publicrelations-spectra23

[publicrelations-spectra23]

Victory on the pitch but Tragedy off the pitch – The Story of the Spanish Women’s Football Team

Every 4 years the world of football holds its breath for the much-awaited FIFA Women’s World Cup. A world cup tournament filled with rich history, glory and iconic moments; this is the arena where champions are born. Regarded as the holy grail for any football enthusiast and players. The World Cup is the most coveted title in world football, The Women’s World Cup is the perfect platform for women to showcase their talents and prove to the world that women in sports are a force to be reckoned with. The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup was held from 20 July – 20 August. Spain was crowned champions after a hard-fought victory against the reigning European Champions England and the tournament was regarded as a huge success. Unfortunately, the events following the World Cup final tarnished the entire image of the World Cup, Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and the Spanish player Jenni Hermoso all due to the stupidity and immaturity of Luis Rubiales. Luis Rubiales is the former president of the RFEF and has been in the news recently for all the wrong reasons. During the post – match ceremony of the final, Luis grabbed the Spanish striker Jenni Hermoso and forcibly kissed her. Hermoso said shortly afterwards that she did not expect nor did she like the kiss when asked about why it happened to the Spanish radio and television. In a social media video recorded in the locker room, we can clearly see she saying "I didn't like it" and "but what am I supposed to do?" After this, Rubiales entered the players' locker room, reportedly throwing his arm around Hermoso and joking about marrying her in Ibiza. Luis was also spotted grabbing his crotch while standing next to Queen Letizia and his 16-year-old daughter Sofia. When questioned about the incident, he termed it as “an unimportant gesture of affection” which was done without any ill intention in a “moment of the highest exuberance”. This incident correctly received a lot of backlashes against the Spanish Federation and the Spanish Prime Minister, Sports Minister, members from both the men’s and women’s Spanish team demanded action against Rubiales. Rubiales was expected to announce his resignation on August 25, 2023 but instead refused to acknowledge his mistakes, did not step down from his mistakes and called the reaction against the incident as “fake feminism” and as a “scrouge” of society. As of now, Rubiales has been suspended by FIFA and he was forced to step down due to rising pressure and scrutiny.

Task at Hand: You are the PRO of Luis Rubiales, explain the actions of your client and provide suitable defence and PR strategies. Prepare a video of not more than 4 minutes justifying all the allegations and suitable strategies to mitigate the damaged reputation.

Deadline for this task is 1:30PM and email it to spectra23.pr@gmail.com. (ppt is also appreciated)

[publicrelations-spectra23]

The Lows and the Lows of Justin Trudeau

Diplomacy is hard. One has to delicately navigate through tight spaces, negotiate at mutually beneficial terms and carefully choose words to utter at the exact right moment. Diplomacy comes naturally to some leaders, who take it upon themselves to make their country stand out at the world stage; however, there are certain leaders who are masters of miscalculation, architects of error and lords of oversight, fumbling their way through the delicate dance of foreign relations. In the latter category stands none other than Canada’s very own Justin Trudeau, the man who is breaking records on the shortest time it takes to completely wreck a nation’s foreign policy.

Justin Trudeau, the charismatic and youthful leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, assumed office in 2015. His ascension to power was met with high hopes and expectations, both in Canada and on the international stage. However, as his tenure unfolded, there were growing concerns among some quarters about the perceived deterioration of Canada under his regime.

Trudeau's early years in office were marked by a wave of optimism, driven by his promises of reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, ambitious climate change initiatives, and a commitment to open and transparent governance. His charismatic demeanour and commitment to diversity endeared him to many Canadians and earned him global recognition as a progressive leader. Nonetheless, as time passed, critics began to point out various areas where they believed Canada had experienced a decline under Trudeau's leadership. These criticisms ranged from questions about his handling of major scandals like the SNC-Lavalin affair to concerns about the economy, fiscal management, and foreign policy decisions.

The most popular controversy plaguing the media recently is Mr Trudeau openly blaming India over the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The world watched in awe as he stood in the Canadian House of Commons and attacked an important geo-political ally, India, over “credible allegations” of it being accomplice in the killing of the convicted terrorist on Canadian soil. As linguistic experts and lexicographers all over the world got busy in searching for the definition of “credible allegations”, the explosive revelation came that he only made that announcement in haste so that the media does not report it before his announcement, making him appear weak and passive. Ironically, it did just that. Mr David Eby, the premier of British Columbia, reveals that the only briefings that he has been able to receive in this regard were open-source briefings, which is information that’s available to the public doing an internet search. In other words, Justin Trudeau jeopardised India-Canada relations over a Google search.

