So, How Do You Define the Elon Musk & Sink “News Story?”

One may wonder if Mr. Musk is preparing for a career in the home building or plumbing industry.

By Edward M. Bury, APR, MA (aka The PRDude)

By now you’ve seen or perhaps heard about the action by the world’s richest man to carry in a porcelain object found in many homes and structures around the world as a way of “defining” his acquisition of one of the world’s most well-known and valuable social media platforms.

Yes, I’m referring to the news October 26 with an image showing Elon Musk, dressed in a black t-shirt and grinning somewhat pervasively, entering the San Francisco headquarters offices of Twitter, his arms wrapped around a white bathroom sink.

Questions? Yes, I have questions on why Mr. Musk employed the sink as a prop, unless of course, he planned to install it in the Twitter offices in the South of Market district; but first a perspective on the times we live in today. 

The world — and what’s been customary in business, culture and general behavior — continues to change, and at a much more rapid pace. From a broad perspective, change can be beneficial for society, laying the foundation for improvement and efficiency, sharing of new ideas and discoveries. 

Now back to the focus of this post. I trust in years past significant corporate acquisition proceedings were consummated by guys in well-tailored dark suits and held in spectacular office conference rooms, followed by a fabulous dinner with steaks and martinis. The soaring growth and value of technology companies, mostly led by guys sporting hoodies and jeans, is eroding some time-honored business practices.

For Mr. Musk to forge ahead with a novel decision to wrap both arms around a sink while entering the Twitter offices is an example of how we’ve changed. For better or worse? That’s not my immediate concern.

But, looking at this scenario from the perspective of a public relations guy, I’d say the “Musk Sink Incident” is nothing more than a publicity stunt.  Yes, one of the best-known and storied communications tactics designed to generate exposure and commentary was behind a tactic involving one of the most talked about men on the planet. The Twitter sale would had generated exposure if Mr. Musk entered the building with just a smile and left the sink in the shipping container.

As for my questions:

1. Was the decision to carry a sink part of a strategic communications or corporate strategy?
2. Were Mr. Musk’s communications team members on board with the tactic?
3. Didn’t the exposure brought on by the purchase of Twitter generate enough exposure for Mr. Musk and his brand?
4. Will Mr. Musk leverage the exposure brought on by the incident to build awareness for future business activities?
5. Will other firms resort to having the top executive carry a sink — or perhaps a stove or microwave oven — during a major corporate event?
6. Will a sink replace the little blue bird as the new Twitter logo?

Okay, just kidding on the last two questions. But, I find it disconcerting that a icons of  business, sports, political and entertainment often resort to clearly somewhat childish initiatives to increase their presence in the world today. Are their egos really that inflated?

 

Reflections from Portugal’s Second City: A Late September Visit to Porto

A captivating evening scene along the Douro River from our hotel. This is one of the features that makes Portugal’s “second city” a first rate destination.

By Edward M. Bury, APR, MA (aka The PRDude)

Sometimes, a general perception of a place you first visit comes true. That was the case for Susan and I late last month following a week in Porto, Portugal’s “second city,” a scenic, historic, welcoming and maddeningly hilly river town best known as the place where — you guessed it — port wine originated.

In preparing for our trip, I read some guidebooks and studied online reports of Porto, learning from multiple sources:  “Braga prays, Coimbria learns, Lisbon shows off and Porto works.”

A second city that works. Sounds like a place I know well, and a place we would find captivating.

Our headquarters for this seven-day adventure to Europe, our first since the 2019 journey to Dublin, was the smart and stylish Neya Porto Hotel, located right on the Douro River. A short walk to the restaurants, entertainment venues, and other and activity in the Riberia district, the Neya Porto also had this cool feature: The Porto tram literally ran in front of the hotel on its route to the Atlantic Ocean.  This transit guy became enthralled by this century-old transit mode, and of course I did take a ride.

What follows are some general observations, followed by images.

Porto vs. Portugal’s First City.

Both Porto and Lisbon offer the visitor great culture and outstanding value, especially when compared to other metro areas on the continent. While Lisbon clearly boasted more grand museums, plazas, and parks, Porto offered more grit and reality.  We sensed people lived in the same apartments for generations, and had no intention of leaving.  Small restaurants and two-aisle grocery stores added a sense of permanence, plus were places to get ridiculously inexpensive snacks and meals. (An aside: In August of 2017, I posted this Narrative on Lisbon, followed by this Travelogue.)

Preserving What Made Porto, Porto.

From the terrace of the hotel and during strolls through town, we observed and encountered restoration and reconstruction. Construction cranes dotted the hillsides where century old or older homes were being rebuilt.  Along the Douro, tour boats mostly replaced the rabelo boats, used for centuries to transport people and wine. But a few of the old flat-bottomed sail boats were docked across the river on the Vila Nova de Gaia side, which brought a sense of history to visitors.

The Hop On, Hop Off Perspective.

Doubledecker city buses and the aforementioned tram provided comfortable and inexpensive transit throughout Porto and its environs. But we also opted for the ultimate tourist excursion: Taking the Yellow Bus tour. On its two routes, we gained a much better perspective of the city and its environs; but we also gained a great respect for the men and women behind the wheel.  They had to navigate exceedingly narrow, hilly, and winding roads, doing so with poise and aplomb. Plus, the tour buses had to share the roads with other cars, cycles, scooters, and throngs of tourists.

A Final Thought on the People.

Most of the people we met in and around Porto — from the pleasant hotel staff to the friendly owner of the nearby restaurant Papavinhos — demonstrated simple courtesy and offered us welcome. There was a genuine sense of respect for your fellow human being. One incident stood out: As we waited for the Yellow Bus to take us on the Historical Porto route, we observed an elderly lady with a cane, her back hunched over, trying to walk up a hill toward the Porto Cathedral. A young man approached, offered his arm, and helped the lady on her route.  How did she return? We don’t know, but we ascertain that another Porto resident provided help. 

In Porto, they don’t raze old buildings; they make them new and useful again.

This self-described transit guy had the entire Porto Tram Museum to himself one afternoon. All aboard!

Need directions in Porto? Ask its favorite son, Henry the Navigator. He’ll point you in the right direction.

Here’s another example of how Porto works: A new metro station is under construction right across from the Sao Bento train station.

Yes, they do also pray in Porto. The Porto Cathedral, shown here, is a Romanesque monument in the heart of the city.

The riverfront in the Riberia district is the happening place in Porto; the port wine lodges are across the river in Vila Nova de Gaia.

Each cobblestone street offered an adventure of sorts. Remember to bring good walking shoes if you visit Porto.

Porto offered unparalleled dining value for your dollar; I mean Euro. Our delicious meal of octopus, wine, bread, olives and soup was under 30 bucks. I mean Euros.

Porto is quite a walkable city; but be prepared to walk uphill a lot. Up many streets, you’ll find music, outdoor cafes, and yes, lots of opportunities to enjoy a glass of wine.

The aerial tram in Gaia provided a picture-postcard perspective of the riverfront. Note the historic rabelo boats docked at left. Wine lodges are to the right.