When PR blogger Shel Holtz gave the oil giant credit for engaging in the social media sphere, Exxon wondered what he was talking about.The Houston Chronicle picked up the story shortly after and even though “Janet” was defending the company on issues like Valdez and its charitable donations, Exxon was not thrilled.
Jeremiah Owyang, an analyst at Forrester, has some interesting thoughts and a brief interview with an Exxon rep here.
From Mileage Plus to Zimbabwean Dollar
Frequent-flier programs are morphing from wildly successful marketing programs to the likes of overinflated foreign currency. Airlines are devaluing their programs by raising the number of miles required to purchase a “free” ticket. And, by the way, that “free” ticket now has passengers dishing out as much as $100 for claiming awards.
Portfolio’s Joe Brancatelli has a good piece on why carriers are using their mileage programs as cash cows in desperate times.
Trump's PR Play
Donald Trump is buying Ed McMahon’s house to save it in a savvy PR move that cements the Donald’s reputation for reputation management.
The foreclosure on McMahon’s mansion became a national story and the celebrity face of the mortgage crisis when the 85-year-old former Johnny Carson sidekick defaulted on $.8M in loans from Countrywide Financial.
Trump said he’s buying the property and will lease it back to McMahon, whom he does not know but watched while a student at Wharton years ago.