Sometimes its OK and most often the right thing to do to admit you are wrong and make a correction.
We in the news business, unfortunately and frustratingly, run in to this occasionally.
But, two Wisconsin agencies this week encountered a likely self-made image problem, and though it cost each group money to fix the snafus it was the right call to do so.
The Wisconsin Department of Tourism decided to change its new slogan for the state Live like you mean it after the slogan was revealed a few months ago to mocking by many, according to the Associated Press.
The phrase and accompanying logo, showing a silhouette figure doing a cartwheel across letters spelling out Wisconsin, have since gone missing from the departments fall ad campaign and its main Web site.
Department of Tourism Secretary Kelli Trumble said the department was reviewing the slogan with the states new advertising firm, Milwaukee-based Laughlin Constable.
The department had spent $57,000 developing the logo and slogan, which Gov. Jim Doyle said would be used to promote tourism and economic development. Trumble had promised her agency would use them widely.
But when the slogan was unveiled in March, critics blasted the department for using a phrase that had been widely used by motivational speakers, authors and even the liquor company Bacardi in the past. Others made light of the cartwheeling figure.
The logo was developed with the help of market research, with the green in Wisconsin signifying the states natural resources and the red symbolizing its passion and pride.
The review of the slogan comes as another state agency, the Government Accountability Board, is facing derision for launching a new logo that looks similar to the symbol for anarchy. The board paid a design firm $4,900 to create the logo.
Could have been worse
The Associated Press said a Wisconsin tourism lobbying group is changing its name after realizing its initials formed a crude acronym something along the line of What the ?
To anyone who isnt an texter, or doesnt watch too many television programs targeted at teens and young adults, the acronym WTF probably doesnt mean that much, but to those who do recognize the term, its probably best the group made the change.
The Wisconsin Tourism Federation group did a quiet rebranding in July, changing its name to the Tourism Federation of Wisconsin and updating its logo from WTF to TFW after it was featured on Web sites and blogs poking fun at it. It had no way of knowing 30 years ago that the letters would go on to take on a crude association.
Lead lobbyist for the group, Chet Gerlach, said Wednesday that the federation made the change after the meaning of the common text message lingo was brought to their attention.
Mistakes happen
In the newspaper, when a typing mistake is made it hurts our image. It takes time and diligence to repair the damage done to the Times credibility when even the smallest mistake slips into the paper. However, unlike the two mistakes above it doesnt cost your local newspaper tens of thousands of dollars to fix.
Rest assured all mistakes made in the Times are taken very seriously and they hurt us as editors and reporters deeply. We work very hard to avoid them, but sometimes they just happen.
Green County Farmhouse Project
Keep sending your farmhouse photos. If I collect just a few more, the project can get off the ground. Remember, I only need a straight-on shot of your farmhouse; no barns or people in the frame, please. Send the photos to newseditor@themonroetimes.com.
Take care and watch out for bicycles.
We in the news business, unfortunately and frustratingly, run in to this occasionally.
But, two Wisconsin agencies this week encountered a likely self-made image problem, and though it cost each group money to fix the snafus it was the right call to do so.
The Wisconsin Department of Tourism decided to change its new slogan for the state Live like you mean it after the slogan was revealed a few months ago to mocking by many, according to the Associated Press.
The phrase and accompanying logo, showing a silhouette figure doing a cartwheel across letters spelling out Wisconsin, have since gone missing from the departments fall ad campaign and its main Web site.
Department of Tourism Secretary Kelli Trumble said the department was reviewing the slogan with the states new advertising firm, Milwaukee-based Laughlin Constable.
The department had spent $57,000 developing the logo and slogan, which Gov. Jim Doyle said would be used to promote tourism and economic development. Trumble had promised her agency would use them widely.
But when the slogan was unveiled in March, critics blasted the department for using a phrase that had been widely used by motivational speakers, authors and even the liquor company Bacardi in the past. Others made light of the cartwheeling figure.
The logo was developed with the help of market research, with the green in Wisconsin signifying the states natural resources and the red symbolizing its passion and pride.
The review of the slogan comes as another state agency, the Government Accountability Board, is facing derision for launching a new logo that looks similar to the symbol for anarchy. The board paid a design firm $4,900 to create the logo.
Could have been worse
The Associated Press said a Wisconsin tourism lobbying group is changing its name after realizing its initials formed a crude acronym something along the line of What the ?
To anyone who isnt an texter, or doesnt watch too many television programs targeted at teens and young adults, the acronym WTF probably doesnt mean that much, but to those who do recognize the term, its probably best the group made the change.
The Wisconsin Tourism Federation group did a quiet rebranding in July, changing its name to the Tourism Federation of Wisconsin and updating its logo from WTF to TFW after it was featured on Web sites and blogs poking fun at it. It had no way of knowing 30 years ago that the letters would go on to take on a crude association.
Lead lobbyist for the group, Chet Gerlach, said Wednesday that the federation made the change after the meaning of the common text message lingo was brought to their attention.
Mistakes happen
In the newspaper, when a typing mistake is made it hurts our image. It takes time and diligence to repair the damage done to the Times credibility when even the smallest mistake slips into the paper. However, unlike the two mistakes above it doesnt cost your local newspaper tens of thousands of dollars to fix.
Rest assured all mistakes made in the Times are taken very seriously and they hurt us as editors and reporters deeply. We work very hard to avoid them, but sometimes they just happen.
Green County Farmhouse Project
Keep sending your farmhouse photos. If I collect just a few more, the project can get off the ground. Remember, I only need a straight-on shot of your farmhouse; no barns or people in the frame, please. Send the photos to newseditor@themonroetimes.com.
Take care and watch out for bicycles.
