They say sometimes life is more surprising than anything you could ever make up.  The result of Boston Med was a captivating glimpse into reality at Mass General, Brigham and Womens and Children’s Hospital that could not get any more dramatic than this. “A welcome respite from the summer stupids,” commented VARIETY.

Full disclosure can be a PR nightmare…

A heart surgery on a newborn gone terribly wrong

A real-life glimpse at the cockiness of a young, privileged doctor

The shortcomings of a doctor in gaining control of an emergency situation

Or, it can be an unbelievable endorsement…

The first breaths of two women waking up, each with a new lung and new outlook on life

Doctors and nurses that give up their social lives and make hard decisions every day to save patients

A man who experiences a terrible disfiguring accident gets a new face and lease on life, with one of the first face transplant operations in the world

All of which was the case in Boston Med.

Greater awareness about…organ transplantation, mesothelioma, heart defects and the tireless work of doctors and nurses.

Janet Pollet, widow of patient, Marvin Pollet, who was featured in Episode 5, wrote the following letter in response to an article debating filming at hospitals:

“We were informed that ABC News film crews would be on the MGH campus and that we may be approached and asked for permission to film the medical treatment. We were also told to feel free to decline filming and not to feel obligated. The disclosure seemed one for awareness and avoiding an unexpected surprise of camera crews inside the hospital. We traveled to Boston with anticipation of receiving treatment and with no expectation of being filmed. Shortly after arriving at MGH my family was asked to consider being filmed by ABC News. After all, Marvin was young, had a rare condition, and a great personality. For nearly two years prior, my husband aggressively sought treatment, answers, and a diagnosis. No matter what his own outcome, Marvin reasoned that allowing filming would hopefully help others in similar situations. We felt if only one person were helped, it would be well worth it. We agreed to the filming and signed the necessary consent forms.

The filming was occasionally awkward but, for the most part, no more distracting than furniture in a room. Dr. Kimberly Parks was Marvin’s cardiologist and is genuinely caring, compassionate, intelligent and professional. Dr. Parks and her colleagues utilized all resources in providing treatment to Marvin and our family. Treatment decisions were made with Marvin’s and/or the family’s consent. MGH personnel at all levels were nothing short of remarkable. I met staff and others in Boston with whom I have kept in touch and will remain life-long friends with…”

Would you be open to full disclosure at the hospital or in your workplace?

The season is currently over, but you can check out past episodes at: http://abc.go.com/shows/boston-med

As traditional media struggles to remain relevant, and adjust to compete with new media by implementing social networking, video, etc., even the mighty Playboy brand is vulnerable.

The company is currently in a bidding war over its future.  Shares of Playboy increased by about 35% on Monday morning as Hugh Heffner bided to take the company private while competitor Penthouse simultaneously made a play to gain a share of the company.

The adult entertainment company is going through a “transitional year” according to CEO Scott Flanders.  Playboy is currently restructuring from a company that relies on traditional media, including magazines and movies, to one that largely licenses its famous brand, as reported by CNN Money. Even as the company has started to bring more of its content online, Flanders says he expects overall sales to continue to decline but that its licensing business, the most profitable segment, will grow.

Hefner is concerned about the company’s brand and the editorial direction of the magazine and is not interested in selling Playboy, according to a statement issued by Playboy.

The first Playboy magazine was issued in 1953, and the company has grown to be a household name.  But, as its current situation implies, even a behemoth like Playboy needs to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to online communications, offerings and strategy.  Was its move online too little, too late?

At Zenzi, we view online communications and marketing as a critical component.  We strive to help businesses plan ahead and strategize to compete in today’s rapidly changing marketplace.  Now more than ever, companies need to leverage all opportunities possible to maximize their campaigns and also grow a successful business overall…

We are a month and a half into, probably, the biggest environmental disaster we’ve ever faced in this country. Though BP’s top cap is now siphoning more than half of the oil spewing from the damaged well in the Gulf of Mexico, a lot of damage has already been done and officials admit that the slick is still growing.

BP faces criticism for only recently making a public apology in the past week, being unable to stop the leak it created and potentially purposely underestimating the amount of oil in question that is leaking into the ocean.

As beaches are being destroyed, animals are being killed and the livelihoods of fisherman and others along the coast are being threatened, projections are that the leak may continue through August.  The situation is grim.

BP has hired the 23-year-old independent agency, Brunswick, as the lead communications shop to try to manage the messaging around the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.  However, with the leak not yet stopped (by BP or the government) and BP’s reputation and motives on the line, for seeming by some to not provide the full truth, there is little room for BP to move ahead and rectify the situation.  And tempers continue to flare.

