When emergencies turn into opportunities

The City of Detroit and State of Michigan are at a precarious position as the state looks into the city's finances and talk continues about the potential of having an emergency financial manager appointed. As the talk continues, the mood in Detroit has taken a sudden turn back to the "us vs. them" mentality that "only Detroiters can solve Detroit's problems".  To avoid creating an environment that will get in the way of progress and to help build political capital for the Mayor and the Governor, a strategic communications and public affairs plan must accompany any effort to appoint a financial review team or even an emergency financial manager. In addition, just as the Governor is doing now, there must be a plan for engaging the community, but one that must begin very early in in the process. That way, everyone is on board as to what needs to happen and everyone who wants could have input into that process.

A community engagement process, allows the state to explain why it "may" jump in to help the city with its financial situation and what the steps are in the interim. This is to set the tone and set the record straight as to why we have this process, the steps we have taken thus far (including regular meetings with the Mayor) and what the next steps will be. It also will help maintain relationships and create open channels of discussion and dialogue.

The Governor should also find third party supporters, such as members of the clergy and business leaders, to validate the process to Detroiters so that they know that this is the right choice both the City and the State are making well before a financial review team is appointed.

Then should the Governor appoint an EFM or even keep the financial review team in place, along with that appointment, a person that is familiar with the media and political landscape should also be appointed to help the EFM navigate the local political environment and serve as the liaison to the community, as well as be the one to respond to the media and help represent the EFM at various community events.

Community engagement should be a part of the EFM process under the Act. Then having someone outside the Treasury Department respond to the media also can go along way in maintaining relationships in the city's EFMs operate.

Finally, having an EFM come into a community should be seen as an opportunity for a city to experience a fresh start and a new beginning.  As a result, while the EFM works to make a public entity financially stable and secure, the communities chamber of commerce, DDA or other community groups should create a strategy to enhance  the city's image. That way, when an EFM's work is completed and the Mayor or Superintendent is given the responsibility once again to manage the public entity,  their image will not just be maintained, it will be enhanced due to a strategic communications plan.

Detroit really does matter….Really!

Cities throughout the United States, indeed the world, face economic uncertainty. Money cities once relied upon from the federal government no longer exists, while money that was once funneled down from the federal government to the states and passed onto cities have similarly dried up. That money many mayors once thought would come back may never come back if Congress and the President do not agree on the debt limit. For example, according to The Congressional Quarterly, this past Spring, Congress completed the 2011 appropriation bills (PL 112-10), but in doing so, eliminated “almost $40 billion in discretionary spending from the previous year’s levels, and then trimmed an additional $7 billion by the time it finished fiscal 2012” last month. (PL 112-74). Yet Detroit is special. The January 3, 2012 issue of The Wall Street Journal lists Detroit twice in its “U.S. Datebook,” list of important dates in the United States in this New Year. No other city is mentioned yet it lists that January 27 is the deadline for the state review of Detroit’s finances and on April 30, the City of Detroit is projected to run out of cash.

Mayors in cities across America are faced with making extremely difficult decisions to cut the very services their citizens rely upon from a city. For example, according to CQ, the mayor of Fresno, Calif. will probably cut meals to the elderly and cut back on efforts to clean up gang graffiti. The mayor of Mesa Ariz. will most likely close a youth center and others will reduce their police force and fire department ranks. As Congress looks at cutting discretionary spending, now the services many relied upon from the federal government will likewise by cut or eliminated.

So why all the interest in Detroit? Detroit remains relevant and of interest because Detroit for decades lead the world in technological innovations such as the locomotive, elevator and automobile. We were leaders in the pharmaceutical industry and even agriculture. Our folks, embraced creative designs that led to works of art that we can both drive in, work in and reside, and our creative sounds allowed people across the world to “Dance in the Street.”

Detroit and Detroiters, changed the way people live, work and enjoy their lives. Detroit then and Detroit today, stands as an emblem of America’s spirit. After all, it was Detroit that created the middle class and built America.  People care about us, because what happens to Detroit’s economy, will eventually affect economies throughout the world.

On Tuesday, Detroit becomes irrelevant despite Michigan taking center stage

Let’s face it -- Tuesday’s Michigan Primary is all about the GOP. Those living in Detroit will most likely not vote. In fact, Detroit’s Bureau of Elections predicts just 10-12 percent of Detroiters will vote – And Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum know it. In fact, the entire GOP Presidential candidate’s know it. That is why, other than separate appearances at the Detroit Economic Club, Romney, Santorum, Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul all stayed out of Detroit, instead focusing on raising money and building support in Detroit’s suburbs and out-state areas.

In an election, victory is built on dollars and votes, so who can blame them for doing what they have to do build support – They are not going to find it in Detroit. However, although money and the votes rest outside of Detroit, it is Detroit and its history that should take center stage.

Detroit serves as a beacon for the soul of the American Spirit. Romney, Santorum, Gingrich and Paul should each spend more time in the Motor City. Even though Detroiters will most likely not vote in the GOP Primary, their individual stories represent what is both right and wrong with America today. So each should’ve sat down at American Coney Island or Lafayette Coney, in Eastern Market or at Slow’s BBQ to talk to Detroiters about the issues plaguing their lives, as I guarantee it is the same issues affecting those in Milwaukee and Mesa, Portland and Providence Town and communities in between.

In fact, the candidate’s journey to Detroit should’ve started at Ford’s Rouge Factory Tour. There, they would’ve learned about an entrepreneur who spent his evenings after work trying to perfect the automobile. Once that was done, the entrepreneur, Henry Ford, revolutionized how cars and other products were manufactured by creating the modern day assembly line.

