This is a story that has been resurrected in news accounts this month. In the closing hours of World War II in Europe, Germany surrendered to the Allies at a French schoolhouse at nearly 3 o’clock in the morning on May 7, 1945. The first American reporter to break the news was an Associated Press correspondent named Edward Kennedy. In delivering the scoop, Kennedy broke a news embargo that he and 16 other reporters agreed to honor. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and President Harry Truman had agreed to suppress the news for a day until the Germans also surrendered to the Russians in Berlin. Kennedy and the other 16 reporters pledged to abide by an embargo in return for being able to witness the schoolhouse surrender.

Kennedy was reprimanded by the AP and ultimately fired. He died in a 1963 traffic accident.

Fast forwarding to the present day, AP President Tom Curley this month officially apologized for the way his company treated Edward Kennedy all those years ago. In an AP news account of the apology, Curley said Kennedy did everything right and he “rejected” the notion that the AP had a duty to hold the story once it was clear the embargo was for “political reasons.” The story said Kennedy had taken the view that it was absurd to bottle up such news.

I saw this month’s AP account in the Cincinnati Enquirer and suspected that the paper had cut off some of the story for space reasons. Any current or former ink-stained wretch of a reporter would, I think, have the same reaction, which would be to say: I’m not getting the whole story here. For starters, what about the other 16 reporters?

Enter David Kiley to answer that question. Kiley responded to the AP story with a story in the Huffington Post. His father, Stars and Stripes reporter Charles Kiley, was one of the 16. Kiley said his father didn’t agree with Kennedy. David Kiley reported that his father didn’t think Kennedy was motivated by the people’s right to know. Charles Kiley said of Kennedy — he wanted the scoop, plain and simple.

What do I think? Before I answer that question, a few words about the modern day news embargo. I was never a big fan as a reporter and am not now as a PR practitioner. In distinct contrast to Germany surrendering, news provided under an embargo rarely is of the stop-the-presses variety. Reporters recognize they’re receiving the same news at the same time as other reporters — so there goes the scoop. Not unlike many reporters under unrelenting deadline pressure, I frequently took note of an embargo date merely to calculate the time that I needed to START paying attention. It might as well have been an I-don’t-have-to-worry-about-that-until-then date.

As for the choice that faced Edward Kennedy and Charles Kiley, I can only imagine, of course, the experience of being on the scene at that French schoolhouse in May 1945. I’d like to think that if I had given my word to honor the embargo, I’d have kept it.

According to Hibah Yousuf of CNNMoney, Groupon opened last November at $28 but the stock is currently trading at 40% below that IPO price. Similarly Zynga surged 15% beyond its debut price in December but is now trading at 14% below the opening price.

Bhatia says, “I would say it’s better for individual investors to generally avoid playing the IPO game until a few quarters after the company goes public so that its stock is a bit more established.”

So, while you’re waiting to see if the market will “like” Facebook you might consider spending that $38 elsewhere. BUZZFEED offers “27 Better Things To Spend $38 On Than A Facebook Share.” The list includes items like:

• Wrestling singlet for $37.99
• Laser printer toner cartridge for $37.99
• “Blade” Trilogy on Blu-ray for $37.59
• Rasta colored furry rave boots for $38.00 (My personal favorite in memory of the late Queen of Disco, Donna Summers)

See the complete list at: http://bit.ly/L7BmJ1

Hold on. Are you saying a pair of shoes won't make you look like this?

Skechers USA has agreed to pay $40 million in refunds after the Federal Trade Commission charged them with deceptively advertising their Shape-up toning shoes.

Shape-ups feature a rounded sole, which Skechers claimed provided faster weight loss and more effective muscle toning/shaping than flat-soled gym shoes.

Brooke Burke and Kim Kardashian were both spokesmodels for the shoes, but one of the more eyebrow-raising endorsements came from a chiropractor, Dr. Steven Gautreau, who conducted an “independent” clinical study that backed up all their claims.  What the ads didn’t tell you?  He is married to a Skechers marketing executive and Skechers paid for the study – which didn’t actually produce the results it claimed.  Hmmm…sounds sketchy to me.  Did they actually think this wouldn’t come back to bite them?

