and unsure why they have over 40k in college debt…..oh wait that’s me…..never mind. And, btw, if you don’t read The Week now, I suggest you start.

I used to subscribe to and read The Economist (kinda like Times or Newsweek but with more real news), but The Week actually has, ummm…..news. The best way to explain how The Week works is as if you had the best (non-biased AND Liberal) articles (or the TRUTH, for lack of a better term) from every news source out there aggregated via RSS (syndication) feed into a print version……and viola!………The Week is born. It’s green this week, but Lexus will realize they wasted their money. Oops! Should have taken me shopping instead…