As scrutiny surrounding the lead contamination crisis in Flint, Michigan, increased this week, PR pros took to social media to express dismay at the state’s seemingly tone-deaf continuation of its “Pure Michigan” tourism campaign.
The state’s $33 million marketing campaign to bolster summer tourism is in its 10th year. Numerous sleek images and sharp videos promote “fresh enchanting rivers, lakes and waters” and invite travelers to hotels and campsites in the state.
A little lead contamination hasn’t stopped David Lorenz, vice president of the state’s tourism department, from offering his own take on the matter. He recently told a reporter from MLive.com:
People seem to be seeing Pure Michigan as separate from the Flint issue and actually, that’s a great indicator of a strong brand. People will give you some slack, they understand that nothing is perfect and they know everything won’t go perfectly well all the time.
Questionable sources?
Lorenz also told reporter Brandon Champion that he and his staff have initiated multiple surveys on the issue. Lorenz said although most people understand the Flint contamination “is a serious issue and real challenge for that community, it doesn’t seem to have much effect on the perception of Michigan on a statewide level,” Champion wrote.
Lorenz went so far as to compare the Flint public health and PR crisis to Coca-Cola’s 1985 “New Coke” branding debacle. All great brands deal with challenges, he said.
Champion’s interview sparked a wave of unflattering comments about Lorenz and the sources and studies he cited:
Folks on Twitter weren’t impressed, either, as tweets about the irony of “fresh water” were interspersed with posts about various investigations against Lorenz’ boss.
The state has continued this push even after Gov. Rick Snyder was hit with a federal racketeering lawsuit for his alleged role in the water contamination in Flint.
At a press conference on Wednesday, attorneys outlined allegations against Snyder and several other local and state leaders. Reuters reported:
The class action, filed in U.S. District Court in Flint, charged that Snyder and other officials enacted a “wrongful scheme to solve Flint’s fiscal problem by selling Flint residents poisoned drinking water” in order to balance the city’s financial books.
Attorney Chet Kern pulled no punches. “They created a catastrophe,” he told reporters.
The 17-count racketeer influenced and corrupt organizations (RICO) complaint “requests a jury and seeks compensatory damages for future medical costs, legal fees and treble damages for property damages, loss of business and financial loss.”
Snyder spokesman Ari Adler declined to comment on the litigation.
[RELATED: Keep your cool in a crisis with these 13 tips.]
The weekend may not hold much respite for Adler, Snyder and others. The New York Times reported Thursday that investigators from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will be in Flint on Saturday:
[They] will hold invitation-only meetings with residents on Saturday to determine how the EPA responded to early requests for help. The interviews will be closed to the media and public. That office is investigating the EPA’s response to the lead-contamination crisis in Flint.
Ragan readers, what, if anything, could Lorenz and the tourism marketing professionals in Michigan have done to respond to critics of the Pure Michigan campaign? How should the governor’s office be responding?
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