MSL Conversations

A fresh perspective on communications and marketing in real-time.

February 8th, 2012Comments (0)

Michael Sullivan Memorial Details by MSLGROUP Americas Community Blogger

Michael’s service will be held on

Monday, Feb. 13
2 pm – 3 pm
The University Club (54th and Fifth Ave.)
New York, NY

Cards for Michael’s family can be addressed to his sister:

Ms. Cindy Sullivan
16 Suzanne Lane
Pleasantville, NY 10570

If you wish to make a donation in Michael’s honor, please consider one of the following groups:

-Guiding Eyes for the Blind
-Housing Works
-Gay Men’s Health Crisis

February 7th, 2012Comments (0)

Michael Sullivan by Renee Wilson

It is with deep sadness that I share the news that Michael Sullivan, our friend and colleague, has passed away.

Michael was an extraordinary public relations practitioner. He was a leader and a member of the executive team at MSL New York and a creative force who was respected across the global MSLGROUP network for having one of our sharpest minds. We offer our prayers and deepest condolences to Michael’s sisters, brothers and his broad group of friends and colleagues at MSLGROUP and throughout the PR community. Michael’s time with us and in life was way too short.

As you know, I worked closely with Michael during his time here at MSLGROUP Americas. Michael’s legacy will be his uncanny ability to take the strategic ideation to the highest level. In that process, he pushed us to think bigger. To be bigger. To be the best.

Several years before we hired him, I knew of Michael by reputation from his work on P&G. When Michael started his consultancy, Sullivan Bremmer, Scott Beaudoin introduced him to me. Of course, I jumped at the chance to involve him in our work. Little by little, Michael did more consulting for us in the Consumer Marketing space and we hired Michael in June 2010 as NA Consumer Practice Leader. It was at that time that he started making his mark on our GI brands, and lucky for us, found Denise Vitola and hired her.

Michael changed the game for us in Consumer – he let us know that what we were doing could be so much better. What had been acceptable no longer was, if you were working with Michael. He pushed our teams – HARD. And not everyone liked it, but no one can dispute he made us better public relations strategists. I see his effect on many of you, and it’s inspiring.

Michael brought style, flair and fun to MSLGROUP. From memorable quotes like: “Super fantastic bubble plastic!” to “Ding, ding, ding – you win the ham!,” we will never forget his energy, enthusiasm and passion for PR. When things were going well? “It’s gas and gators.” When things were looking tough? “We’re like water – we find a way.” We will keep his spirit alive when we use Ideahaus, brainstorm and strategize.

Michael Sullivan, Senior Vice President, Global Consumer Marketing

In typical Michael style, he posted his “own” version of a favorite quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson on the door of his office that speaks volumes to both his passion for ideas and his eagerness to tweak things in order to make them better.

“The health of the mind seems to demand a horizon;
the eye is never tired that can see far enough.”

As you may know, Michael was getting ready to move to London for a special P&G assignment. In doing this, I knew that he was going to help make MSLGROUP a powerful force in EMEA. By collaborating with Victoria Biggs in London, they would be unstoppable.

Michael was my overall partner on P&G globally. Although we only worked together for a little over a year, I will miss him terribly. If there is one thing Michael would want, it is for us all to have a fabulous party rather than be sad. So whether or not your party is with friends, or you choose to raise a glass on your own in his honor, please look for Michael beyond the horizon. And, make sure you are pouring Veuve Cliquot. Michael wouldn’t have it any other way

Renee Wilson is chief client officer of MSLGROUP and managing director of MSL New York.

February 3rd, 2012Comments (0)

When Politics, Advocacy, and Social Media Collide by Stephanie Smith

Stephanie Smith, North American Director of Media Serivces

Watching Susan G. Komen Foundation–Planned Parenthood story unfold over the last 48 hours has been a fascinating study in crisis communications, politics, and the power of social media.

It is the perfect storm of issues.
-The politicization of health issues in an increasingly divided government.
-An organization making a decision fundamentally at odds with the beliefs of its core advocates.
-The swift torrent of outrage in social media.
-Savvy reactive strategy to leverage the controversy.

