Forget About Selling Sex This Holiday Season: Col. Russell Williams Creep Factor A Huge Turn Off

October 21, 2010


What cave have the people at W Network and Ipsos Reid been living in? On October 20, W Network revealed the results of their Come Dine With Me/Ipsos Reid survey on dinner party etiquette, meant to spark interest in the Canadian launch of the Come Dine with Me dinner party television series. Among the findings released were that one in ten Canadians have ‘hooked up’ with a fellow guest they met at a party, two in ten played footsie under the table, and 60 percent are comfortable talking about sex at a party. These factoids would normally be interesting food for thought, but given that the nation is currently gripped by the ugly Russell Williams serial rapist/killer murder trial, W’s timing was off.

Sex is not a sexy topic these days. After the recent flood of grisly Williams lingerie mentions and photos in the news, I predict that women’s underwear will not be at the top of anyone’s 2010 Christmas list.

Timing is one of the factors professional communicators must consider when releasing information, whether to key stakeholders or to the wider public at large. The daily news can profoundly influence what people are thinking and feeling, and communicators should stay on top of what is appropriate content in relation to what is going on in the world around them. Come Dine with Me Canada premieres November 1.
Sandra Upeslacis is President of IDEASPEAK Public Relations. [email protected]


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