If they were deliberately deceitful in their ads, they should certainly take responsibility for that.  But at the same time…  Did anyone seriously believe that they could “get in shape without setting foot in a gym”?  Walking has plenty of health benefits, but it’s common knowledge that improved fitness and weight loss take actual work, not magic shoes.

I actually own a pair of Skechers Shape-ups.  I bought them because one of my girlfriends said they were really comfortable to walk in.  And they are.  (And they’re pink and shiny silver.  I am easily swayed by things that sparkle.)  When I bought them, I was skeptical about the company’s claims.  I honestly would have been surprised if there was any difference between them and regular gym shoes, but either way, they were so comfortable, it didn’t matter.

At no point did I actually think I’d miraculously wake up looking like Kim Kardashian.

Unfortunately for Skechers, enough people DID expect the magical results they promised.  And that false claim is going to cost them dearly.

The issue was not bird species or price – they are all the same bird, same price, same size. But the same bird came in three colors, each decorated in three distinct designs. Nine different birds.

I joked with the owner about how lucky we are to have so many choices – it’s like choosing toothpaste! But I still second-guessed my selection as I drove home.

Then I saw the headline in the New York Times, “Making Choices in an Age of Information Overload.” Yes! Exactly! The problem was not that I had too many birds to choose from. The issue is that I have become so conditioned to choices, and researching them, that I pretty much anticipate complexity with every purchase.

In the Times piece, the author discusses the art of brand “signaling” or product cues that distinguish certain brands and services from others. These cues are supposed to make choices easier for us. He illustrates by detailing how, after his own extensive research that proved all baby formulas are pretty much the same, he still inexplicably found himself spending more for one particular brand.

The author asks: “Is it better to live in an economy where there’s so much chaos that we spend more to ensure our chandelier shows up unbroken or our baby formula isn’t tainted?” The answer, he is told, is yes. We have the choice to do the research ourselves, or to trust the signals.

But all of these choices – and the research that online merchandising now makes possible – is why I promised myself that this year I am going to stop overthinking things. The choosing has worn me down. Some things – whitening or fresh breath; insuring the package or not; two queen beds or one king – just do not require five minutes of thought.

After all, that time can be much better spent doing other things, like talking on the phone with mom, or – if you have a baby – sleeping.

We’re pleased to announce the addition of two new talented members to the JZMcBride and Associates team:

Stephanie A. Creech

Beginning Monday, May 14, Stephanie Creech joins us as Manager of Public Relations (yes, we’re replacing Stefanie with a Stephanie). Stephanie will serve as our specialist in media cultivation, media relations, content and social media. A former Cincinnati Enquirer reporter, Stephanie has more than two decades of experience in public relations and marketing. Most recently she held positions as public relations manager for two of Greater Cincinnati’s best known non-profit organizations: The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and Ronald McDonald House Charities. Stephanie has produced client videos, secured local and national celebrities to serve as spokespeople, created branded communications and developed dozens of media relations and crisis communications plans.

Caitlin Whitehurst

Additionally, Caitlin Whitehurst is joining us as a Public Relations Coordinator where she’ll be responsible for media tracking, news release distribution and event and public relations support for many of our clients. Caitlin is about to graduate from the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University (go Bobcats!) where she served as senior copy editor for The Post, the school’s award-winning newspaper. Caitlin previously completed internships with Strata-G Communications, the Western & Southern Open and the Cincinnati Nature Center. And she’s been a blogger for Rafael Nadal’s web site. She will be with us a few days a week until her June 9th graduation, and then full time beginning the week of June 11th.

And one big “see you later” (because we can’t stand to say “goodbye”)

Stefanie Stricklin, who joined us an intern in 2008 (back when she was still Stefanie Davenport), is moving to Tallahassee, Fla., while her husband attends doctoral school at Florida State University. Stefanie has been an invaluable member of our team as she’s grown to take on a variety of responsibilities and has worked on every single one of our clients during the past four years. In true Stefanie fashion, she’s already crossed “getting a new job in Florida” off her list and we know the firm Salter>Mitchell will be lucky to have her. Stefanie’s last day is Wednesday, May 23rd and she’ll be heading to the sunshine state shortly thereafter.

