We’re sorry, but let’s be candid about what is going on here: this blog post is a formality.

By now most PR industry professionals and fans of Nutella know that Ferrero, the corporate overlord of the coveted Italian chocolate-hazelnut spread, sent a cease-and-desist letter to Sara Rosso, the blogger, brand advocate and source of energy behind World Nutella Day and its respective social media presences—which includes almost 40,000 likes on its Facebook page.

Ferrero claimed Ms. Russo violated the brand’s intellectual property rights and trademarks, which, from a legal perspective, we’re guessing is true. So kudos to Ferrero’s lawyers for their diligence and professionalism; only legal minds that see the world as a contentious, litigious and unlovable place could pursue such an agenda against a woman who only wants to celebrate the same product they’re hired to protect.

So this blog post can’t offer any unique insights, penetrating advice or general truisms other than what everyone else already understands: this was a colossal and unbelievable PR screw-up. It exposes a level of tone deafness and corporate barbarism that one would find in a dystopian novel about zombie-machines chasing the last handful of human beings across a torched Cinque Terre for one last taste of flesh. Yes, from a PR standpoint, it’s that crazy.

So where do Ferrero and Nutella go from here? Supplication. Ferrero must make things right with Ms. Rosso and the terrible ramifications of this inexplicable decision. And apparently the brand is doing just that. Ferrero recently reversed its decision and dropped all legal proceedings against Ms. Rosso. That’s right: World Nutella Day is back on.

But Nutella is living in a different world than it did just a few short days ago. We’ll just have to wait and see how forgiving, if at all, the public will be.

The modern American family is no longer only comprised of parents, grandparents, cousins and siblings, but pets. In fact, nearly three-quarters of all families have pets and spend money on Buster and Tigger as if they were actual children. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the average American household spent $503 in 2011 on pets—which is more than it spent on alcohol or men and boy’s apparel.

This revelation comes as no surprise to those of us who currently own or grew up with pets. Pets don’t judge. Pets are dependable. Pets think we’re gods. And at a time when much of the public is struggling with an anemic economy or the more traditional vagaries of life, it’s nice to have a living entity in your home that sees you as the center of a benevolent universe. It’s a form of respect and love we can’t get from other people.

Americans spent an average of $183 on pet food and $143 on veterinary care, which means that even during a recession human beings were more inclined to make personal sacrifices than take away amenities for their pets. Watch the video below from the aftermath of the Oklahoma tornadoes and you’ll understand why.

Right on the heels of the genius marketing partnership that allows gamers to order Pizza Hut directly from their Xboxes (we wonder whether the most devoted players have left their living rooms since the introduction of said diabolical dietary dichotomy), comes another creative — if slightly odd — pizza/leisure activity partnership: pizza-scented DVDs.

Settling in to watch a movie often necessitates some serious snacking, so Domino’s Pizza in Brazil is hoping their latest ad gimmick will get movie-watchers to pass up the popcorn and candy in favor of a cheesy pie. The restaurant chain partnered with ten video rental stores in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro to stock store shelves with roughly ten discs each of ten different newly released films, each stamped with thermal ink and scented varnish.

When a DVDs is played, the disc heats up, activating the varnish and releasing the tantalizing aroma of just-baked pizza. And when the film is over, viewers eject the disc to find that the thermal ink has transformed the image on the DVD into that of a miniature pizza, complete with the message: “Did you enjoy the movie? The next one will be even better with a hot and delicious Domino’s Pizza.”

While the popularity and accessibility of movie streaming in the US means it’s unlikely we’ll encounter Domino’s scented DVDs here, we must give the company some props for creativity from afar. Shameless? Yes. Cheesy? Double yes. But when was the last time you smelled pizza and didn’t get immediate, ravenous cravings?

This week, National Geographic is hiring a director of communications in its special projects department, and Frank PR needs a PR assistant. Meanwhile, Glodow Nead Communications is seeking an account manager in New York, as well as an account manager in San Francisco. Get the scoop on these openings and more below, and find additional just-posted gigs on Mediabistro.

• Director of Communications, Special Projects National Geographic (Washington, DC)
• PR Assistant Frank PR (New York, NY)
• Account Manager Glodow Nead Communications (New York, NY)
• Account Manager Glodow Nead Communications (San Francisco, CA)
• Junior Account Executive Creative Media Marketing (New York, NY)

Find more great PR jobs on the PRNewser job board. Looking to hire? Tap into our network of talented PRNewser pros and post a risk-free job listing. For real-time openings and employment news, follow @MBJobPost.

