TKC EXCLUSIVE!!! LEGENDARY KANSAS CITY PUBLIC RELATIONS EXPERT TRACY THOMAS SEYZ SCHLITTERBAHN 'INSINCERE' AMID HORRIFIC VERRÜCKT DECAPITATION CONTROVERSY AND SHUT DOWN!!!
This morning we're providing more in-depth coverage and testimony of a Kansas City controversy than any other news outlet in the metro.
To wit . . .
RIGHT NOW PUBLIC RELATIONS EXPERT TRACY THOMAS SHARES THIS SCATHING CRITIQUE OF SCHLITTERBAHN MEDIA STRATEGY AFTER THEIR VERRÜCKT WATER SLIDE DECAPITATED CALEB SCHAWB!!!
Tracy Thomas is currently publisher of JocoPost.com LLC. However, her note to our blog community is informed by a LEGENDARY KANSAS CITY CAREER working with top politicos and power brokers to craft the perfect message. Her views are her own and come from a vast wealth of knowledge gained by working in local media for more than a generation.
Here's the word . . .
TKC EXCLUSIVE WORD ON SCHLITTERBAHN STRATEGY FROM PUBLIC RELATIONS EXPERT TRACY THOMAS:
From my PR perspective of 40 years in the business, and five years as an elected official, the Schlitterbahn park did the classic STONEWALL. Their lawyers obviously said, "Admit NOTHING!"
It's like when someone apologizes IF it hurt your feelings--a ping pong apology. Conditional., not honest or heartfelt--because there are millions of dollars on the table here. A ping pong apology deflects the attention, and bouncing back to the victim, rather than absorbing and admitting they did anything wrong. The tone of the Schlitterbahn response was insincere--more about they're sorry it happened. In truth, they're sorry they got caught.
Instead of the owners taking the microphone, which would have shown real remorse--they sent up their newbie PR gal from New Braunfels,Texas, Winter Prosapio. She never really studied for this career. She was a comedian columnist, who used to write little waterproof bathroom books about Texas toilet humor. Her sister is an East Coast novelist, who was one of the test dummies for the first raft rides--and is lucky to be alive, considering Verruckt was a design disaster.
Tony--the Big Reveal is yet to come...the engineering report. IF it's ever released, which I still doubt. We know the raft design was flawed. Every engineer spotted that. And one local structural engineer reached out and even tried to warn the owners they needed to change the 2nd curve--but he was ignored! The $64 million question is: How much of the blame goes to the Unified Government--for demanding (without any studies, just some staffer and a committee of five untrained appointed local yokels who cooked up some hairbrained 'added security'--that hoops and nets be installed. Insane! So, is legal culpability shared? Can one successfully sue a county for being reckless and stupid??
Finally, shame on the local TV stations and the STAR for refusing to reveal the fact of the decapitation--for the first week. One TV news director (was is 4 or 9) actually reported it--and her bosses made her take the story offline two hours later. Why? Not to "protect the family." Follow the money, honey.
Schlitterbahn buys a ton of TV and newspaper advertising, as well as some radio. The parent companies did not want to piss off or offend a BIG advertiser. They whored out their journalistic integrity. Remember: the KC STAR's #1 advertiser for 40 years was The Jones Store. Not one negative story ever ran about them.
Tracy
###############
You decide . . .
Tracy is just telling it like it is. Good for her for calling out the media.
ReplyDeleteI think a lot of people are disappointed with how the story was handled and the reality is that social media like facebook and twitter and even this stupid blog dis a lot better job reporting the crisis.
Thank you Tracy!
Bring back decapitations.
ReplyDeleteCBS morning program today referred to cause of death as a "neck injury." Guess the truth is too gruesome for national TV.
ReplyDeleteI cannot stand this woman and her oh-so-annoying voice. I could give a flip about her 40 years in PR work. The park/corporate decision to close this ride permanently and hopefully dismantle the structure was the right thing to do. The choice by some of the media to not exploit this child and his family and release the awful details was admirable. Anyone who was paying attention to the news accounts that were released and to interviews of other people who were there was able to understand what had happened. We do not need to have every awful detail - we do need to have every possible assurance that our children are safe at amusement parks and all that goes along with that. And really, so what if this child's injury is being referred to as a neck injury? And why are some so eager to use other terms to describe this horror? A child lost his life and his family is grieving that loss. Stop dissecting this situation and pray for them...and if you don't believe in prayer at least hold a kind thought for them.