Wherever you may fall on the political spectrum, the last two days have provided a window into how quickly public sentiment is voiced now and how communication strategy in turn has to evolve. Facebook, Twitter and other social media have played an increasing role in the narrative of major stories–that’s not surprising to anyone in the public relations industry. But the size, scope and swiftness of the online reaction to Komen’s decision to defund Planned Parenthood has been simply stunning. The flatfooted response from Komen seems to indicate that leaders at the non-profit had no idea the online and then real world backlash would be so immediate and forceful. In this era where social media is the ultimate sounding board and forum, people vote their dissatisfaction. Instantly.

It should be noted that the battle between these two non-profit giants is not exclusive to the left; this type of conflict could have arisen between two organizations on the right side of the political spectrum just as easily. The fundamental issue here is that two non-profits, ostensibly with similar values, ended up very much at odds.

Planned Parenthood-sponsored hashtag.

Planned Parenthood’s savviness.
The attempted demonization of Planned Parenthood has been underway for quite some time, and ironically the Komen decision has emboldened Planned Parenthood’s advocates in a way that attacks from opponents have not. Planned Parenthood’s handling of this controversy from a communications POV is spot on, taking to social media, emailing their supporters with fundraising requests, and engaging like-minded politicians such as Mike Bloomberg. Planned Parenthood has portrayed itself as the David in this David and Goliath story, and has savvily shaped the narrative to reinforce public sentiment in its favor. It is a case study in effective crisis communications.

Damage done.
On the other end of the spectrum is the Susan G. Komen Foundation. In attempting to recover, CEO Nancy Brinker has given changing explanations to justify the pulling of funds to Planned Parenthood. Komen now faces an uphill battle–creating a consistent message strategy and trying to allay the outrage from supporters. Management could choose to stick with their decision and simply withstand the criticism, hoping the controversy will simply wane. But the perception of having given in to what is a politically motivated issue is taking a severe toll on the organization. Brands, who account for millions in donations to Komen, may pull back, concerned that the organization is playing politics and has become tainted in the minds of consumers. Consumer boycotts are also likely to damage Komen’s fundraising efforts further.

Know your customer.
What is at the core of this controversy is that the Komen foundation either fundamentally forgot or misunderstood the beliefs and values of their core advocates. It’s critically important that a brand understands who its core customers are, who its advocates are, and what values they align with. By moving away from its core values, Komen has alienated a substantial percentage of their stakeholders. If Komen is going to stand for different values moving forward, then they will need to build a new base of support. In the meantime, Komen will become the cautionary tale for any major organization or brand.

Stephanie Smith is senior vice president, North American director of media services at MSL New York. She joined MSL New York from ABC News where she was a long-time network news producer who covered a wide-range of breaking news and feature stories for “World News Tonight with Peter Jennings,” “Good Morning America” and “Nightline.”

February 3rd, 2012Comments (0)

Indianapolis: A City with More to Offer than a Football Experience by Erica Kless

Erica Kless is a senior account supervisor in the healthcare practice at MSLGROUP New York and is a regular business traveler to Indianapolis.

This week, more than 100,000 people are estimated to pour into Indianapolis for the epic matchup between the New York Giants and New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI. Personally, I have a vested interest in the event, not only because I’m a fan of the Big Blue, but also because it’s taking place in my home away from home.

As someone who spends quite a bit of time in the Circle City for business, I find myself almost as excited as the locals for Indy to host the Super Bowl. Over the last year I’ve seen the city’s transformation taking place, and while the construction has been less than ideal from a traffic standpoint, I landed at Indianapolis International Airport Monday afternoon to a city ready for throngs of football fans. From the T-shirt and memorabilia booths set up in the airport, to the signage everywhere you look, Indy has laid out the welcome mat for visitors.

The Super Bowl Village has transformed the downtown area into a 10-day festival of football (complete with a zipline!) and a jam packed calendar of events, but there’s more to Indy than just football.

