Auditions for the Canadian version of The Bachelor are now underway. While this has many women in their 20s lining up for their 15 minutes of fame, it also begs the question – why do we need a Canadian version? After all, Canadians and Americans are pretty much the same. Right?

Wrong. Smart advertisers and marketers have long known the needs of Canadian and American consumers are quite different. American magazines have discovered just reproducing their magazine in Canada with only a few minor changes has not been well received. Rather, Canadians are a patriotic bunch, preferring to subscribe to mediums that have a Canadian-focused message.

The Bachelor is just the latest US-based television show making a distinctly Canadian appearance in Canada. We can thank Jillian Harris (former contestant as well as Bachelorette) for drawing the show’s attention north of the border. During her season, she brought the men to Canada, for a distinctly Canadian experience in British Columbia and Alberta. In addition to providing great tourism exposure for her country, it also created pride and excitement amongst Canadian viewers seeing their countryside featured to millions of people.

Creating a distinctly Canadian product is a smart move by ABC. It expands upon on popular format, providing new advertising revenue opportunities in Canada (which has faired better in the recession than the US). And who knows, maybe true love will prevail – for contestants, the tourism industry and advertisers.

Most organizations’ worst fear is being thrust in the media spotlight due a crisis. For some this could be a board member resigning while for others it could be a cruise ship hitting a reef. Whatever the size or scope of the crisis, the basics on how to respond are similar.

When developing crisis communications plans, I always recommend to clients they pay attention to events in the news to see how organizations handle their crisis. After all, it’s much easier to be an armchair quarterback and learn lessons from the safety of your office without having to defend the reputation of your organization.

Here are some crisis communications basics to look for when evaluating an organization’s response.

Get out early – Even if you have little to say, make it clear who the spokesperson is and that he/she is available. If you don’t do this, others will fill the void (likely less reputable people).

Be open, honest and transparent – There is no such thing as a spin doctor. Don’t try to manipulate the media. They will see through it and you will lose any credibility.

Provide regular updates – This shows you are on top of the situation – even when you have little to say. It also shows a commitment to sharing information.

Don’t hold back information – It will all come out eventually, and it delaying release often makes things worse (think of Bill Clinton denying he had sexual relations only to admit his involvement with Monica Lewinsky six months later).

Keep your stakeholders informed – Provide regular updates so they aren’t getting their information from the media. And be prepared for these updates to be made public.

Social media is your friend – Facebook and Twitter are major sources of information during a crisis (not to mention blogs, online news…) Update your social media sites often and engage in conversation with your audience.

Being an armchair quarterback isn’t such a bad thing if you take the time and relate the lessons (and criticisms) to your own organization.

As I sit in my Lululemon pants writing this blog, I do so smiling having watched the online ad by Lululemon which makes fun of its traditional yogi customers. Based on the popular video series, Sh*t Girls Say, Lululemon’s version shows a one-sided conversion from a yogi, spewing stereotypical comments from this unique demographic.

The question going around the internet is does this ad work? I would say yes. Having spent more than my share of time walking down Robson Street or sipping a latte in Kitsilano (original home to Lululemon in Vancouver) I can relate to the video. Yes, I wear Lululemon. No, I do not live off wheat grass shots, have my aura checked regularly or lose my voice from saying ummmmm. And this is where the average Lululemon customer can relate. We don’t fit the stereotype. We are moms who are chasing after toddlers, outdoor enthusiasts going for a hike or simply women happy to have comfortable clothing.

What I love about this video is how it has started a new conversation about Lululemon. With over 1 million hits on YouTube (and likely thousands of blog entries), Lululemon has found a creative way to bring attention to its brand – to both customers and non-customers. This is what effective marketing is all about. Breaking through the noise and starting a conversation about your brand.

While it’s a fine line to walk, mocking the people who pay homage to Lululemon, or at the very least fork out $100 for a pair of pants, formatting the video on another popular video (Sh*t Girls Say) softens the blow. It allows us to laugh at ourselves, and realize we shouldn’t take ourselves too seriously.

I’m now inspired to go to a yoga class. This is a big change from the usually workout I get in my Lululemon pants – chasing my three-year-old daughter.

Namaste.

At the start of a new year many people look to make a new year’s resolution. While often this is a personal resolution, what about making a professional resolution? One that will improve the way you communicate to your coworkers and your key stakeholders.

Here’s some advice to help get you started.

Remember your target audience. Avoid lumping diverse groups into one audience. Instead, think of the individual groups that make up that audience and their needs. Tailor your communications to them directly instead of a one-size-fits-no one approach.

Develop key messages. What are the three most important things you want to communicate? If you aren’t clear on your key points, your audience will be left not knowing what is the important information.

Be clear and concise. This means no rambling sentences, long stories. Get to the point before you lose your audience. This also means no jargon or acronyms which can confuse people.

Be personal. No one cares about products, services or programs. They care about people and how your services will impact people. Don’t forget the end user is a person!

By following these simple steps you can be a better communicator and keep your resolution to communicate clearly throughout the year. At least it’s one resolution you can keep.

Many communicators have a hard time explaining the value of public relations – especially in issues management where much of the work is behind the scenes, never seeing the light of day. However, the recent troubles of RIM serve as a great example of what happens when PR is not involved in a crisis.

Last week, Blackberry users around the globe shook their devices in frustration hoping to wake them up from what seemed to be a deep slumber. Sadly, no amount of shaking or cursing would get their inbox to start working again. This was due to. Hmm I’m not really sure what it was due to.

Why? Because RIM wasn’t talking. That’s right – during a major user issue of a company fighting to stay alive, the executives chose not to communicate. Never a good idea. The first rule of issues management is – be open, honest and transparent. Rule #2 – Provide updates in a timely manner. Finally, Rule #3 – Admit when you don’t have answers but commit to communicating answers when you have them versus waiting until the problem is resolved to communicate.

In contrast to RIM, Apple has done an amazing job communicating to its users. Every day when I turn on my imac, my home webpage is Apple, letting me know about a new product or service. And when there was some criticism about dropped calls on the iphone, Steve Jobs personally explained the problem – not only on the iphone but also on competitors’ products.

Hopefully RIM will learn from this experience on the value of PR, before trust in the company further declines in the eyes of consumers.