Chapter 16 gave an excellent overview of working with the media. It would be an excellent chapter to read even if one wasn’t going to be dealing with a risk/crisis situation. It offers a good summary and a number of guidelines that are reflected in the media.

The media are “Event focused” (p.276). Lundgren and McMakin paraphrased Greenberg et al’s (1989) findings that coverage is driven by “timeliness, geographic proximity, prominence, consequence, and human interest, along with the television criterion of visual impact” (p. 276).

They explain the types of risk that usually get coverage: “hazards that are catastrophic and violent in nature, new and associated with the United States…Drama, symbolism, and identifiable victims, particularly children or celebrities, make risk more memorable. Controversy ensures greater coverage” (p. 277).

Think: Anna Nicole Smith.

(No you can’t escape it.)

Don’t worry, I’ll focus on the TrimSpa side of it! The story of it has all the makings of a media maelstrom, which we have all been forced to stomach for the past week or so. Think about it from the crisis standpoint of TrimSpa. They lost their primary spokesperson amid an already frenzied media. The only precedent they have for such a high-profile set of events surrounding a female spokesperson is Martha Stewart – a bit differently. The following is a mini-case study surrounding TrimSpa and the death of its spokeswoman.

TrimSpa has put itself in full crisis mode as questions about the dietary supplement’s efficacy and dangers as the media and public continue to speculate about and scrutinize the drug. When you go to the TrimSpa site, you will see that the company took down all information about the supplement and simply put up a message from the CEO/Founder, Alex Goen. They have added a comments section that looks like they rifled through the crème de la crème of comments regarding her recent passing and connection to TrimSpa.

I recently saw an article in my PRSA e-news regarding her connection with TrimSpa, all the insanity surrounding her death and all the promotional material they have with her as a spokesperson.

• TrimSpa was just forced to pay a $25 million fine by the FTC for deceptive advertising (Jan. 5) according to the Washington Times
• Additional questioning of TrimSpa’s safety CNNMoney.com, The NJ Star-Ledger, as well as a discussion in Ad Week and Brandweek (check Lexis-Nexis).
• Feb 6: A class-action lawsuit (in Yahoo! News and TMZ.com’s court documents) has been filed against Anna Nicole Smith and TrimSpa.
• Bad enough, right? Then there are the photos of Anna Nicole Smith’s fridge that were leaked by TMZ.com after her death.

So what do you, as TrimSpa, do? You’ve just been admonished for deceptive advertising, your spokeswoman has been surrounded by controversy (death, drugs, etc) for the last few months, she has mysteriously died, there’s a huge paternity suit, her fridge was revealed to have a competitor’s product and methadone in it, and there is a lawsuit against the effectiveness of your product in the works.

Goen’s response is to go on to Court TV to discuss what it meant (link goes to TMZ copy of video) to her side of their contract. He carefully walks the line of being respectful and not saying what he is probably thinking since all this has happened. Finally, the company is moving on, as well. According to an associated press article released Feb 11, 2007 found on Lexis-Nexis they will be moving on with less-famous spokespeople, quoting TrimSpa President Tony Azzizzo, “your neighbors, friends and family members.”

It may not be the most prestigious or socially responsible company in the world…but how’d they do according to our book chapter? As discussed before this whole issue fits the bill and TrimSpa is rightly in the middle of the whole controversy. Based on what I’ve read, they knew where to draw the line with reporters and the questions that they have certainly been asking. I didn’t see anything about putting the risk into perspective besides simply saying that it was safe and effective. Goen was respectful of Smith’s death despite her possible breech of contract.

Oh, and don’t forget to go through table 16-1 for an excellent list of questions. I am continuously impressed by the tables they offer in this book.