Non-Profit – Case Study
Ducking a Reputation Disaster
Houston, Texas
The Assignment
- A commercial development was on the receiving end of a public misinformation campaign after acquiring a neglected tract of land containing a manmade pond.
- Area residents who developed a long-time affinity for the manmade pond that they fondly called, “Lake Thicket,” claiming it was a natural habitat and feeding a population of Muscovy ducks.
• Note: A high-profile Houston Chronicle columnist was preparing to write about the situation..
Carbonara Group’s Role
- Preparing the commercial developer for the Houston Chronicle interview, ensuring that the reporter was made aware of the correct facts of the matter and provided with exhibits that would show how the neighborhood was misrepresenting the situation.
The Approach
- Recommended that the developer be transparent with the reporter, highlighting its historic actions and intended site plans
- Developed a fact sheet that detailed engineering reports of the property, background information about the Muscovy ducks and the commercial developer’s core value of sustainability
- Counseled the client on delivering the company’s messaging efficiently and effectively to reporters and the public
- Recommended that the commercial developer meet with the residents to inform them that the interview had taken place and that an article was pending publication. This meeting also allowed the developer to update the residents on the site, share plans to replace the pond with a water detention area that was far more sustainable, and discuss the company’s plan to remove the wildlife safely and humanely from the site.
The Results
- The commercial developer agreed to be interviewed by the Houston Chronicle, and thought that the resulting article was a balanced, factual story that:
- Diffused the situation
- Reinforced the company’s reputation for sustainability
- Subsequent media inquiries about the pond dissipated quickly when Carbonara Group sent inquiring reporters a copy of the Houston Chronicle column that thoroughly explained the situation
- Surrounding neighborhood associations who had previously supported the residents went silent
- The protests stopped
- The commercial developer has since maintained a friendly dialogue with the neighbors.
