Only A Cosmetic Apology? MAC's Juarez Controversy & Fauxial Awareness
There are apologies that are superficial and apologies that reflect genuine remorse. There are apologies that demonstrate regret and apologies that initiate restitution. And then, there is the apology that […]
When Organizations that Don't Do, Preach
From the annals of inauthenticity- Two examples of organizations that are supposedly designed for a specific (market) purpose, but vcan’t seem to manage that purpose for their own employees, Courtesy […]
Should Non-Profits Buy $800 Chairs?
During a meeting in a downtown conference room at a non profit a few weeks ago, I noticed we were all sitting in Aeron chairs. These are geeky-stylish, ergonomically adjustable […]
Is The Daily Show Sexist? Use the 6 Degrees of Sexism Test to judge for yourself
The media storm surrounding Jezebel’s claim that The Daily Show is sexist has tangled up our common assumptions about what does or does not make an organization sexist. Whether or […]
Implicit Complicity and "Negative Spillover": Reputation Damage from BP's Oil Spill Crisis
What do birds, beaches, and Chevron have in common? They have been “tarred by the same gush” of “negative spillover” from BP’s Deepwater Horizon catastrophe. In one of the weirder […]
Fronting for "the Man": Can BP disarm our anger by using a Black "Teddy-Bear" Spokesperson?
[Trigger alert: This post is about racism.] There is no more incendiary question than the implicit and unspoken question that often follows the promotion of non-white and/or non-male employees: Did […]
BP's Bravest Brandividual: What could be motivating Darryl Willis?
If you’ve been paying attention to BP’s “Making it right” newspaper advertising, or if you’ve seen BP’s recent television advertising, you’ve seen BP’s new Brandividual Darryl Willis. Aside from Tony […]
BP's Beyond Petroleum: Hypocrisy, or caught in the act of learning?
Some people actually believe(d) that BP was making an authentic effort to move “Beyond Petroleum”. I was quite surprised to discover this early in June, in conversation with an organizational […]
Employee Branding at BP: Do snazzy uniforms protect the response teams?
Somebody at BP has been reading The Onion. BP has figured out that dressing their employees in groovy outfits can help build esprit, camaraderie and a even a sense of […]
Sexism in FairyLand: Disney's Pixie Hollow Won't Let Girls Wear Pants
Mom, Disney is a sexist company, isn’t it. Out of the mouths of babes, and 9 year olds, come important truths. But I like to wait it out, rather than […]