Like Father, Like Son

This week I was given the opportunity to advocate for the pig industry in a new way. I was asked to give a presentation to the Crown Point Rotary Club about Fair Oaks Farms and the Pig Adventure.

I felt a sense of maturity when I was asked to do this because I my father has given a lot of similar talks about pig farming to Rotarians back home in Ohio. In fact dad's passion for educating people about what we do is one reason I chose to study agriculture communication. My father has been a great role model for me as n advocate and has given me a lot of help in the area of public speaking about agriculture.

To me, it was a no brainer to go and speak to a group of local business folks about the exciting things going on at Fair Oaks Farms. So over the past week I put together a presentation discussing many things about the future of Fair Oaks Farms as well as the Pig Adventure. I felt that it was important to explain to people my concern for transparency in agriculture and the importance of agri-tourism as an excellent opportunity to have conversations about what modern day agriculture is.

So Wednesday I gave my presentation to about 40 Rotarians. They were very welcoming and open to listening to my presentation. The questions that followed the presentation were normal ones that I felt comfortable answering, most revolving around the pig industry and the future plans for Fair Oaks Farms.

All in all, it was a really rewarding and enjoyable time in which I felt myself starting to expand my confidence in public speaking about our industry. I know it wasn't much, and it surely wasn't a big crowd, but I really enjoyed it and was able to help provide information about our industry to more people who have a lot of influence in their community.

I decided to stay out in Indiana for the grand opening of the Pig Adventure on August 5, 2013. That will be the last day of my internship, and therefore the countdown is on! I can't wait to see what comes in the next week or so!

Public Relations as Risk Management

Risk management was one of the founding theologies behind public relations. But in the era of web2.0 we have moved into a much more proactive practice of handling risk management as well as marketing, brand campaigns and promotions for many companies.

Risk management practices change over time, but always come back to the original idea of identifying the problem and promoting a positive solution to the problem. Recently Carnival Cruises has had to face this issue. The stories continue to spread about the conditions of being on the dream-liner Triumph while it was stranded in the Gulf of Mexico for five days. 

While the company has addressed many issues the ship had, they have another issue to face in how they handle the coverage of the event, the responses people have to the event, and how they will promote their company following the event. 

Carnival's first response in managing the situation was to appeal to the passengers, which should always be the first step. They offered full refunds, reimbursement of money spent (except gift shops and casinos) and a voucher for another cruise booking valued at the same price as their ticket on Triumph. 

But the company has to go beyond that to recover from the bad press coverage they have received. The use of social media can be a great tool for them now. Social Media could help them boost morale and rebuild confidence in their company and the industry as a whole. I wouldn't be surprised if we see youtube videos, tweets and facebook campaigns come from them to help rebuild the confidence and interest in their products in the coming months once the coverage dies down a little bit. 

Bad things can happen to anyone, anywhere, at anytime. The important thing to remember when handling risk management is that once the issue has been addressed, all the following steps are positive and help boost the companies image. I use positive promotion points whenever I am talking to consumers about the pork industry, because no matter what the media says; I am the one providing the truth to the consumers and addressing the concerns. 

Public relations is a powerful tool for a company of any size. Risk management plans are great, when they are in place and ready to address any problem that may arise. Our job as public relations professionals is to keep a positive image of the company we represent.