From Ghana’s biggest high-level alleged corruption scandals and political controversies, to Nana Aba Anamoah’s ‘photo-bombing’ twitter-bash, to Ghana’s shortest ever celebrity marriage, there is no doubt 2015 was a year full of brand and image destroying PR Blunders. It was a year when political leaders, companies and celebrities found themselves in the limelight for all the wrong reasons. And of course it is time for Ghana’s most anticipated PR Blunders League Table
NEW IN THIS YEAR’S COMPILATION
For the first time, we introduce the following new additions to the report:
– An overall ranking of the top PR Blunders of the Year
– Best Performing PR Personality of the Year
– Best Performing PR Department of the Year
– Worst Performing PR Personality of the Year
– Worst Performing PR Department of the Year
– Special Mentions
– Biggest Global PR Blunders of the Year
We believe these categorisations and comparisons will bring more excitement into the compilations to make it easy for our readers to appreciate the issues and the lessons to be learnt.
However, as it was in the first, we give you a summary of the event(s) causing the blunder, the damage done to the brand involved, how the brands responded to it, and our expert opinion on how the response strategy has fared.
The report is divided into a four different categories as follows;
– Biggest Political PR Blunders,
– Biggest Corporate PR Blunders,
– Biggest Celebrity PR Blunders; and
– Biggest PR Spectaculars.
HOW TO MAKE IT TO THE PR BLUNDERS LEAGUE TABLE
To qualify to be included in the list of the biggest PR blunders, the incident must have attracted significant media coverage for a minimum of two days and on a minimum of two media platform – radio, television, print, or online/new media.
It is however important for readers to note that this compilation is not based on a scientific data analysis. It is based purely on qualitative monitoring, analysis, and expert judgment of the authors based on their tremendous level of experience in the PR, Media, Communications and Reputation Management industry.
Nevertheless, since image/reputation is a product of perceptions, we believe our expert analysis of the PR implications of certain occurrences and events and how they have contributed to hurting the reputation of government, political parties, companies and individuals, would be an addition to knowledge level in the industry. We also believe our invaluable free advice and strategies contained in the report would be useful to all readers particularly CEOs, Marketing Managers, Brand Managers, Public Relations Officers, Entrepreneurs, Journalists, aspiring PR Practitioners, academics, and many others.
Below is the overall league table of the worst damaging to the least damaging in rank:
OVERALL RANKING
Ghana’s Biggest PR Blunders of 2015:
1. Opposition NPP in leadership crisis
2. The Persistent Dumsor Fiasco
3. The Judicial Bribery Scandal
4. GH3.6 million Bus Branding Scandal
5. Ameri Energy Group Scandal
6. Missing Presidential Speech
7. Stan Dogbe tape smash saga
8. GNPC Ex-gratia payment controversy
9. Ghana Gas-Power Ministry tango
10. TV3’s public suspension of Nana Aba
11. Money laundering banks
12. Nana Aba’s alleged photo theft scandal
13. The Asamoah Gyan sex scandal
14. Kyeiwaa’s marriage fiasco
15. Amanda Afriyie Acquah’s sexual gaffe
CATEGORY RANKINGS
Biggest Political PR Blunders of 2015
1. Opposition NPP in leadership crisis
2. The Persistent Dumsor Fiasco
3. The Judicial Bribery Scandal
4. GH3.6 million Bus Branding Scandal
5. Ameri Energy Group Scandal
6. Missing Presidential Speech
7. Stan Dogbe tape smash saga
8. GNPC Ex-gratia payment controversy
9. Ghana Gas-Power Ministry tango
Biggest Corporate PR Blunders of 2015
1. TV3’s public suspension of Nana Aba
2. Money laundering banks
Biggest Celebrity PR Blunders of 2015
1. Nana Aba’s alleged photo theft scandal
2. The Asamoah Gyan sex scandal
3. Kyeiwaa’s marriage fiasco
4. Amanda Afriyie Acquah’s sexual gaffe
Biggest PR Spectacular of 2015
1. Handling of the Judicial Corruption Scandal
Best Performing PR Personality of the Year
1. Her Ladyship the Chief Justice, Mrs. Georgina Theodora Wood
2. Nana Yaa Gyantuah of the PURC
Best Performing PR Department of the Year
1. Public Utility Regulatory Commission
Worst Performing PR Personality of the Year
1. Mr. Stan X. Dogbe
2. Hon. Kwabena Donkor (MP)
Worst Performing PR Department of the Year
1. Electricity Company of Ghana
2. Ministry of Power
Rising Small-Business Brand of the Year
1. CookHouse WaakyeonWheels
Global PR Blunders of the Year
1. VW’s emission test cheating scandal
2. Steve Harvey’s Miss Universe gaffe