Ford did more than just improve the automobile and the process by which he made it. He doubled the wages of his employees and found a way to make a quality car cost effective. By doing so, he improved the lives of millions of ordinary people, by creating the middle class. A group of people that could now afford to not only pay for their first home, but also drive the very car they helped build.

When the Great Depression rocked America, Henry Ford kept the lines moving and kept the employed working. When President Franklin Roosevelt declared war on the Japanese, Ford and the other auto companies stopped car/truck production almost immediately, to fund and support the war industry by creating the Arsenal of Democracy. Finally, during the 1970’s Ford and the other auto companies did not just give up, they found a way to reinvent themselves and made cars more fuel efficient.

Love us or hate us, Detroit are America, and represents what is wrong and what is write with it.  Detroit is the soul of America. Detroit is a city that remains flexible and resilient. In fact, no matter what challenges Detroit faces, we face them together. Take that away and you take away the American Spirit. On Tuesday, Detroit must not become irrelevant it must become the central focus of the campaign, even after the election is over.

Marketing Regains Market Share

According to a recent study by Veronis Suhler Stevenson,we will see more and more companies re-investing in marketing. But the term marketing will mean something very different in 2012. According to the Council of Public Relations Firms, here is why:

• The rise of social media has prompted more companies to focus new ways to engage their customers
• More companies are focused on their reputation and how that affects business decisions
• Risk assessment and risk mitigation in light of uncertain economic times are forcing companies to rethink their business model
• The recession and political instability has caused CEOs and their companies to be more sympathetic to the people they serve and the community for which they call home. As a result, they want to invest back into the community.

Given these issues, PR agencies have been consistly relied upon to tell the stories of others while engaging multiple stakeholders to simplify the complex, along a number of media channels. Unlike other industries, public relations firms and public affairs professionals, have the relationships with key political and media influencers and are able to quickly move beyond disciplines and industries to benefit their client. In fact, they simplify the complex.  So as a company,

• Take a look at how your employees and customers are using social media
• Listen and hear what is being said about you and your company
• Respond to what is being said and surprise then with things that you are doing right
• Follow through -- do what you said you will do
• Invest in data, it will help rebuild or solidify a companies core
• Just act yourself -- Today's customer likes honesty, transparency and truly genuine people

Lawyers as First Responders

Companies today are under a lot of pressure despite potential threats such as ethical violations, financial market rumors, activist campaigns, class action lawsuits, accidents and natural disasters that could undermine a companies ability to operate, let alone compete.  Civil litigation, criminal prosecution, corporate governance, privacy, M&A, bankruptcy, regulatory actions, investigations product liability and recall, just to name a few, all require effective ways to prepare and respond to minimize risk and any potential damage. It takes years to build a reputation and only seconds to destroy it.  In today’s economy, one’s reputation is their one distinguishing virtue by which a company can compete.  Yet, disasters come unexpectedly. News breaks today in a Tweet. It comes so unexpectedly, usually with some warning but a warning we often ignore or fail to prepare for.  From an undercover investigation by a local news’ crime stopper, to a disgruntled employee spreading rumors about your company or product over social media we all are at risk and vulnerable. Knowing where you are vulnerable is the first step in any crisis management plan. And if you know where you are vulnerable, you can change what needs to be changed.

If you don't and a crises ensues, at least know who to call. The first outside professional to get that call is typically a lawyer.  By sheer nature of the profession, lawyers have become known as the first responders to crises.  If a client gets into the trouble, they are instructed to call their attorney immediately.  Therefore, lawyers need to know how to respond. When a client calls in a panic telling you that there is a news truck parked in their driveway or a reporter is sitting in their lobby, you need to act, address the issue and remain strategic in protecting the client.

For example, when a crises occurs we should respond and not react. As the first responder the lawyer needs to know how to respond.  First, evaluate the situation from the balcony.  Take a big picture view, not as a lawyer but as someone who is removed from the situation.  Strategic counselors remain strategic when they are not directly engaged in the situation.  They are better able to advise their clients as to how to respond in a quick, credible manner allowing the one dealing with the crisis to remain confident and decisive. In fact, keep in mind the following:

• In communicating with those that matter most, such as employees, customers, venders and the public, it is important to know what you will say.  These key messages are the messages that assures the pubic your client is on top of the issue, is engaged and responsive.
• Next, identify the media and appropriate media channels to communicate.  How will your client’s message be communicated?  Through the newspapers? If so, what is their lead time and which reporter will you contact.  Is it important enough to get it on line?  Who follows your clients on Twitter and is that the best way to communicate.
• Become familiar with a few public relations firms or media savvy individuals that can help you in an emergency, that knows the reporters that need to be contacted and the process by which they want to be communicated with.

The good news is that crises can be prevented and the damage from those that aren’t can be mitigated.  Lawyers should encourage their clients to plan.  In fact, plan for the worst, yet hope for the best.  Think of any scenario that could ruin a business or damage a reputation and plan. If you can't, than just know what to do should you get that call.

Managing Political Risk in an Election Year

There are some things we can control and others we cannot. But we are all susceptible to risk. Some are natural, like the Tsunami that ravaged the pacific, the Quake that destroyed Japan or the Tornado that ripped through the south. Others are economic, such as the credit crises or the recession.  While others are political. While we may not know when we will be hit by a crisis, we can plan and prepare for them by monitoring the news, engaging our business, political and economic leaders, meeting with our employees and vendors on a regular basis and talking to others to  see where are vulnerable. With 2011 now behind us, we need only look forward, yet a new year brings new crises. In fact, on January 3, Iowa voters will turn out to support their candidates for the GOP Presidential nomination and so beings a year of extreme political risks. Candidates will say anything to win a vote, promise to make key decisions without the advise and consent of a Congress, while we have a Congress that will delay important issues only as to avoid any political fall out, leaving the issue yet again for another day. As business owners, we need to be mindful of the politics behind the policy, the issues behind the people and the issues that affect our bottom-line and ability to build a sustainable company. It is our job as business owners to ask the candidates the difficult questions about job creation, business development, creating a sustainable economy, long term solutions over short-term fixes and holding those that we elect or that are elected, accountable for improving our economy.

