As someone who is a writer for a publication that covers startups (www.madisonstartups.com), I see a variety of press releases from new companies–some are good, some are not.
Here are some tips on when to issue a press release and when you shouldn’t.
Continue reading “When a Startup Should and Shouldn’t Issue a Press Release”
Earlier this summer, the Northwestern University football program came under investigation after reports of hazing/sexual misconduct. This came after a casual Friday afternoon press release right before the July 4 weekend. To make a long story short, as more details emerged, the head coach said he was unaware of the alleged incidents but was eventually fired.
A similar situation happened at Lousiville with former coach Rick Pitino, who said he “had no knowledge of any payments to any recruit or their family.”
This begs the question, “Should the leader of an organization take the blame, even when they honestly weren’t aware of a situation?”
In my opinion, yes, the head coach (in this situation), boss or CEO should take the blame. At the end of the day, the head coach is ultimately responsible for the football team in the way it plays and conducts itself on and off the field. They are the ones who should be held accountable, no matter what.
Not only is the head coach responsible for the players, but they also oversee assistant coaches, office staff and volunteers. No doubt that is a lot of personnel to manage, but that is still no excuse. A leader can be apprised of the daily happenings of their organization without micromanaging.
Second, what implications would it send if the team/company allowed this person to keep their job? It seems like it would indicate to the university that this behavior is acceptable, or that the head coach is untouchable because of status or success on the field.
I think that even if Pat Fitzgerald had come out and said, “Even though I was unaware, I vow to investigate and change the culture of this team to prevent this from happening again,” Northwestern did the right thing in firing him. You see it everywhere: companies firing executives to protect themselves.
While Northwestern made the seemingly right move in firing the football head coach, it could have done some things differently in terms of crisis management:
(MADISON, Wis.)—Entrepreneurs, students, creatives, small businesses, tech folks and difference-makers will have the opportunity to make connections, share advice and collaborate at the 14th annual Forward Festival, which will take place Aug. 21-25 at various locations. The event will continue its five-day format, which will feature approximately 40 events, with nearly a dozen new event organizers.
“As we celebrate another year of Forward Festival, it continues to evolve and expand,” Laura Strong, festival board member and vice president of strategy and healthcare at DataChat Inc., said. “We’re excited to have so many new local organizations be a part of this experience. Beyond tech and venture capital, we even span into food, music, sports and now gaming/e-sports.”
This year features new events and new locations, including the first Power Up Wisconsin Gaming & E-Sports Summit, happening Friday, Aug. 25 at The Red Zone. In addition, Stoughton, Wis., will see its first event, Cut the Confusion Out of Your Advertising Decision, on Tuesday, Aug. 22, hosted by Innovation Center Stoughton.
The festival still features its annual events such as the Badger Startup Summit on Aug. 21 at the Discovery Building and the Doyenne Group’s 5x5x5 pitch event on Aug. 23 at the Pyle Center (and online). New events this year include a food entrepreneur showcase at Garver Feed Mill, a panel surrounding Fem-Preneurs at High Noon Saloon and multiple job design workshops (virtually).
Participants have three different options for the Forward Pass—a Free Events Forward Pass; the Forward Pass without Swag, which gives access to all virtual and in-person events plus access to the Forward Fest app and web platform; and the Friend of the Fest Pass, which includes paid and free events and adds the 2023 merchandise. New this year is that once participants buy a Forward Pass, they can RSVP to events with one click, get events synced to their calendars and an agenda emailed to them in advance.
Forward Festival is sponsored by Associated Bank, Fetch, Fine Point Consulting, Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce, M3 Insurance, MG&E, Neider & Boucher, Swink, Urban Land Interests, WEDC and the Wisconsin Union. Public relations support is provided by Revelation PR, Advertising & Social Media.
For a detailed listing of events taking place during the Forward Festival, please visit www.forwardfest.org.
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