@BPGlobalPR  is a new, satirical Twitter page and feed, with mock posts, seeming to come from the oil giant, like:

Look, cut us some slack. We’ve kinda just been winging this whole “deepwater drilling” thing.     12:26 AM Jun 6th  via TweetDeck

A BP spokesman told The Wall Street Journal the company was aware of the account. “It’s a shame, but obviously people are entitled to their views,” he said.

This latest development acknowledging BP’s inability to act to correct the situation is a reminder to communicators that corporations face a whole new, powerful form of media, that can be quickly assembled and united, to hold them accountable.

As Leroy Stick, founder of the feed states:

“I started @BPGlobalPR, because the oil spill had been going on for almost a month and all BP had to offer were bullshit PR statements.  No solutions, no urgency, no sincerity, no nothing.  That’s why I decided to relate to the public for them.”

With over 100,000 followers, far surpassing BP’s 12,000 at @BP_America feed, the mock feed is a testimony to the power of the human voice and why companies need to be aware of potential crises and have a comprehensive plan to rectify them in place.

With the effects of the spill in the gulf expected to be long lasting, so too, it seems, will be the challenges to BP’s image.  With the emergence of social media, corporations risk having potentially negative actions exposed and need to be more diligent to plan ahead and be mindful of the effects their companies can play on society.  When mistakes are made, they need to be corrected quickly and swiftly, and corporations need to show accountability.

Now, more than ever, every company needs to plan ahead and be socially responsible.

Can Businesses Learn PR Lessons from Lady Gaga?

Interesting article this month, and fired up feedback from readers, in EverythingPR on key lessons that businesses can learn from, who else but, Lady Gaga.

Yes, I am talking about how you and your company’s conservative CEO might gain a promotional nugget or two from the over-the-top pop singer best known for adorning out of this world getups, making people do a double take.  How can that be, I wondered at first.  But the author actually makes some great points, including differentiating yourself and capitalizing on what makes you different, recognizing your customers, ah fans, and recognizing the power of social media and using it to your advantage.  I would also add not being afraid to be controversial (at times and within reason, this can work for companies and CEOs) and realizing that behind every strong figure is a good PR firm.

Conversely, companies and executives can learn what not to do when it comes to PR from the actions of musicians such as the Dixie Chicks, who were shunned years back for publicly speaking against the war 10 days before the Invasion of Iraq and blasting the U.S. president at the time at a London concert. Statements from lead singer Natalie Maine and the lack of reticence afterwards offended people and cost the group half of their concert audience attendance in the US and led to hate mail, death threats and the public destruction of their albums in protest.

If your company was a rock star, which rock star would it be?  And why?  True, you might not want to trade fashion tips, but businesses often can learn a lot from the public actions of rock stars and celebrities.

Remember the “4 P’s”?  Well, according to the firm it’s now all about the three I’s — ideas, interaction, and intelligence.  “Marketers who change their thinking will lay the groundwork for partners that are more agile, can build long-term relationships with active customers and communities, and can use data to drive real-time decisions,” says the firm.

Whether it is word of mouth, grassroots events, social media, traditional PR, blogger or user endorsements, SEO or a combination, we, at Zenzi, are big fans of working with clients to hone in on the key pain points for audiences, think creatively, and look to new and innovative channels to best engage and interact with them.

The latest from Forrester proves it–those that can best think outside of the box about the conversation they want to have with prospects and seek out ways to get them to interact will prevail.

Did Tiger’s speech do the same for you or hit a cord of sympathy?  Or maybe, both?

At Zenzi, we credit Tiger for acknowledging and taking responsibility for his actions, admitting wrongdoing and trying to make amends.  Saying sorry just may be one of the hardest things to do, and Tiger has done what many public politicians and celebrities, that have been responsible for greater wrongs to the public, frequently avoid.

It is true Tiger’s actions may have disrupted his squeaky clean image and disappointed his younger fans, and we recognize his efforts for acknowledging and apologizing/admitting wrongdoing to this group.  Overall, however, Tiger’s questionable actions were very “personal,” and as such, we think the apology would have been better served had it been kept to the closer circle of people he truly hurt and left shorter and sweeter.

Most Americans are sympathetic to people making mistakes, because we realize we aren’t perfect, after all.  We just want to know that people have learned from them and that the apology is coming from the heart, which is why, sometimes, it is better to leave the teleprompter or flash cards by the wayside, say you are sorry to the people who matter the most and get on with repairing your life.