However, with all these uncertainties, it is important to identify and asses risk across the country. Public affairs plays a vital role in identifying, managing and avoiding risks.  Public Affairs professionals can spot risks that may be overlooked. They are familiar with the big picture, know the politics behind the issues and the key influences behind them. Public affairs professionals are able to offer a company a broad view as to how they fit or could fit into the big picture and where risks may exist now or down the line, so companies a can better prepare and plan.

They can also communicate the companies key messages to key decision-leaders and influencers in the political sphere, as well as to the public through the media. Companies can mitigate risks by improving stakeholder-relations with government leaders and through community engagement. Risks can emerge whenever decisions are made.

A New Year and an election year is the perfect opportunity and excuse to become more engaged in the political process, and develop deeper relationships with the candidates or elected officials. It will help a company protect and enahnce their reputation in the media and before the public, while raising awareness for the products or services it provides. To begin, we suggest:

• Building relationships before you need them
• Monitoring legislative, regulatory and political action
• Attend fundraisers for candidates you support -- not to win influence but to develop relationships and expand your network
• Talk openly about the issues that matter to you personally and to your company
• Invite candidates to visit you in your office or plant to see first hand the work you do, the jobs you create and the benefits you provide to the community

What is our vision for Detroit? And who will take charge in implementing it?

When Kenneth V. Cockrel Jr. was Mayor of the City of Detroit he was often criticized for not having a vision for the City of Detroit. As Mayor for just eight months, running in two elections and trying to restore confidence, faith and trust back into the city of Detroit and office of Mayor following a tumultuous time in Detroit’s history, Cockrel’s vision was short term – Get the city’s finances back in order and help the city of Detroit move forward without looking back at what thrusted him into office as Mayor. At the time, Cockrel became Mayor, not only was our city in political turmoil, but the economic floor fell out from under the nation. The auto industry, Detroit’s main industry was crumbling, jobs were diminishing and the city was still recovering from the scandal that rocked our world.

As Mayor of the Motor City, Cockrel’s priority also was to help our leading industry survive and get off life support, while preventing the City of Detroit from suffering a similar fate.

Just as Mayor Dave Bing is doing now, Ken Cockrel did then, in asking the unions to work with him in collaboration to help weather the economic storm. At the time, Cockrel’s Administration put forth a budget deficit plan that would restore the city’s finances to a level where we would avoid a hint of bringing on an emergency financial manager and also published the city’s finances on line for people to see, view and comment on.

In 2009, Cockrel, in his State of the City address said, the “Key to managing our financial resources is making smart choices.   This includes choices about who we do business with and how we do business with them.”  In Cockrel’s brief tenure as Mayor, his administration reviewed a number of contracts and discovered many areas of mismanagement. In fact, the review of several contracts with banks and other financial services institutions revealed that we were spending over $2 million for services we did not need and immediately terminated those contracts.

In the brief months Cockrel was Mayor he also set in motion the opportunity and ability to create an authority to oversee the expansion of the Cobo Convention Center, paved way for light rail along Woodward Ave., began discussions of merging the two regional bus systems worked to bring green jobs to the city and found ways to put the police back in the neighborhoods.

Just two years after Cockrel served as Mayor, while the auto industry is recovering, Detroit’s financial situation continues to diminish, as do jobs.  Just as people asked for Cockrel’s vision, we need a plan for the City of Detroit. This plan is not just for current Mayor Dave Bing to develop. We need the cooperation of the entire region, including: business, labor, faith based groups and others to come to the table and offer their vision and solutions to help guide the city forward.

It takes leadership, cooperation and collaboration to set us back on the path to prosperity and growth. It is time our business leaders, labor leaders and others to stop being territorial in what they are working on and in the Spirit of Detroit work together to solve regional problems. I understand business groups are talking to each other, but we have been talking for years. It is time to stop the talk and for someone to come forward and take charge of creating and implementing the plan to bring Detroit back.

*This post originally appeared in The Huffington Post in early December, 2011

We are all G-Ds creations

We are all G-Ds creations A teacher at my daughter's school, taught my child and I that, “We are all G-ds creations.”  In fact she said, “not only are we all created by G-d, but it is G-d that made us all different. Some of G-d’s children have dark hair while some have light hair. Some have blue eyes and others have brown eyes.” And some have darker skin than others.

In fact, we are all different from each other – In how we look and act. In how we learn and in what we do. And yet for some of us, it is our differences that keep us a part.

Bankole Thompson, editor of The Michigan Chronicle, an African American, and Arthur Horwitz, Publisher of The Detroit Jewish News, a Jewish American, see differences and yet respect and celebrate those differences because they have taken the time to better understand each other and each others culture. In fact, both are co-founders of a young organization of editors and publishers of Detroit’s ethnic media, called the “New Michigan Media,” and both got together to host an event to raise awareness and create a better understanding between our communities in late October at Temple Beth El in Bloomfield Hills, Mich..

At 38, I was not around during the Civil Rights Movement or the riots in the late 60’s. In fact, the closest I ever got was being born on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. birthday. In addition, during the 1994 gubernatorial campaign I worked for Congressman Howard Wolpe, and had the opportunity to drive Congressman John Lewis (D-GA) to various campaign events in the state and had the chance to learn about the civil rights movement from one of its’ leaders. Rep. Lewis was President of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in the 1960’s; led people across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala., and stood along side of Dr. King on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, when he delivered his infamous “I Have A Dream” speech. The Congressman’s district stretched from the inner city of Atlanta to its “Jewish” suburbs, similar to what the new 14^th Congressional District looks like now here in Detroit. He saw an issue between blacks and Jews then and got the younger generation from each group together, ushered them into a hotel ballroom, said, “settle your differences,” and locked the ballroom door.

