2014 Golden Globes Public Relations Losers

The 2014 Golden Globes started with a flood when the sprinkler system accidentally went off, spewing 5,000 gallons of water onto the red carpet before the event even began... and that was just the beginning of the bad PR. While Sunday night's Golden Globe Awards hit a 10-year high for total viewer ratings, some stars didn't have the best night ever at the 2014 Golden Globes.

The list of the 2014 Golden Globe Public Relations losers:

1. Jacqueline Bisset -- She may have never expected to win the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress in a TV show, however, one should always be prepared. Her rambling, awkwardness, and expletives became hot topics on social media. Ellen DeGeneres tweeted, "I helped write Jacqueline Bisset's speech. Did you like it?"

2. Jonah Hill and Margot Robbie -- These two "Wolf of Wall Street" stars are lumped together. While presenting, both got thrown for a loop when the wrong copy appeared in the teleprompter. Despite their best efforts to laugh it off, their whole presentation was awkward, until a disembodied hand reached out, and gave them an actual piece of paper with their script on it. Old-school paper may just trump technology.

3. Diane Keaton -- When Woody Allen couldn't be there to accept the Cecil B. DeMille Award, Diane Keaton seemed like a great person to speak on his behalf. She started with wonderful heartfelt remarks about Allen, but that's not what people will remember. What they WILL remember is how weird it got at the end of her presentation. The show cut her off, so we'll never know how many F-bombs she really dropped... but the best part is when she finished by singing the Girl Scout song "Make New Friends (But Keep the Old)" for no reason other than that Woody Allen is her old friend. It was quite a show, but the real lesson here is that even winners can lose, if their attempts at humor are funnier than the actual jokes in their victory speech.

4. Dan Goor -- You may not have heard of Dan Goor the co-creator of "Brooklyn Nine-Nine." However, people took notice when he said in his acceptance speech, "I almost went to med school. This is way better than saving a human life." The audience clapped, the reaction on twitter was a little less favorable; proving once again that the jokes you make should always be in good taste for the audience you keep.

When you are a public figure, the world is your audience. Choose your jokes wisely -- and always remember to thank your PR Firm.

Ronn Torossian is CEO of 5WPR - and hasn't yet written any Golden Globe acceptance speeches.


SOURCE http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ronn-torossian/2014-golden-globes-public_b_4654833.html

Torassian: NYC's Mandatory Paid Sick Leave Is Anti-Capitalist

One of the first moves of New York City's new uber-liberal mayor with a "progressive" New York City Council speaker has been the decision to expand the reach of a new sick-leave law, resulting in laws that are bad for business.

The old Frank Sinatra song "New York, New York," with its lyrics "If I can make it there, I can make it anywhere," may not have envisioned an NYC under President Barack Obama, where Mayor Bill de Blasio can take advantage of the anti-capitalist sentiment and go even farther to the left. It ain't gonna be easy.

On Friday, the mayor announced that a paid-sick-day law will require businesses with as few as five employees to provide at least five paid sick days a year. Why doesn't someone ask Korean deli owners, or Italian pizzeria owners, or hard-working people of any race in this great city, what they have to say about this unfair law? Who will help small-business owners if they cannot make payroll? Why take from those who work hard constantly?

For a state that already ranks at the very bottom of the "Small Business Survival Index," this is simply bad for business, and the finances of this city. The Tax Foundation, a non-partisan Washington, D.C., tax research group, ranked New York as the worst state in the nation — and this decision is simply anti-capitalist.

More than a third of New York City's businesses will be affected, and one wonders why entrepreneurs should be penalized for starting their own businesses. Small-business owners don't get paid if they don't go to work, so why should restaurants who pay workers by the hour need to pay double for shifts that need to be covered because someone doesn't show up? Does the boss get paid if he doesn't show up?

The bill further proposes draconian measures requiring businesses, upon demand, to turn over employment records to New York City Department of Health investigators. The concept, frankly, is sickening in this great republic.