Check out a few famous names of those who apparently never graduated from high school:

• Julie Andrews
• Christina Applegate
• Lucille Ball
• Brigitte Bardot
• Roseanne Barr
• Drew Barrymore
• Humphrey Bogart
• Marlon Brando
• Charles Bronson
• Piere Brosnan
• Raymond Burr
• Ellen Burstyn
• Neve Campbell
• Jim Carrey
• Sean Connery
• Joan Crawford
• Russell Crowe
• Tom Cruise

And that just takes us through last names beginning with C. Interestingly, the absence of a high school diploma did not preclude Tom Cruise from delivering a commencement address at Delphian School in Oregon (his niece is an alum) in 2004.

So how tough is it to get a high school diploma on the busy road to stardom? Depending on accreditation guidelines in their hometowns famous students must comply with typical equivalency criterion just like the average Joe. But not to worry, there are plenty of outfits ready to help the famous finish their studies whether online, via personal tutors or even through groups such as the Children in Film’s “School on Set” program.

I should hope so, as we’d never like to call the likes of Cher (and Sonny for that matter), Olivia Newton-John and even Jay-Z high school dropouts (which they are, by the way). Despite his own shortcomings with the paperwork, Jay-Z told his fans in an interview with STUNZ, “Education is super important.”

In reference to his recent graduation Bieber poignantly say, “At school, usually you have to do a lot of writing and reading. I’m really not into that stuff.” Thankfully you won’t have to do much of that in the real world, Biebs.

Photo credit: perezhilton.com

Laura blogged last week, detailing the colossal PR blunders (yes, that’s plural) Spirit Airlines made in what had to have been, for them, the Longest. Week. Ever. If you missed it, do go back and read it. I promise you’ll be shaking your head as hard as I did.

They are in the news again this week, but fortunately it’s with better news. (Sort of.)

But first, a quick background: Jerry Meekins is 76-year-old veteran who is dying of cancer. He booked a flight on Spirit Airlines, but was later told by his doctor that he was too sick to fly. Spirit refused to issue him a refund because it wasn’t fair to make an exception to the “no refund” policy. (Because apparently the world is just that black and white.)

But apparently a week of public backlash was enough to finally cause a change of heart. Spirit Airlines CEO Ben Baldanza has stated that he will refund the $197 to Meekins, and will also give $5000 to the charity of Meekins’ choice, Wounded Warriors.

That’s a really nice gesture. Rather, it would have been – if it hadn’t taken a week of being vilified in the media before they chose to do the right thing. If the public hadn’t cried foul, Spirit Airlines would be happily counting their $197, patting themselves on the back for sticking to their policies, no matter what it might have done to a customer. Er, former customer.

Instead, their “really nice gesture” just looks like a hollow attempt to save their tarnished image. It looks calculated and and desperate and no one’s buying it.

Sorry, Spirit Airlines. Too little, too late.

For years, critics and health-conscius consumers have been taking on McDonald’s.  The most famous assault on the company’s reputation was probably Morgan Spurlock’s “Super Size Me,” the 2004 Oscar-nominated documentary that suggested a month of eating only McDonald’s might ruin your health. But that has hardly been the company’s only public relations problem.

According to the New York Times, “In the last year alone, nuns in Philadelphia, Seventh-day Adventists in California, doctors in Chicago and activists in Boston have warred with McDonald’s over its menu, its marketing, its mission or all of the above. Critics say McDonald’s minimizes its role in America’s obesity epidemic while continuing to market its food to children through Happy Meals. Some have called for the dismissal of the longtime clown mascot Ronald McDonald. More recently, the presence in McDonald’s hamburgers of “pink slime” — beef scraps turned into a paste and treated with an ammonia solution — became a cause célèbre. (McDonald’s reported in January that it discontinued using pink slime last summer.) And later this month at this year’s annual meeting, activists will get shareholders to vote on a proposal that would require the company to respond to the growing evidence linking fast food to obesity and other diseases, just as they did at last year’s meeting.”