Despite being the children of G-d, we are each different and have two distinct cultures.  But there’s really nothing to work out. The riots are over and no real issues have emerged to resolve.  There will however, always be a need to understand each other better. Since the 1967 riots, our communities have been trying to build a bridge, so for 40+ years we have been trying to “work things out.” And perhaps for past 40 years we have been going at it all wrong.

As I mentioned, I am not from my parent’s generation. I grew up in an age when cultural diversity, awareness and sensitivity were each just becoming in vogue. My children are from a generation were the differences become irrelevant or lie just in the background. The first President of the United States that they will remember is black. I hosted a fundraiser for the Mayor of Detroit in our home, who I happened to work for, who just happened to be black.  And although my children attend Hillel Day School, a Jewish day school, they have friends, classmates and teachers who also happen to be black. In fact, at Congregation Beth Shalom, we pray along side of people who just happen to be black. It is today, what they know and don’t know any different, just as I don’t remember the separate bathrooms or drinking fountains that my parents witnesses, other than what I learned in history.

So can we just wait for one generation to disappear for the next to ask, “What was all the fuss about? Instead of waiting, let’s work to create a better understanding about everyone who is different than us, including those in our own community. Let us respect each other for who we are, while at the same time, seek a better understanding of each other.

As a Jewish community, let us invite the African American community into our synagogues and temples just as we want to be welcomed into their church. Let’s invite them to the Holocaust Center to see how we were treated and almost exterminated by a person who did not respect us for our differences. Let us open our Sedar table to those that want to learn how we were once enslaved. And let us ask, the African American community if we can walk with them to trace their ancestor’s footsteps along the Underground Railroad, while visiting the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History to see how they once were enslaved.

Together, let’s package and deliver kosher food through Yad Ezra and the next week serve food at a church’s shelter.  Then we can celebrate our differences and respect our cultures, while eating matzah ball soup with corn bread and briscuit with some sweet potato pie.

Once we have a better understanding of each other than perhaps we can find ways to partner in a new business venture, mentor others and otherwise be vested with each other, not as two separate people, but as a region. We may look a little different, but in the end we all want the same thing –The opportunity to live side-by-side as one community. With the help of The Michigan Chronicle, The Detroit Jewish News and my children’s generation who will respect each other just because that is who they are, we will bridge the cultural divide not just in Detroit … But in the region.

*This article originally appeared in a November issue of The Detroit Jewish News.

What's On Congress' Agenda in 2012?

When Congress returns to work on January 17 after their winter recess, they will return to the agenda they left before the end of the year. This includes focusing on tax policies, EPA regulations, deficit reduction strategies, jobs and the economy.  Nothing new to this agenda fromt he past several Congresses, but now 2012 begins the election season in earnest with the first election (okay caucus) on January 3rd in Iowa and New Hampshire Primary on January 1o. As the campaigns focus on the caucuses and primaries, so too will the rhetoric as the GOP candidates continue to battle for the nomination. Candidates will focus on spending cuts, deficit reduction plans, smaller government, fiscal responsibility and other issues that will lead to new jobs.

While the candidates talk politics, Members of Congress (who also are up for re-election) will talk policy. Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI), Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, for example, will focus on overhauling the nation's tax policy, and linking tax policy with job creation efforts. The income tax rates established in the George W. Bush Administration, for example, will expire at the end of 2012. It is the goal of Camp's committee to keep those tax cuts in place.

On Energy & Commerce, another Congressman from Michigan, U.S Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) will look at the FDA and how it regulates food and pharmaceuticals. In addition, Rep. Upton wants to remove the "road blacks" in place to energy devleopment.

Other issues Congress must tackle this year (or just pass an extension which is punting the issue) include the expiring aviation and highway surface transportation bills which expire in January and March, respectively, as well as education reform.

So as Congress begins to tackle an election year agenda it is important for their constituents to keep them accountable and remain focused on getting our country back on track economically, while preserving and protecting our democratic system.

Public Engagement and Media Relations When City's Are At Risk

The City of Detroit and State of Michigan are at a precarious position as the state looks into the city's finances and talkcontinues about the potential of having an emergency financial manager appointed.

As the talk continues the mood in Detroit has taken a sudden turn back to the "us vs. them" mentality that "only Detroiters can solve Detroit's problems".  To avoid creating an environment that will get in the way of progress and to help build political capital for the Mayor and the Governor, I strongly suggest that as part of the process for triggering a state review of a government's finances, a strategic communications plan and community engagement process should begin simultaneously to create a positive environment to make the necessary changes.  I recently wrote an article on how companies can preserve their reputation in a wake of bankruptcy.  The same strategy applies for a public entity.

For example, before an EFM is appointed or even before the triggers are pulled to start the process, the Governor and his team should be mobilized to the City of Detroit to meet with key stakeholders, such as:

• Business organizations;
• Community development organizations;
• The faith-based community;
• Detroit-based CEOs; and,
• Urban media

To explain why the state "may" jump in to help the city with its financial situation. This is to set the tone and set the record straight as to why we have this process, the steps we have taken thus far (including regular meetings with the Mayor) and what the next steps will be. It also will help maintain relationships and create open channels of discussion and dialogue.

The Governor should also find third party supporters, such as members of the clergy and business leaders, to validate the process to Detroiters so that they know that this is the right choice both the City and the State are making.

