TOPIC BLOG:Risk and Communication

For today's topic blog I will be connecting health and fashion. Since this blog is connected to a class I am doing this semester I am required to blog about certain topics. I will be linking these topics with fashion so that they are still relevant and interesting. I hope that this post gives you a new perspective and provides you a deeper look into the fashion industry.

As a journalist reporting on events and people, at times we can run in to some sort of risk. The risk of reporting on something in the wrong way or releasing confidential information can risk a reporter's job. Once something is published it will never fully be erased. So it is important that journalists take the time to understand the subject and get facts verified.

In the fashion industry there are been a few recent blunders that have to do with risk reporting.

Miu Miu Fall 2011 Campaign

A most recent PR blunder was Miu Miu's ad campaign. They had a model who was around 13 years old posing on a railroad track. The United Kingdom's Advertising Standards Agency banned the campaign due to the irresponsible message being communicated. 

“Irresponsible because it depicted a child in an unsafe location.”

This offense may argue that the UK's restriction is trivial. I think in order for the ASA to really understand this ad they have to understand what fashion is really all about. Fashion is fantasy, it is not always taken seriously. This was a picture that was set up for hours, and I'm sure Miu Miu made prior arrangements for the train traffic to stop on that part of the railroad track. ASA should also give their citizens the benefit of the doubt that they understand what is dangerous and how to protect themselves.


Another recent incident involved the brand Kenneth Cole. The fashion brand maintains a twitter to connect with their customers. During the Arab Spring, where citizens of Egypt rioted in the capital. Kenneth Cole's PR team took this event as an opportunity to promote their brand by tweeting:

In this situation I believe that this was a lapse of judgement on their fault. The Arab Spring was such a revolutionary time for the Middle East, with many sacrificing their lives for the cause. To make light of such a heavy topic was disrespectful.When I work in the fashion industry I hope that I can learn from other's mistakes and take responsible risk that won't hurt the brand I represent.