Business owners will now need to provide multilingual written notice to all employees and post similar notices in a visible place in the office. If the Department of Health finds that an employer fired a worker for calling in sick too many times, the worker has the right to be compensated for at least $5,000 as well as receive benefits — "including reinstatement and promotion."

Seems New York is mandating unions — forced reinstatement and promotion? Where is my guaranteed promotion? And employees are not required to provide a physician's note until the third day out — and the employer cannot withhold pay if the worker fails to produce even such minimal documentation.

Employees shouldn't be taken advantage of — but nor should employers. As a born and bred New Yorker, I worked from the age of 12 in a local pizzeria for an Italian immigrant who worked 80 hours a week to put his kids through school. He didn't take sick days.

There's nothing wrong with being sick, but there's also nothing that requires the law to mandate employers to offer sick days. People always have the right to quit their jobs if they aren't happy.

As owner of a public relations agency that employs more than 100 people, our employees receive two weeks' vacation, and a mixture of five sick/personal days. They also receive many other holidays, federal and otherwise, such as the day after Christmas. This bill won't affect us directly, but as a small-business owner, I realize that harming other small businesses is bad for the economy.

Building a small business in the once-great city of New York has never been harder than today. Absurd government regulations seek to tell entrepreneurs what to do. The role of a business owner is to create wealth and jobs. Entrepreneurs drive the economy and the global marketplace: they create jobs and so much more.

In New York City, people who make more than $250K already pay more than 50 percent in taxes — and it is even more when adding in Medicare, unemployment, commercial taxes and more taxes. And that's before de Blasio continues to enact his agenda. It is already hard enough to build a business; the government shouldn't make it harder. It would be nice if business were helped and not hurt by government.

Obama and de Blasio should realize that business owners aren't the bad guys, and by harming business they harm the economy — and the people who do the most for the economy. Of course, entrepreneurs remember the scariest words Ronald Reagan said an entrepreneur can ever hear: "I'm from the government and I'm here to help."

P.S.: Leave New York before you die from hard work, because if you die in New York state, the death tax will ensure your family will owe more than in nearly any other state.

Ronn Torossian is an entrepreneur and author.

© 2014 Newsmax. All rights reserved.


SOURCE http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/mandatory-sick-leave-New-York-anti-capitalist/2014/01/20/id/547977

Major League Baseball Kicks Off Spring Training

With the NFL season approaching its end, Major League Baseball has begun to squeeze upcoming spring training messages in between the media onslaught of football advertising. Here are a few observations of MLB's strategy, and how you can learn from it for your brand's public relations campaign.

Timing is essential

The MLB knows that sports fans are really keyed up this time of year. College football is over, the NFL is entering the playoffs, and both the NBA and NHL are going strong. There's a lot of competition for attention out there. But, there is also an empty spot where college ball used to be. Look at the timing. March Madness in college basketball is still more than a month away, and college football is over until August. Sports fans are missing something from their lineup. This offers a distinct opportunity to start promoting spring training.

Be ready for the opportunity

Of course, MLB knew this was coming so they had their promotional materials and messages ready well ahead of time. What about you? Does your marketing year offer any understandable, and trackable routine? Can you find "dead spots" in your year that could be filled with compelling messaging? If you have those spots, be sure not to miss out on those opportunities. You can prepare in the same way the MLB does. Then, when the opportunity is right, send the message out.

Not all at once

Teasers are powerful PR. They create curiosity, and get people thinking about what might be coming next. So, don't just drop your entire message all at once, split your message up into several parts, each revealing more than the previous one. Keep these tips in mind when planning your long-term PR programs and campaigns. Remember to plan ahead, identify opportunities and be ready to take advantage of them before they happen.

Ronn Torossian is CEO of NY PR Firm 5WPR.


SOURCE http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ronn-torossian/mlb-prepares-for-spring-training_b_4598502.html