I just watched a regular bystander confront the Woolies CEO on camera and ask questions about price gouging. She responded in a way that seemed pre rehearsed and off ChatGPT. It definitely sounded like she got media trained or got PR. This is what she said VERBATIM, I will leave a link too.
“Our team are doing everything that we can to support our customers. We understand that it is an incredibly difficult time right now,”
“Thank you for reaching out to us. We’re doing everything we can to recognise that customers are doing it tough to make sure that they’re able to get great prices”
Link: https://www.news.com.au/finance/money/costs/can-you-sleep-at-night-shopper-confronts-woolworths-ceo-over-price-gouging/news-story/8c2663ccf215a52f619a2c697d85a6e4?amp
The above sounds so fake and the speech of a voicemail prompt. Its generic and we all see through it.
Now I haven’t come here to whinge about CEO’s but rather ask why they think doing this training helps? Why get trained to lie more? Why can’t they just strsight up admit they’re a profit making company and have to deliver infinite returns to shareholders? Wed rather hear the truth than lies right? I would imagine Aussies respect transparent selfishness over some generic stuff wrapped in a bow.
Don’t they realise that being frank with people will curry them greater favour than relying on PR? CEO’s that simply owned up to greed ended up achieving celebrity status because they were authentic. Harry Triguboff, Jack Welch, Jamie Dimon, Jordan Belfort for example.
Source: Lampedusan
11 Comments
They aren’t lying, they are regurgitating a carefully worded script to protect the company and its investors, not a single thing that CEO said was of substance nor did it acknowledge nor deny the fact that profits come first to colesworth and fuck the everyday layman. I can tell you though that the store manager with them that commented about it being illegal to film someone is about to get a pineapple rammed in an uncomfortable place and a shitload of “PR” training
Because they’re acting professionally mate.
That’s why they landed the role.
Nothing you can say to this customer was going to appease her. Certainly getting defensive or slagging her off isn’t going to look *better* than a super lame “thank you” response.
“You’re right, we’re rorting you” isn’t endearing either.
There’s nothing she could have said to have calmed the woman down, so she’s better off saving face and saying nothing but platitudes. The media would have torn apart anything she said regardless and she is representing one of Australia’s biggest companies. Her words can kill the share prices with a slip up.
Good on that girl for asking the hard questions!
Those execs have already had the lobotomy so they will never say anything useful or interesting …
Because it’s better than the actual truth and saves them from lawsuits and saying something stupid that will go viral.
If you parrot an incredibly bland set of answers you may not be able to kill the story but at least avoid adding any element of interest to it possibly making appear boring enough that people lose interest.
Because using PR teams is useful.
Scripted answers – even insincere ones – are better (for business) than going off script and creating a genuine PR disaster.
PR teams are bad for situations like these, their whole valuer add is helping prime the right journalists and interviewers when there’s going to be an interview. It’s about making sure the right questions aren’t asked and the ones that do ask are known in advance. Expensive PR consultants like these have a real job of greasing with right wheels
All professional / political speech.
People in this sub will defend Woolies and their ceo!
Also what banks and other corporate profiteering companies?
Hire a good PR 👍