Then should the Governor appoint an EFM, along with that appointment, a person that is familiar with the media and political landscape should also be appointed to help the EFM navigate the local political environment and serve as the liaison to the community, as well as be the one to respond to the media and help represent the EFM at various community events.

Community engagement should be a part of the EFM process under the Act. Then having someone outside the Treasury Department respond to the media also can go along way in maintaining relationships in the city's EFMs operate.

Finally, having an EFM come into a community should be seen as an opportunity for a city to experience a fresh start and a new beginning.  As a result, while the EFM works to make a public entity financially stable and secure, the communities chamber of commerce, DDA or other community groups should create a strategy to enhance  the city's image. That way,  when an EFM's work is completed and the Mayor or Superintendent are given the responsibility once again to manage the public entity,  their image will not just be maintained, it will be enhanced due to a strategic communications plan.

Daniel Cherrin is an attorney specializing in protecting and enhancing the reputation of people and organizations and practices in the areas of public affairs, strategic communications, public policy dispute resolution and crisis management, with Fraser Trebilcock. He is the former Communications Director for the City of Detroit and Press Secretary to Mayor Kenneth V. Cockrel, Jr.  Daniel also serves as the spokesperson for Mackinac Island and The Ann Arbor Art Fairs.

Making It Personal: Holiday Gifts For Clients & Vendors

It's hard to believe but the Holiday Season is now officially upon us and what great timing. The week of Thanksgiving, I actually received my first holiday gift from a vendor I work with. She sent a package of chocolate covered cherries (a Michigan favorite) and chocolate covered malt balls, although I told my staff they were chocolate covered gum balls. I was thankful for the gift and sent an email saying thank you, followed by a handwritten note. After eating more than a few cherries and malt balls and reflecting on how I want to say thanks to my clients, I thought about how can I make it meaningful to those who I want to say thank you to. Typically, each year, I give my clients who celebrate Christmas the official White House Ornament.  A great gift for under $30. To others, I try to personalize it. I sent one client some NASCAR items as he is a huge fan, the other music from a college marching band, as he also is a big fan.

Yet, during these tough economic times, I believe the greatest gift is to make a donation in honor of your clients to an organization they support or that they are involved in. Knowing which organizations your clients support, I believe is an important aspect of any client/professional relationship. It means that you take the time to get to know your clients beyond the work they hired you to do and are familiar with the things outside the work environment that they care passionately about.

This year, I will be making a number of contributions to food banks, children's hospitals and other worthy nonprofits -- Just as my way of saying, THANKS. By the way, if anyone is interested in sending me a gift, I am a board member of the MS Society of Michigan, Urban League of Southeastern Michigan and the Michigan Political Leadership Program. I also am a big fan of JARC, Yad Ezra and Childhelp -- I am just saying. Happy Holidays to each of you.

If it ain't broke don't fix it -- Well, it is time to fix Detroit

Detroit Mayor Dave Bing, indicted that he is ready to entertain creative solutions to fix Detroit's ailing problems. Let me first state, as the Former Communications Director for the City of Detroit, and former Press Secretary to the Mayor of Detroit, I am extremely familiar with the problems plaguing our city -- But they are not unique to just Detroit. Cities throughout the nation, indeed, the world are experiencing the very same problems we are. Our difference, will be in how we address the inherent problems before us. For example, tonight, the Mayor called on allowing a professional firm to come in and run Detroit's Public Lighting Department. Detroit Edison would be a natural partner, but for some reason, has either not stepped up an in to help or looked into the city's lighting problems and decided it was not a battle they want to fight. So who else. There are a number of other qualified companies, such as Indiana Michigan Power (AEP), Duke Energy and Corix.

Vancouver-based Corix is working on a great project in Portland.  They are looking into creating energy districts within the city of Portland, to maximize resources, save money and create a sustainable model to carry the city into the future.  WOW -- Energy Districts! Given Detroit's Dellimma, of open areas, pockets of populations and very little resources.

Just as the City of Detroit will draw new city council districts, city planners should look at the city and draw up city service districts and determine what services are need most and then allocate resources accordingly.

The City's bleak fiscal situation is not just old news, it is news other cities across this country are facing. However, it now takes leadership and creativity to step up and turn the city around.

RAISING CAIN IN MICHIGAN & THE ART OF POLITICAL BRANDING

Running for office is extremely different than running an office. Yet a campaign is our chance to learn about the candidates seeking the office of President, Congress, Governor, Mayor or other positions. It is also a chance for the candidates to test the waters to see if the public is ready for a person like them to lead. In the United States, unlike other nations, the campaign season gets longer and longer, much like the holiday season starting the day after Halloween.  So candidates have a year or more to sell an idea and try to persuade and influence the voting public, that their ideas make more sense than the other candidates.  Debates like the one held tonight in suburban Detroit is a rare opportunity to corral the (GOP) candidates  and watch how they deal with the difficult task of face their worse critics – Their opponent.

But in the heat of a debate, candidates often are going after each other to stand out from the rest of the pact. In doing so, their message and that of the GOP gets lost. While they all say they can do better than the status quo there is no real message as to what the candidates stand for.

On the other hand, President Barack Obama was successful as a candidate, in part because he created a brand.  He was the only candidate that we can identify a logo with and we knew what he stood for, whether we agreed with him or not.  He had a message and a plan and a way in delivering it to the masses where everyone understood it.

A brand is how or what we identify people or a company with. It is the message that separates the product from the others. In communicating a brand, it is important that you communicate something that others can understand and identify with. For example, people respond to emotional appeal, not issues, but personality and an appealing story. In creating a brand, it is important that you give people a reason to support you.

