Stacy Lamb and Adam Smith used to be two normal guys with a blog on Tumblr.com. Little did they know that their late night humor would go viral. A joke between two friends over drinks one night turned into the Tumblr.com sensation Texts from Hillary (TFH). The wildly popular site has generated a virtual conversation about Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and an unexpected result could be a new and improved public perception of Hillary.

Tumblr is a social media blogging platform that is a combination between a traditional blog, Facebook, and YouTube.com. The site was developed for aspiring journalists and bloggers, with primary appeal to those ages 18-35.

Hillary Clinton with Texts From Hillary creators Stacy Lamb and Adam Smith.

Lamb and Smith published 32 posts on Texts from Hillary in one whirlwind week. The posts quickly went viral, with 83,000 shares on Facebook, 8,400 Twitter followers, and an astounding 45,000 Tumblr followers. In one popular photo Hillary was found rejecting a friend request from the developer of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg, and in another being a part of a group text on the ABC show Pretty Little Liars.

To the average viewer this was humorous poking fun at the prominent female leader, but it would turn into much more. Hillary or “Hillz” as she is referred to on the thread, created a post of her own. It read “Sup Adam, nice selfie stace ” She followed with “ROFL at your Tumbler! g2g scrunchie time. ttyl?…” (ROLF means “Rolling on the floor laughing, a commonly used internet acronym.) Lamb and Smith said that they were contacted by Hillary’s staff to say she approved of the blog, and wanted to add something of her own.

After reading the post readers couldn’t help but ask what is “Scrunchie time”? According to a recent issue of Elle magazine, Hillary’s staff gives her a hard time when it comes to her sense of fashion. Rumor is you can often find Hillary wearing a scrunchie around the office to hold her ponytail in place. Hillary chose to use the blog to poke fun at herself, revealing a side of the Secretary of State not often seen by the public.

What Worked:

• Hillz’ team was quick on the scene: Hillary’s team pulled all the right moves when it first discovered the blog Texts by Hillary. There were two ways to look at it: They could have forced immediate removal of the site, or they could play along. Option 2 proved to be the better decision, reflecting positively on her image and sharing her sense of humor.
• People are talking about Hillary again: Hillary has kept her focus on her work, often behind the scenes, since her 2009 campaign for the Democratic nomination for president. But now she’s back. After this publicity boost gained through Tumblr postings, she has new momentum that some say could propel her into future campaigns.
• New relationships with new demographics: By respond to the postings, Hillary has created a relationship between with a new demographic. Her interaction with social media has had a positive impact on her perception by adults ages 18-35, consistently a low voting demographic.
• Hillary’s personality shines: She’s been an opinion leader since she was First Lady. She is a powerful female voice, but to the media, personality has never been her strongest quality. Her interaction with TFH has improved her image, illustrated her sense of humor and made new connections with the public.

— Cindy Miller and Bucky Smith

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The Situation: Controversy surrounds Miami Marlins Manager Ozzie Guillen again, but this time his comments could be the determining factor on his job security and future. In a recent Time magazine interview, Guillen said he admired and respected Cuban Dictator Fidel Castro. Guillen has referred to Castro in multiple occasions as being a terrible dictator but has said he admires Castro’s toughness and resilience to remain in power in Cuba. The comments in Time sparked a crisis for Guillen and the newly re-established Miami Marlins. The result is an uproar that positions the coach as an enemy of the Cuban community so vital to the success of the Marlins. As a celebrity in the Latino community, this is a huge misstep for Guillen — and the Marlins.