Here are a few of my recommendations to experience food and culture in Indy:

If You’re in the Mood for Steak

Go to Shula’s Steak House. Yes, there are many steak houses in Indianapolis, but I’m partial to Shula’s, probably because I typically stay at the Westin Indianapolis when I’m in town, and this restaurant is attached to the hotel. That aside, it fits in nicely with this week’s football theme. The drink menu has good cocktails and wine. The steak is custom cut and aged, and, most important, I find myself thinking about whether or not I can replicate their Crab Mac & Cheese in my own kitchen. (The answer is no.)

If You’re Looking for a Good Glass of Wine

Tastings is a good bet. Voted Best Wine Bar (Metromix Indianapolis 2010), Tastings is situated in the heart of downtown at the Conrad Indianapolis and has Enomatic wine dispensers that provide 2 ounce tastes of more than 100 kinds of wine. They also make nice flatbread pizzas, so if you’re looking for a place to relax and have a little nibble, Tastings gets my vote.

If You Have a Sweet Tooth

Don’t miss Long’s Bakery. Voted Best of TheIndyChannel.com A-List in 2011, Long’s is known for its donuts, but also has cakes, cookies, pastries and pies, all baked from scratch daily. If you can travel with them, I suggest bringing some sweet treats back for friends, family or co-workers – you’ll score major points!

Long's Bakery in Indianapolis

If You Want Farm-Fresh Food

Go to R Bistro. It won OpenTable.com’s winner’s choice award in 2011, and it’s among one of the best restaurants I’ve been to in the city. It’s a small venue, but the staff is friendly and knowledgeable, and the menu changes weekly to take advantage of fresh, seasonal ingredients. I always try to go in the fall to sample their pumpkin-inspired dishes, but regardless of the season, I’ve never been disappointed by a meal there.

If You Find Yourself in Need of Shopping Expedition

With Nordstrom’s downtown closed, the place to shop is definitely The Fashion Mall at Keystone. Living in Manhattan, I don’t often get to go to the mall, and Keystone fulfills that hankering when I have a chance to venture out that way. In addition to Saks and Nordstrom and a wide array of restaurants, they have all my favorite stores in one place, which makes the 30-minute drive from downtown well worth the effort.

On Your Way Out

I’m not a fan of sitting in the airport – I’m usually that person running on the plane just before they close the doors. After missing more than a few flights, I’ve finally begun leaving myself more time, and I actually don’t mind spending time at the Indianapolis Airport. In fact, there are two places I always stop at on my way out: Just Pop In! and Harry & Izzy’s. Just Pop In! has the widest array of popcorn flavors I have ever seen in flavors you wouldn’t think of (cocoa popcorn anyone?). As for Harry & Izzy’s, I spend so much time there that one of the servers knew me and my drink choice by name! The only issue with this restaurant is that they don’t offer the cocktail sauce from their World Famous St. Elmo Shrimp Cocktail® for purchase by the bottle.

This list is not comprehensive – I didn’t get to extol the virtues of 14 West (Don’t miss the roasted vanilla pecan buttered sweet potatoes.), Mesh on Mass Avenue (The pommes frites come with house-made ketchup.), Palomino (Try the lavender cosmopolitan.), Barcelona (Skip dinner and go straight for the tres leches cake.) or The Indianapolis Museum of Art (Check out the Material World exhibition.), so I encourage everyone visiting Indy for the Super Bowl and beyond to take advantage of all this city has to offer. And, if you find a new gem to frequent, let us know!

As a senior account supervisor in the healthcare practice of MS&L New York. Erica Kless launches and promotes consumer health campaigns, provides data and medical meeting support, performs issues management and advocacy work and manages media relations.

February 2nd, 2012Comments (0)

OUR BIG BOUNDLESS BET! by MSLGROUP Americas Community Blogger

History is filled with epic feuds: Hamilton-Burr, the Hatfields-McCoys, but none so great as New York-Boston. The rivalry is legendary.

So, how does a company like MSLGROUP Americas come to terms with network collaboration when it has offices in competing cities for one of the biggest sports contests in the world?

David Tyree at the heart of it all!

This week, the MSLGROUP Americas “Together Works Better” internal agency award winners were announced. But, as the New York Giants and the New England Patriots take to their final practices, the competitive sarcasm is gaining steam at MSL New York and Schwartz MSL Boston. On this issue, together we’re not.