Over the past few weeks, Herman Cain’s brand has been tarnished and he has been trying, unsuccessfully to minimize the story although as tonight’s debate showed, the audience or public want to focus on what the person believes in or supports, rather what they did, even in the wake of the Penn State allegations.

Nonetheless, the only way to cut through the communication clutter is to create a brand and the top GOP candidates are having a difficult time standing out from each other. Like Obama, they need their own logo, their story that can capture our attention, their message. The message cannot be just “anti-Obama” or “anti-Democrat.” It needs to be more substantive.

Once you have the messages are clear and tested, the candidates can then create a unique story to use throughout the campaign and at the next debate. Throughout the campaign, the “brand” should be monitored and evaluated.  For example,

• Are people identifying with you brand?
• Are the messages resonating?
• Are we consistent on our website, in our social media, at events and in how we communicate to supporters, the public and to the media?
• What is the online chatter or people saying off-line.

Today campaigning is all about gaining one's trust, building our credibility and generating public awareness as to what a candidate stands for and their agenda for moving a country forward.  I am not sure if that was accomplished tonight. Some candidates however, did stand out over others. They just need to build upon that momentum that Michelle Bachman desperately failed at after Iowa. But for all the GOP candidates, they have time. We still have about 10 months to go before the GOP Convention in Florida in August, 2012.  For the President, it is time that he re-evaluate and re-adjust his plan, and be ready to face the Republicans early next year.

Winning Again – What Business Wants in 2012

Today’s economy is constantly in flux and despite the advances in technology, we seem to be living in very unstable times. A faltering economy, uncertainty with the markets, a lack of consensus in Congress and among many state legislators, and a lack of funding from the federal and state government where local government can no longer obtain the money they need to provide standard municipal services . While the price of gas continues to fluctuate, unemployment continues to gain.  Although property values in some communities are starting to come back, economic uncertainty continues to grow.  Overal political uncertainty reins as gridlock and political in fighting continue such important issues as tax reform, health care, education, deficit reduction and more.  

There is a leadership vacuum in Washington and in a number of state legislators to provide any direction or resolution to these lingering issue.  There is also a split in the business community.

• Some want government help with rising health care costs, while others do not.
• Some want more action on global warming while others do not.

Yet we all agree that something needs to change in order for the economy to improve, sales to increase and jobs to be back in demand.  In fact, where most if not all business folks agree is that they want more jobs and greater certainty in conducting business, as well as for the government to get their act together.

The business sector also want:

• Tax credits and specfically tax credits for R&D; and,
• Increased visas for high tech workers to supply a workforce with a skills gap.

At the same time the business community seeks a government that invests in education and finding ways to educate our children in areas that will advance America’s economy.

The business community also wants a government that they can partner with to help move the economy forward. But business does not want to be in a partnership with a government that has a growing deficit with no plan to get out and a government that is not as transparent as it should be.  As we look to end another year, with a potentially devisive election, it is important for all candidates to agree on the big picture as to where they want this country to be one year from now.

The value of an apology

Saying I’m sorry or I was wrong is never an easy thing to do.  But in preserving your reputation it can mean everything.  Did we ever forgive Enron, Global Crossing, Worldcom or Madoff? ... We didn't, because the messages we heard were of blame and excuses driven by greed and arrogance. We know that no one is perfect. In fact, it is even okay to screw up every now and then.  If you do, just admit that you did and are working to restore our trust and making positive changes as a result of this experience.

We are all vulnerable to crises....So be prepared!

There is one time you are guaranteed to get public attention – during a crisis. Within seconds your corporate and individual reputation which took years to build can be tarnished. A crisis can occur in any organization at any time with devastating consequences. After all, it is the public that defines reputation, not the company. So as long as humans work there will be mistakes, controversy and blow ups .... and crises. We all know it can’t happen to us. But it can and happen when we least expect it. So how should we respond? And more importantly, what can we do make sure IT does not happen to us. Will we ever listen…greed, ambition and ignorance will give rise to scandal, intrigue and real life drama…..Government transparency and corporate governance further pave to make us each vulnerable.  The Internet allows us to expose misdeeds or blow the whistle to millions including employees, customers, vendors and others within seconds and with photos or videos.  Nonetheless, in every crisis there is opportunity (Chinese proverb).

The best plans don’t have automatic responses, but a number of questions for the crisis team to ask, include:

• What are the business goals in addressing this crisis?
• Who do we need to help?
• What information has been gathered?
• What don’t we know?
• Who can help us?
• What must we do now to protect our employees, customers and shareholders?

The company needs a set of messages that set forth the company’s position in what best describes its actions, its values and its approach (No more than three). Also, make sure any investigation is thorough and independent. And while it is important to communicate to the public through the media, the general counsel must make sure any response does not make the situation worse.

From oil spills to government inquiries and hostile takeovers, crises can be avoided

Avoiding and dealing with potential crises is critical to an organization’s success.  Successfully identifying, mitigating and managing risk in today’s business environment calls for a team of business-savvy and experienced legal and PR professionals with the insight and experience to create effective and immediate solutions in such a volatile market. Food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and other consumer products are increasingly being subjected to product recalls. A recall attracts attention, affects the manufactures reputation and could result in litigation or even a class action lawsuit. And public officials are also vulnerable, not just in how they are governing, but in how much they know about what their top advisors are doing as well.

In this mobile age, where news is distributed as it happens, reputations that took years to create die in an instant. Attorneys are the first responders to help minimize the risk and help their clients  respond or react.

News today does not break in the morning paper, it happens in the blink of a tweet. That’s where the traditional news gets their news. People trust the opinions of their peers rather than a reporter reading a teleprompter. Even news anchors ask for opinion over twitter. As a result, what would have been a minor news story that went away over night, now becomes a national phenomenon that is being discussed on the Tonight Show, The Colbert Report or on Perezhilton.com.