The Response: The Marlins, MLB and Guillen took immediate steps to address this public relations crisis:

• Guillen alerted his bosses. Guillen contacted Marlins leadership and Cuban leaders immediately following the interview because he felt his message about Castro was misinterpreted. He claimed his words were taken out of context due to a language barrier. He said he was thinking one thing in Spanish, but it came out the opposite way in English. It was a smart play: Establishing common ground with the Cuban community, sharing a relatable occurrence for any individual that has dealt with a language barrier.
• There were consequences. Bud Selig and MLB suspended Guillen for five games for his comments. By doing this, the league disassociates takes a stand that it does not support this type of action. To some, the suspension seemed harsh. To others, not harsh enough. Either way, it’s important that this type of action have a public consequence.
• A public apology was offered. Guillen publically apologized to the Cuban community. His statements deeply hurt the Cuban community, which makes up a large portion of Marlins supporters. The Marlins organized a timely press conference in which Guillen apologized for his comments and explained his side of the story in depth. He first addressed the press in Spanish to speak directly to the Cuban population. This was a good move because he was allowed to speak directly to the people that he offended without any language barriers.

What’s Next: What should the Marlins and Guillen do now to restore Guillen’s credibility with this important fan base?

• Fade to the Back. Now that the major wave of publicity is over it is important for Ozzie to stay out of the news and stay quiet. By doing this it will help the media and the community forget about the issue. If Ozzie continues to try to explain himself he risks the chance of making the situation worse.
• Organize Talking Points. While Ozzie is staying out of the media it is important that the public relations specialist construct talking points for all the stakeholders involved with Ozzie and the Marlins organization. This includes Ozzie, Marlins personnel, coaches, players, and any immediate friends or family. This will allow for everyone involved in the situation to be on the same page when questioned, which will make sure a consistent message is framed for the public.
• Find high-profile advocates. Guillen needs to gather his supporters to advocate his message. They need to find the opinion leaders in the area that are willing to support Guillen. It is important for these individuals to provide positive support for Guillen through these times because it will enhance Guillen’s credibility in the community.
• Visit the Community. After all the previous steps and the issue have begun to dissipate Guillen needs to put his face out in the Cuban community. He needs to show these people that he really cares for them by making public appearances and attending events.

— Cindy Miller and Bucky Smith

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A Google search is a powerful tool.  It can find nearly anything on the Internet.  It can also be manipulated.

Jim Galloway writes a blog, “The Political Insider,” for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The Sept. 16 installment should disturb anyone interested in fair play.  He reports on an Atlanta public relations specialist using his technical know-how to sabotage Georgia gubernatorial candidate Nathan Deal.

You could argue that Deal is doing quite well self-destructing all by himself, but politics isn’t the point here.  Seth Woodard Persily is out to get Deal, and isn’t shy about manipulating the Internet to do so.

Persily is vice president of Penn Multimedia, a two-year-old Atlanta firm that Galloway describes as specializing in “reputation management,” especially on the Internet.  In addition, Persily is a gay father of two, and sits on the board of YouthPride of Atlanta, an organization supportive of gay and lesbian teens.

Battling in a harsh run-off election in August, Deal criticized YouthPride in a paid advertisement. Persily decided to strike back by manipulating results of Google searches.  Galloway describes the technique this way:

“When you type any search term into Google, the search engine immediately suggests a number of additional words.  Whenever ‘Nathan Deal’ is now typed into a Google search panel, the first suggested word is ‘ethics.’”

If a user accepts this suggestion, she will be offered pages of articles about an investigation conducted by the Office of Congressional Ethics into allegations against Deal.

Here’s the catch: the term “ethics” is kept at the top of the list of suggested words because Persily and his allies have posted dozen of articles, dozens of times, in dozens of places that include the words “ethics” and Nathan Deal.”  Having prepared a connection, the attackers then go to Google and search for those terms from many computer locations.  The combination of posting the articles and then launching multiple searches keep “Nathan Deal” and ”ethics” connected when others users search for “Nathan Deal.”  It’s clever, it’s legal and it’s disturbing.  These tactics seem far removed from the “civil discourse” envisioned for a democracy.

“I’ve never tried to harm someone’s reputation.  This is a first for us,” Persily says in Galloway’s article.  “We’ve always been in the business of cleaning people’s reputations up.”

This episode should give us pause.  File it away as another example of just how powerful the Internet can be, and how it’s open for all to use or abuse.

Learn more about cindy.miller.atl communications at www.cindymilleratl.com.