The New York Times: Tumblr Founder Says Site Will Remain ‘Independent’

Advertising Age: Coca-Cola Attempts to Promote World Peace via Vending Machines

The Washington Post: Rivals Seamless and GrubHub to Combine Businesses

Forbes: 78% of Salespeople Using Social Media Outsell Competitors

BusinessInsider: Public Praises Man Who Threw Woman’s Cell Phone during NYC Play

We couldn’t let today pass without honoring a staple of Americana that ranks alongside hot dogs, July Fourth and apple pie. Blue jeans were introduced to America on this day in 1873 by Levi Strauss and tailor Jacob Davis, whose patented denim pants with copper rivets have become a symbol of everything that is celebrated in our culture.

Blue jeans are emblematic of everything American from the hard-nosed, can-do attitude of blue collar workers to sexy supermodels in cutoffs to rebellious rockers in ripped up Levis… and everything in between. The public loves blue jeans, and every generation since 1873 seems to have defined blue jeans in its own way.

Here are some examples: Read more

Old-school retailer J.C. Penney faces several big challenges moving forward—but executing social media strategy isn’t one of them.

The company fired CEO/former Apple man Ron Johnson in April after a big sales dive and followed his exit with an all-media campaign designed to address the backlash over controversial changes adopted during his tenure. It all started with this apologetic TV spot:

JCP continued the campaign by turning its social media forums into customer service complaint lines, promoting the #jcpListens tag and asking for feedback on Facebook and Twitter in order to absorb frustrated shoppers’ many suggestions on how to improve the business.

Thanks for sending in all of your feedback! We’re off for tonight, but we’ll be back in the morning. #jcpListens

— jcpenney (@jcpenney) May 3, 2013

The chain didn’t just ask for ideas; it got specific.

Read more

Amtrak has had an uneasy relationship with the American public. Anyone who has ever traveled in countries with high-speed trains such as the Shinkansen in Japan knows that trains are capable of so much more than what is offered in the United States. And though there are plenty of technical excuses and political complexities to explain this national underachievement, the truth is at some point the public simply became apathetic about Amtrak.

To quote a generation: Whatever. We’d given up on trains. Trains were inefficient and clunky, but also the best option for people who wanted something more upscale than a bus but not as cost prohibitive as air travel. Train travel was the purgatory of movement. It’s where people ended up who didn’t commit to any other means of transportation. Then something happened.

Air travel became increasingly exasperating as perplexing security measures, delayed flights, lost luggage, hidden fees and overworked employees became the face of air travel. Airports were places where one could inadvertently end up for the weekend, and on the local news holding a cot. Rising fuel prices also conspired against travel by car, and snarling traffic around major hubs could delay travel plans for hours. And then came Wi-Fi. Glory. Glory. Read more

Reddit, the “social-news” site, boasted more than 37 billion page views and 400 million unique visitors at the end of 2012; those are some serious stats to throw at potential advertisers. But rather than writing up a boring “look-what-we-can-do” press release or ad pitch, Reddit has opted to reel in ad dollars the way it reels in readers — with strange, appealing, funny images.

Mike Cole, who heads the sales and strategy team at Reddit, recently shared the below ad pitch (in the form of a slide deck) with AdAge. While some of the images may be laugh-out-loud funny, the message is quite clear: Reddit is the new “mainstream media”, and advertisers should want a piece of the 400-million-visitor pie.

Public relations is a tricky industry because perception evolves. Whenever a celebrity is caught with cocaine and a prostitute or a brand is accused of using exploited labor to manufacture products, the public has a tendency to become lost in the emotion of the moment. We are outraged or sad or elated or euphoric, and then days pass and reality sets in, and the long-haul truth of life begins to settle in. We gain perspective.

Much of public relations is about establishing a narrative that tempers the ephemeral fluctuations of emotions and hastens the call to reasonable, informed and sober thinking. That is exactly what Pulbix Super Markets, where the winning $590.5 million Powerball lottery ticket was recently purchased in Florida, is doing. And good for them. The brand did not exploit the exciting moment by going public with a statement such as, “Publix is very honored that one our valued and thrift-conscious customers has been so lucky as to purchase the winning lottery ticket at one of our many modern stores that offer the lowest prices.”

Instead, here is what Maria Brous, Publix spokeswoman, had to say. “We’re excited for the winner or winners. We don’t promote or endorse the lottery, we offer it as a convenience.”

That’s it. That’s all. No opportunism or salesmanship there, just an acknowledgement of the facts. Well played, Publix. This is a mature and savvy public relations response. Publix knows that the lottery is a political hot potato for many communities, and that the winners of otherworldly sums of money often lead miserable and painful lives. Read more