How can companies protect themselves in the age of mobile media? How can they be prepared to respond for the next crisis? What can they do to avoid a crises. How can companies keep up on the instantaneous news cycle?

Lawyers are uniquely positioned to deal with crisis and only one firm in Michigan is experienced to handle the media. Learn from our experience. They can help you avoid, manage and recover from very difficult situations.

Lawyers with experience in working with the media, can work with in-house and outside counsel to help develop an effective communications strategy that supports any legal strategy.  They should work with organizations to manage every aspect of a crisis, from initial response to corrective action, investigations and if needed, representation during civil and criminal and legislative actions.

But the best defense is a strong offense. Knowing where an issue can bubble into a problem, knowing who to go to in the media to help share your story and who among your friends, colleagues, co-workers and clients you can turn to for public support and advocacy, can go along way in minimizing any crisis that gets out of your control.

We Have The Responsibility to Watch Out For Each Other, Don’t we?

By Daniel Cherrin*This article originally appeared in the October 6, 2011 issue of The Detroit Jewish News.  

With the 2012 Presidential campaign well underway, and the field of candidates becoming a bit more clearer in the new Congressional and legislative districts, it is now your opportunity to get to know the candidates. In fact, with new districts, now is the perfect time to reach out and introduce yourself to them.

Just Ask! In campaigns, candidates want to raise money to advertise and get-out-the-vote, as much as they want to meet with voters and establish a connection with them.  Elections are therefore your chance to talk to candidates directly about your concerns and solutions. So engage them in a discussion. In fact, invite them into your home, plant, store or office to see first hand what you do. Our elected officials are approachable and they should take the time to meet with you one-on-one – All you have to do is ask.

How do you vote? With no single issue galvanizing our community, other than Israel, it is difficult to rely on the Jewish Community as a voting block. In fact, our community is getting more and more divided as Democrats and Republicans, which actually strengthens are importance as a voter. Just look at the recent special election in Brooklyn as an example, where a Republican beat a Democrat for the first time in decades, on the issue of Israel alone.

Yet there are still some that know nothing about the candidates on the election ballot, but if there name sounds Jewish or they look presidential, they will vote for them.  In an election as important as the one next year will be, it is important to know the issues that are important to you and what the candidates tell you about this issues. So take the time now to react to what you read in the paper and see if there is something there that will turn you into an advocate for that issue or cause and have something to talk to candidates about.

Reflection and finding the way forward

With the High Holidays now upon us, now, more than ever, is the perfect time to reflect on the past year and look forward to the next. In synagogues and temples across this country, we will hear about Tikun Olam (repairing the world), Tzedakah (charity) and Klal yisrael (all of Israel).

As we reflect on the past year, we really need to take a deeper look at our community and its role in serving the larger community, throughout history. Our service to the public is and was not by choice, it is an obligation -- A Jewish obligation rich with tradition.  All Jews are responsible for one another. On Yom Kippur, for example, we do not ask G-D for our forgiveness, we ask G-D to forgive everyone. Whether we know them or not, whether we like them or don’t, agree with them or not, we have an obligation to look out for each other, to support our neighbor and to be involved in our community.

Yet lately, we have become comfortable in our own community and with our lives.  We as a community do not venture far beyond our home. We rarely stand shoulder-to-shoulder with others for the common good anymore and it is rare still that we have an open door to our elected representatives.

Today, it is vital that we keep that tradition of community engagement and political involvement as pillars of our community. Today, it is even more important that we get engaged, become more vocal, become visible and demand accountability for the principles and values we, as a community stand for. It is time that we re-establish relationships with the candidates running for office and those that are elected, to be a trusted resource to them, as should be to us.

Know what you believe in Before you become involved, however, first, you have to know who you are, what you believe in, and where you stand. Do you agree more with the Republicans, Democrats, or Tea Party, or are you truly independent.

Once we know who we are and what we stand for, we as a community and individually need to take the time to meet the candidates and our newly elected officials, invite them into our homes and share with them our suggestions for creating a stronger future, not just for the Jewish community, but the larger community as well.

The Jewish people have an obligation to make this world a better place.  We can start right here in our community and in Southeastern Michigan. Contact the candidates and meet with them, attend their events such as town hall meetings or fundraisers. Share with them your interests, issues, concerns and solutions. Most importantly, take the time to figure out who they are, what they have accomplished and where they want to take us as our representatives. I hope you will stand with me, get to know the candidates and your elected leaders and become a voice for the issues you believe in.

Daniel Cherrin, a father of three students at Hillel Day School, is an attorney, mediator, public relations executive and lobbyist with Fraser Trebilcock in Detroit and Lansing. 

We are building a bridge to nowhere, if you don’t know what is on the other side!

*The views expressed in this article of those of the author and in no way attributed to Fraser Trebilcock or the lawyers and staff within the firm. A similar version of this article appeared in the September 12, 2011 issue of Crain's Detroit Business.  This blog post appeared on Fraser Trebilcock's Blog first.  DETROIT, MICH. + WINDSOR, ONT. -- With all the debate and discussion as to who should build a new bridge, we are missing the point as to why a new border crossing is so important.   Sure we can say a new bridge is important because the U.S. conducts more trade with Canada than any other country or it is good to have an additional border crossing for redundancy in our crossings, but what does it mean for us here in Michigan?

First, we as Americans know very little about our Canadian neighbors in part because we fail to know Canada as well as Canadians know America. It is time that we, particularly in the Detroit area, consider Windsor-Essex part of our region. Instead of looking across the river and standing in awe that it is another country, we need to look across and recognize our neighbors as our business partners and welcome them as members of our community.

