Overreact, Get Paid For Incompetence
February 6, 2007 2:55 pmTurner Broadcasting and their ad agency are paying the city of Boston $2 million after law enforcement there confused a glowing Mooninite advertising the new AquaTeen Hunger Force movie with a terrorist threat. Half will be “goodwill” funds given to the agencies for training and equipment. Does this mean they just got a million dollars for their screw up? Will they use this to prevent a similar embarrassment? Doesn’t this provide an incentive for police departments to overreact, forcing a settlement with corporations who will then pay up to prevent a PR disaster? After all, none of the departments in 9 other cities, who figured out that a glowing Moon Man isn’t a bomb, got any free money.
The companies can’t say what I’m going to: Boston law enforcement overreacted and behaved in a bumbling and incompetent manner. The more we are willing to kowtow to our fears of terrorism, the more effective it becomes as a tactic.
Categories: America, Entertainment Media, Governance, Incentive Centered Design, Law, Marketing, Television
One Response to “Overreact, Get Paid For Incompetence”
AMEN! I didn’t get the whole payment thing, especially because only Boston failed to identify the Moon Man as a toy, and not a bomb. The other nine cities should split the “reward money ” for a job well done, and Boston should be required to pay Turner and the advertising company fines for ineptitude and harrassment.
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