McDonald's Yamba: a marketing and public relations disaster

The word around the traps, which is said to be coming from "informed sources", is that the Big M in Yamba is in big, big trouble, perhaps heading towards going belly up.

The other day I journeyed to Yamba for a spot of fishing with a couple of mates, Blue and Snow. When we were putting Snow's tinnie in the water at the boat ramp an old-timer (OT) who said he's lived in Yamba for over forty years started yarning to us about a thing or two.

OT told us that Maccas in Yamba is in big strife with its turnover being a lot less than was anticipated. OT reckons its staff turnover is probably higher than its cash turnover.

We drove around to check out the place for ourselves. We didn't venture into the place but had a good 'Captain Cook' from outside. The car park said it all. We suspected the few cars that were there all belonged to staff. While we were there (about 15 minutes) we didn't see a solitary soul enter or leave the premises on foot or drive-through.

Our group also saw a Macca's sign on a bus stop that's been "touched up". Another local said, "That's been like that for ages. You'd reckon they (Maccas) would either fix it up by restoring it or having their logo totally removed."

While not condoning the behaviour responsible for the sign's current appearance, something is terribly wrong with the local management's marketing and public relations to allow the sign to stay like that for so long. 

Gene Ethics: Grain traders snub GM canola

Excerpt from a Gene Ethics media releases of 3 March and 26 May 2011:

Major grain purchaser Co-operative Bulk Handlers (CBH) has confirmed that strong demand for non-GM canola has resulted in premiums of $50/tonne over the price for GM canola (See MR attached). The co-operative's March 3 Grain Weekly says: "By far and away the biggest development this marketing season has been the increased demand for Australian non-GM sustainable canola.

European and Australian demand for GM-free grain is so strong that leading grain traders Elders-Toepfer and Glencore Grain refuse to buy any genetically manipulated (GM) canola this year. And traders that buy GM will pay up to $45/tonne less than for non-GM grain.

“This market is a bonanza for the majority of Australian grain growers who wisely stayed with non-GM canola varieties,” says Gene Ethics Director, Bob Phelps.

“Ninety five per cent of Western Australia's canola sold to Europe last year and strong demand is expected to continue, but only for non-GM. European shoppers have zero tolerance for GM canola.

* This post is part of North Coast Voices' effort to keep Monsanto's blog monitor (affectionately known as Mr. Monsanto) in long-term employment.

When science became opinion and Abbott became a scientist

From the Don’t Know Whether to Laugh Or Cry files……………

Abbott and Joyce are like Copernicus and Einstein

Frank O'Shea says just because the overwhelming majority of scientists believe humans are changing the climate, it doesn't mean they're right; science, after all, is just a matter of opinion.

According to the website Independent Australia “Frank O’Shea is a retired mathematics teacher. He lives in Canberra and writes for The Canberra Times, The Irish Echo and Eureka Street. His book Keeping Faith: 40 Years of Marist College Canberra was published in 2008.” He is a former staff member of the Marist College.
I suspect that Frank is being deliberately provocative. Surely nobody could be that much of a dill in real life?

'Grafton Goss' bites the dust as Facebook responds to community concern

Snapshot taken 8 June 2011
Click on image to enlarge

Before going to bed on 3 June 2011 a Clarence Valley resident sent an email to Mark Zuckerberg (see below). I’m told that a Facebook Inc computer had read this email shortly after midnight and by 5am AEST on 4 June 2011 the Grafton gossip page had become unavailable and was no longer cached by Google.

Facebook’s online complaint facility is rarely capable of reacting swiftly, so it was good to see the company respond to a personal email in this manner.

To date the gossip page is unreachable and hopefully it will remain so.

From: [redacted]
Sent: Friday, 3 June 2011 9:55 PM
To: 'MZuckerberg@fb.com'
Cc: 'SSandberg@fb.com'; 'legal@fb.com'; 'press@fb.com'; 'abuse@fb.com'

Subject: COMPLAINT TO CEO: Offensive content, sexually graphic language, defamation of students/minors at Facebook webpage "Grafton Goss"

Chief Executive Officer
Facebook Incorporated
1601 South California Avenue
Palo Alto CA 94304
USA

3 June 2011

Dear Sir,

Re: Offensive, sexually graphic and defamatory Facebook webpage titled “Grafton Goss” - Account ID 100002421426059

This letter is a formal complaint about the existence of a Facebook webpage titled “Grafton Goss” and its offensive, sexually graphic and defamatory content which can be found at [redacted] and [redacted].

I request that you personally inspect this webpage and come to a decision concerning this page in relation to breach of the company’s Statement of Rights and Responsibilities and other terms of use.

Further, I request removal of the webpage in question as in multiple posts it compromises the privacy of high school students and minors.

For your information I supply a snapshot of the last few entries on the “Grafton Goss” wall, which mirror the content and tone of the majority entries made by the anonymous creator of this page.

Additionally, I attach a link to an Australian media report concerning Facebook and “Grafton Goss”:
http://www.dailyexaminer.com.au/story/2011/05/25/site-spews-vile-goss/.

I make this approach to Facebook in the first instance in preference to contacting the Australian Federal Police.

In anticipation and appreciation of your assistance with this matter.

Yours faithfully,


[redacted]

*********