We take for granted our proximity to Canada and do not fully understand the unique relationship we have with Canada. From cars to energy to actors, athletes, agriculture and financial markets, we have a lot in common and a lot to better understand.  For example, Windsor was recently named one of “The Top American Cities of the Future,” by FDI Magazine, a publication of The Financial Times. (Cities from Canada, the United States and South America were included in the “American Cities” competition.) That award was given after the Conference Board of Canada said that the Windsor-Essex economy will outperform all other Canadian cities in 2011. That includes outperforming Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. Windsor also was named in the top 7 of intelligent cities, by the New York-based Intelligent Community Forum, a non-profit think-tank.

Despite the collapse of the auto-industry the Windsor-Essex region remains strong in manufacturing, renewable energy, logistics/warehousing and agri-business.  For example, Windsor-Essex has the longest growing season in Canada, averaging 212 days, and the largest greenhouse industry in North America for vegetables and exotic flowers.  With a similar growing season, why can’t we have move quicker on the various urban farm initiatives or take Canada’s lead and build just as many greenhouses on this side of the border. In addition, there are currently 14 commercialwineries with internationally recognized wine that we could work with Tourism Windsor-Essex-Pelee Island to promote.  And just 45 minutes from the border in Harrow, Ont., the Canadian Government created the Greenhouse & Processing Crops Research Centre where new technologies are created affecting the agricultural industry. Why can’t we link that Centre with all the food technologies being created in and around Battle Creek.  We can’t in part, because we are not taking the time to develop regional partnerships across the border to mutually benefit both economies and both nations.  We are too focused on ourselves.

In addition to agriculture: Windsor-Essex is investing in the creative industries including digital media and working with their universities and colleges to keep rising talent in the region. Why can’t we work together, as a region to keep rising talent in the region?

As for Ontario’s film industry, given the uncertainty of Michigan’s film industry, Windsor-Essex may just become Hollywood’s next big thing as Ontario has a permanent Film and Television Tax Credit, with an additional 10 percent for productions outside of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Regardless of what happens with the film credits here in Michigan, we should promote Detroit together with Windsor-Essex to the entertainment industry and continue to build upon the existing film industry in Detroit, while allowing it to expand into Windsor-Essex. Should Detroit loose its clout in the entertainment industry we can work with our Canadian neighbors to still keep the industry in the region. Instead of going to work in Detroit, for example, production crews, talent agents and others would just cross the border and work in Canada, just like the 7,000 Canadian health care workers do everyday to work in Detroit-area hospitals.

Organizations in Detroit and Windsor are working together. The University of Windsor is working with TechTown and has joint programs with The University of Detroit, The University of Michigan Dearborn and Wayne State University. (In full disclosure, the University of Windsor is a client of mine). While Windsor Regional Hospital and Hôtel-Dieu Grace Hospital have developed a strong partnership with theHenry Ford Hospital in Detroit for patients in need of emergency cardiac care. However, to enrich our region with culture and business acumen on both sides of the border, more partnerships around culture and business must matriculate.

The Detroit Windsor relationship is more than just about a border crossing, an annual celebration of our freedom with fireworks, air races or a periodic visit to Erie Street. It is about jobs and commerce, history and culture and the unique geography we share with each other that no other North American city has.  While Detroit and Southeastern Michigan’s population may have declined over the past 10 years, if we include Windsor and Southwestern Ontario, we have a much stronger story to tell. In promoting the region, the Windsor-Essex Economic Development Agency says, “economic prosperity does not recognize borders.” We in Michigan should not allow a border to stand in between us and our ability to better appreciate the unique opportunity we have with our Canadian neighbors -- To grow our economy and stand out from others. In fact, we should build a bridge between our cities that will be used to enhance our economy as one regional economy.

Daniel Cherrin is an attorney, mediator, public relations executive and lobbyist withFraser Trebilcock in Detroit and Lansing.

Cutting through the clutter

This week marked the official kickoff of the 2012 Presidential Election. From now until August 2012, we will be bombarded with candidates announcing their candidacy, being critical of each others policies and otherwise complicating the issues that are now before Congress. This already in an age where we are bombarded with information. So much information that we just don't know what to believe. WorldPublicOpinion.org, a project based at the University of Maryland, conducted a study that found "strong evidence that voters were substanitally misinformed on many of the issues prominent in the (2010) election campaign."

Congressional Quarterly featured this issue in this week's edition of CQ Weekly. Despite having access to a lot of information, what this study and a recent CNN-Opinion Research survey found was that there is still a knowledge gap of how much we know what goes on in government and how it impacts our lives. In fact, according to the survey, we do not have a clue about which level of government (local, state or federal) does what and for whom. In fact, according to the CQ article, "President's get blamed for local problems, mayors for national problems." In fact, I would get calls almost every week from Detroitiers when I was the Communications Director for the City of Detroit and Press Secretary to former Mayor Kenneth Cockrel, Jr.  about issues out of the realm of local government. Also, as a  intern for William D. Ford (Ann Arbor) in the 1990's, I would get calls from constituents wanting their street lights fixed.

So as we being a new election cycle, it is important to know what issues are important to you and who is responsible for those issues at either a local, state or federal level. It also is important to reach out to those people and offer your opinion and solution.

In addition, it will benefit you to have a relationship with those individuals so that you can help shape public policy. Retaining a lobbyist or someone who has the connections can prove to be beneficial to you as an individual or as a business. Lobbyists not only know the people involved, they know their personalities and politics surrounding issues. They not only know the policies, they also know the process and can help you navigate above and beyond the rhetoric, to help you achieve your business objectives.

For more information, please contact Daniel Cherrin at dcherrin@fraserlawfirm.comor visit www.fraserlawfirm.com.