Sunday, May 18, 2014

GM Pays for Delayed Response



Earlier this year GM recalled vehicles after problems were reported with the ignition switches in their cars, which would shut off while driving, disabling airbags, anti-lock brakes and power steering in some  circumstances. The problem with their recall is that GM employees knew about the problem as early as 2001, but they did not report it to anyone or inform customers

Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement, "Safety is our top priority, and today’s announcement puts all manufacturers on notice that they will be held accountable if they fail to quickly report and address safety-related defects." He continued to share that the government will not tolerate tardiness in safety recalls, "While we will continue to aggressively monitor GM’s efforts in this case, we also urge Congress to support our GROW AMERICA Act, which would increase the penalties we could levy in cases like this from $35 million to $300 million, sending an even stronger message that delays will not be tolerated.”

Foxx wants all vehicle manufacturers to be more aware of their recall process, otherwise they could find themselves in a similar situation to GM. The United States Department of Transportation said GM’s fine was the highest civil penalty paid from a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigation of a recall.




GM has been recovering since the recession in 2008 after filing for bankruptcy. As of right now the recall is not effecting sales, but it is too soon to tell what this will do to GM's reputation in the long-run. 

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Latest Edition of EsPResso is Available

The latest edition of EsPResso is available! From a peek at the new e-board members to PR crisis stories, the newest issue is packed with industry fun. Big thank you to everyone involved in the making of this great issue.

Check Out the Issue Here!

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

#AmazonCart


Launched on May 5, Twitter and Amazon have partnered to bring users #AmazonCart; a new and unique hashtag that allows customers to place products they see on Twitter directly into an Amazon cart.  

Amazon made the announcement in a tweet, calling it "an exciting new way to add Amazon products to your cart, without leaving Twitter."

It's pretty simple. Whenever a user sees a tweet containing an Amazon product, they can respond to the tweet with the hashtag #AmazonCart and the product will be added to their Amazon cart. Amazon will respond on Twitter and via email to confirm that the item has been added.

In order to use this feature, users will need to sync their Twitter account with their Amazon account.

"We know that discovering products and services on Twitter is a natural, and we always look for ways to make that easier for users…That's why we built this capability through our relationship with Amazon," said Twitter spokesman Will Stickney in a statement.

This type of in-stream purchasing is a really cool and new way to appeal to impulse buyers online.  Many Twitter users follow a significant number of online shopping accounts and as brands and influencers tweet their products, shoppers will be able to instantly save them to their Amazon cart.
The #AmazonCart feature is currently only available to users in the US.
As the video explains below, this means no more switching apps, remembering passwords, or making note of interesting products seen on Twitter to purchase later.

Do you think you will use #AmazonCart?  Do you think that more retailers will team up with Twitter? Tell us what you think!