Mr Trudeau has an extensive history of embarrassing India and himself. In 2018 the Canadian high commissioner extended an invitation to an extremist named Jaspal Atwal, a convicted individual with a history of attempted murder and ties to a terrorist organisation. Atwal was found guilty of attempting to assassinate an Indian minister back in 1986 and was also implicated in an attack on Ujjal Dosanjh, the former premier of British Columbia.

Lastly, he recently decided to honour a Nazi war veteran in the hallowed halls of the Candain House of Commons. Trudeau personally met with and bestowed honours upon a veteran of the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS, a division that was, well, a Nazi division. But why stop there? The Liberals even arranged for this Nazi veteran to receive recognition on the floor of the House of Commons during a visit by the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Making unfounded claims without concrete evidence, knowingly inviting Nazi war criminals by Mr Trudeau has not only strained India-Canada relations but also undermined Canada’s credibility on the global stage. Canada would need to opt for better leaders if it wants to be taken seriously by the international community.

Task At Hand:

You are the PRO of Mr Justin Trudeau address all the allegations bestowed upon him and create an extensive 2-year political campaign for him to win the 45th Canadian Federal Election in 2025.

Deliverables required but not limited to:

A. Report consisting of the following:

Executive Summary

Defense Strategies

PR Strategies

A 2 Year political campaign plan

Press Release

B. Creatives (Posters, Memes, Jingles etc etc)

You must also submit a PPT of not more than 5 slides and a report that encapsulates the abovementioned deliverables. Submit the PPT and the Report by 5:00AM to spectra23.pr@gmail.com

[publicrelations-spectra23]

NETWORKING ROUND

An International Fleet Review (IFR) is a grand maritime event that brings together warships and naval vessels from various countries to celebrate and showcase their naval strength and cooperation. Hosted by a nation on a significant maritime occasion, IFRs feature a majestic parade of naval assets that are reviewed by dignitaries, heads of state, or high-ranking naval officials. Beyond the ceremonial display, these events serve as a platform for diplomatic engagements, enabling participating nations to strengthen international relations and discuss matters related to maritime security, disaster relief, and joint naval exercises. IFRs also provide a stage for showcasing the latest naval technologies, commemorating historical events, and engaging the public in their country's naval heritage. Overall, IFRs highlight the significance of naval diplomacy, international cooperation, and peacekeeping efforts on the world's oceans.

Following India's successful hosting of the International Fleet Review in 2016, several other nations are vying to organize the upcoming mega event scheduled from January 10th to January 20th, 2024. With only a few months left to prepare, each aspiring host country is tasked with demonstrating its readiness to oversee this significant event, showcasing its culture, values, attire, culinary traditions, and way of life. The goal is to persuade the Board and representatives from other countries that their nation is the ideal choice to host the International Fleet Review, excelling in all aspects, including cultural, economic, and political suitability. The proposals will be assessed based on their inventiveness, depth of research, and the presenter's charisma.You aren’t required to submit any deliverables, so you can steer your bid in any direction you want to!

Countries chosen:

Bahamas

Bahrain

Canada

Guam

Italy

Spain

Japan

South Korea

Brazil

France

[publicrelations-spectra23]

THE RISE AND FALL OF BYJU’S

The Indian Ed-Tech firm Byju’s was founded in 2011 by Byju Raveendran to combat the traditional teaching methods and to make learning fun and memorable. The company achieved instant stardom by becoming one of the most popular education apps in the country. Through a number of acquisitions and fund raising, the company has grown to become the world’s largest edtech companies with over 150 million registered students in 20+ countries. The meteoric rise of the company was followed up with an equally alarming decline. The current situation at Byju's is a public relations nightmare. The company has been accused of a number of unethical practices, including misleading advertising, predatory lending, and aggressive sales. The company is plagued by allegations of corporate mismanagement, greed, and aggressive sales tactics. The company has also been criticized for its poor performance, which has led to layoffs of thousands of employees in recent months.

The company is notoriously known for lack of transparency. They have been reluctant to disclose their financial information despite frequent requests and warnings from their investors and auditing firm. This lack of transparency has made it difficult for investors and analysts to assess Byju's true financial health. The company has also skipped paying $40 million loan payment to lenders. Byju's has also been criticized for its aggressive sales tactics. The company has been accused of pressurizing parents to enroll their children in its programs, even if they cannot afford them. The company was also accused of using predatory lending practices to target parents from poor socioeconomic backgrounds. In early January of this year, the company roped in Lionel Messi as their Global Ambassador and ironically laid off thousands of employees a few days later to cut costs. They sponsored the 2023 FIFA Men’s World Cup and have laid off around 2500+ employees.

The Ed Tech firm is now seen as a company that is more interested in profits than in its employees or customers.

Task at Hand:

You are the PROs of Byju Raveendran, convince the investors and lenders as to how the company is going to repay the debts and improve the image of the company