Recently, McDonalds launched a social media campaign where they paid to appear at the top of the trends list on Twitter’s home page, using the social-media site to drive people to its new commercials highlighting some of the real-life farmers and ranchers who supply McDonald’s with its ingredients.

Initially, everything went well with the Twitter campaign. After clicking on the hashtag #MeetTheFarmers, people were watching the videos online, and McDonald’s was pleased.

But that afternoon, when McDonalds moved the conversation to #McDStories, to encourage people to keep talking about the farmers, the promotion quickly began to go awry.  Quickly, other kinds of stories made their way into the Twitter feed.  These were McDonald’s horror stories, some real and some fictitious, about the restaurant’s food, service, atmosphere, and ingredients. In a matter of minutes, a public relations success had become yet another public relations crisis for the company, which shifted quickly into damage-control mode. A little more than an hour after the ill-fated #McDStories appeared, McDonald’s pulled that hashtag off the Twitter home page.

Now McDonald’s is fighting back, quietly launching a major counteroffensive of its own. And it isn’t simply trying to keep its current customers happy; it’s also hoping to convince McDonald’s skeptics that they’re wrong.

McDonald’s is in the midst of an ongoing image-boosting campaign that includes upgrading stores and menu items and recruiting mommy bloggers to tout its healthier offerings. With their remodeled restaurants, additions to the menu and at least one nontraditional ally — mommy bloggers — executives are trying to present a greener, more healthful McDonald’s. And the company is changing in response to changing consumer preferences. For the first time last year, McDonald’s sold more pounds of chicken than pounds of beef.  That’s pretty big McNews.

But it turns out none of these major players are among the 15 fastest-growing retailers over the past five years – that would be through the recession. According to the trade site RetailSails, lululemon, Michael Kors and True Religion are among the leaders in sales growth, all experiencing double-digit gains.

Of course, it is difficult to consistently generate double-digit gains when you are a giant merchant with sales in the double or triple billions, but it’s nice to see some new names in the mix.

Here is RetailSails’ complete list, which is described as a cross-section of chains that, notably, include manufacturers that switched to direct-to consumer.

I can’t speak for everyone, but I would imagine that most travelers value the ability to take clothes and personal belongings with them when they travel.

So beginning November 6, passengers will have the optional service of paying for a carry on bag at the boarding gate for a cool $100. Each way.  Really? 100 big ones to lug your suitcase on the airplane, when you could pay $45 to check it?  And their average ticket cost is $76? I’m dumbfounded.

They do offer cheaper fees if you pay in advance – the lowest being $35 each way if reserved online before check-in – however, that doesn’t make it any less ridiculous.

This unwelcomed announcement came on the heels of another PR blunder by Spirit Airlines chief executive Ben Baldanza.

Enter Jerry Meekins.

Meekins, a dying 76-year-old former Marine, had booked a $197 Spirit flight from Florida to New Jersey.  When his doctors informed him he was to ill to fly, he asked Spirit for a refund. He was denied. Because he hadn’t purchased travel insurance, they would only offer the opportunity to change his flight for a fee. What part of dying and can’t fly did  they not understand?

In a Thursday morning Fox News interview, Baldanza compared the situation to “an insurance company paying to fix a fire-ravaged home even though the owner didn’t have a policy before the fire.”

Right.

Meekins ended up driving to New Jersey, paying more than $300 in gas.

For $197, Spirit could have honored a dying veteran’s request and been seen as an airline with heart.

Instead they’ve bought themselves a slew of negative press.  Aside from the international news coverage, the new “Boycott Spirit Airlines” Facebook page has more than 32,000 supporters – up from 700 earlier this week. In addition their stock dropped 5% Thursday after a 52-week high in early trading.

Perhaps with the $200 per round trip they’ll start bringing in from carry-on baggage plus the $197 they got from Jerry Meekins paid but unused ticket, Baldanza might want to consider hiring a new PR agency.