ReplyDeleteAdmit it! Few if any who read this story have heard "legends" about any KC public relations people. Legendary PR folks in KC?
ReplyDeletetracy tells it like it is and that's how she has made a name for herself. Such a shame that KC news won't do the same.
ReplyDeleteTKC is legendary for brown-nosing fringe-weird alt chicks, activist douchebags etc. That and the frequent display of scantily-clothed manatees make clicking in here an exercise in "slowing down to stare at a bad wreck'.
ReplyDeletewow giving handjobs on parking lots qualifies you as a public relations expert now?
ReplyDeletedie, cunt.
Tracy is a fucking screwball. She bitched and moaned for months over the slide and then when the company closes it her bitch is they weren't sincere enough for her. Given that every male on earth has dated a woman with this drama queen mindset I can't help but wonder what this broad is getting her panties in a bunch about. There is no freaking requirement to have a sincerity meter. Objectively the business made a decision based on it's interests. Just like Tracy makes decisions based on her personal agenda. Only a fucking nutball would react over the decision because the company didn't bleed purple piss for her. Lady they are going to loose millions over this shit and whether they made the decision based on legal posturing or some other business reason then slide is closed. The fact that it was closed for a pack of reasons you didn't get to approve is really none of your damn business. Jesus airhead! They closed the God Damn thing - Shut Up and stop trying to position yourself at this dead ass kid's expense!
ReplyDelete^^^ you sound jelly.
ReplyDeleteMaybe because nobody cares what you think. I certainly don't. At least Tracy has the good sense to eloquently write her opinions.
She is right. The water park SUCKED at handling this and they were not forthright with the public.
yeah but who cares what this two-bit cunt thinks about anything? nobody.
DeleteHEY TONIE DID YOU SOLVE THE NICOLE SIMPSON MURDER YET?
Of course their lawyers told them to admit nothing. More likely they were told to say nothing. But public apologies are in vogue, so they didn't listen. Should have.
ReplyDeleteDeplorable tkc readers would rather have children decapitated than admit they were wrong. Trump voters to be sure.
ReplyDeleteNice job Tracy.
ReplyDeleteMy 2 cents worth
ReplyDelete-8:33, the comment "frequent display of scantily-clothed manatees" had me in stitches.
Need to watch and see if this is torn down or
carefully dismantled and packed for shipment.
Might kill a Chinaman if sold off and reused.
8:42---She used to give pretty good head also and it's pubic relations not public relations.
ReplyDelete8:48 No one cares that you think you speak for everyone - Cunt Breath!!!
ReplyDelete9:30 Only a complete moron could read the blog comments and hallucinate your conclusion. You just make it up as you go or is there a deeper issue?
ReplyDeleteWhen I see the hate of Tracy it just convinces me that she is making a good point. So many people can't take the truth and Tracy is one of the few who has the courage to tell it like it is.
ReplyDeleteYeah, Tracy, to paraphrase, don't let the idiot bastards get you down .
ReplyDeleteThe park deserves all the criticism that comes their way. They screwed up the ride and screwed up their statement. SHAME ON THEM!
ReplyDeleteThe park didn't owe a bunch of blog hogs a statement period. The business was forced into damage control mode because of their deep pockets. My money is betting the shutting down of the slide was negotiated as part of a settlement strategy and was part of a much lesser projected expense to the business. The fact is if the kid had been some poor white trash schmuck things may well have not gone this way. Nevertheless, there is no need for a corporation to make its decisions based on what the blogging masses think is proper. The only thing that counts is how it washes for the business. The rest of the whiners don't have a red cent in this situation. The company is the share holder not the peons doing the griping. I guarantee the company could care less what some blog group carries on about.
ReplyDeleteIt is all about making the best decision for the business. I doubt there would have been a boycott if the park had gone the other way on this as there was sure no slowdown at the park after the accident. This slide closing was proposed behind the scenes and was used to complement a lesser payout related to liability.
^^^^^^^^^Dead on the money
ReplyDeleteBest blowjobs ever..the problem is that's the only fucking time she ever shut-u0
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteyawn!!!!!!!!!!!
If I had designed it, this never would have happened. We Mizzou engineering grads are too smart to make mistakes like this. I will be down at the Plaza tomorrow night in my black and gold if any of you want to find me in the crowd and get down on your hands and knees and worship my superior intellect. Just remember me next time you sit at a red stoplight.
ReplyDelete