So, MSL New York extended a “transparent” challenge to its colleagues up at Schwartz MSL Boston, a wager as to whose team will win this epic rematch from 2008. Boston leaders Meghan Gross and Dave Close agreed.

At stake: the office from the losing city will send a delegation to host a victory happy hour for the other. Now that’s “boundless collaboration” with some honest competitive pride shining through. This “Big Boundless Bet” was inspired by our company credo to “Be Boundless” in all we do.

Now, how about some boundless cheering for our teams? Read below as Peter Gau of MSL New York and Dave Close of Schwartz MSL Boston share their perspectives on the game.

The Giants Will Rock

by Peter Gau, Senior Account Executive, MSL New York

My name is Peter Gau of the New York office and I’m certain the Giants are going to win the Super Bowl.

For you Patriots fans who will be stalking my Facebook to make a dartboard from my headshot or lighting up my Twitter with colorful tweets, I sincerely do apologize in advance for boring you with this. In fact, I wanted to do something more interactive like post a funny video to Noovoo, but Belichick took all my extra tapes.

Eli Manning and I live in the same wonderful town of Hoboken, NJ – and we have a lot more in common than you may think. For example, we both wear the #10 jersey each Sunday. Our apartments also share the same view of the greatest city in the world and coincidentally our firm’s FLAGSHIP office location, New York City.

But enough about me, and more on why the Giants are going to win the Super Bowl. The Giants are going to win the Super Bowl because I am planning on taking a sick day Monday. Seriously though, history tends to repeat itself and what better way to celebrate the fourth anniversary of the famous “Helmet Catch” than with a victory parade in the Big Apple.

The Giants are going ‘All In’ and quite frankly they have nothing to lose. Nobody expected them to make the playoffs, let alone reach the Super Bowl. But they did and as a result, salsa dancing studios in the tri-state area are experiencing a 50 percent increase in enrollment, according to a survey I made up for this post.

Note to our colleagues in Boston: Wherever you watch the Giants emerge victorious this Sunday, don’t forget to wash the wings sauce off your hands before reaching for a Puffs (client) to wipe away your tears.

Enjoy the game.

Peter Gau is a senior account executive in the MSL New York corporate practice . He has more than six years of experience working with clients in financial services, technology, healthcare, accounting, insurance and shipping and logistics. His current responsibilities include providing media relations support and account management duties on Citi ThankYou Rewards and Daiichi Sankyo, Inc.

The Patriots Will Restore the Natural Order

by Dave Close, Managing Director, Schwartz MSL Boston

Until I was 22 I lived within sight of the New York skyline and the Giants were my team. Then I moved to Boston and slowly switched my allegiance to the Patriots, which was not an easy thing to do during the Patriots’ long tenure as the doormat of the NFL. But eventually my loyalty was rewarded with the team’s 10 years of consistent success – success that will culminate in their fourth Super Bowl win this Sunday. The reasons have nothing to do with talent and everything to do with fate. (Well, maybe something to do with talent, too).

Four years ago, when the Patriots lost the Super Bowl in the last few moments through the divine intervention of David Tyree’s circus catch, it tore a hole in the fabric of the universe. 19-0 was the normal and natural course of events – this abomination tilted the universe on its axis, and if you consider the generally negative world events of the past four years, you can see the result.

In nature, eventually, ORDER IS RESTORED. The current state of events cannot last, and it will not. The Patriots’ win this Sunday will complete and correct a chain of events that was supposed to end four years ago. The natural order of football will be restored and we’ll all be relieved and happier. The song will end with a pleasing major chord, not the dissonant and disturbing chord that’s been echoing through space since the last Giants/Patriots Super Bowl.

It has nothing to do with Brady, Gronk, Welker, Wilfork or Belichick. They are merely the pieces in a cosmic chess match that will end appropriately on a field in Indiana, and save the planet.

Dave Close is managing director of Schwartz MSL Boston. Dave has been leading communications campaigns in the technology industry since 1981. During the early 1980s, he was a writer and editor at World Information Systems, Inc. He joined Schwartz Communications in 1994 and sometimes goes by the pseudonym, “Pat Patriot.”