AIG: Busted

AIG has been caught in so much questionable behavior that effective PR may not even be able to bring the company back up to good standing. One of the world's largest insurance companies, AIG's assets valued $1 trillion. While AIG is a successful company, I'm not sure it's a very smart one. Not only has AIG been on the brink of failure, but only days after their $85 billion taxpayer bailout, the company spent $440,000 on an all expense-paid vacation for its top employees in 2008. It should more properly be called a "expenses paid by U.S. taxpayers" vacation. AIG representatives say that such a trip is standard in the industry, comparing it to the necessity of a salary to any job. Regardless of this trip being typical of a company so well-known, there's no doubt about poor planning regarding its timing.

What does this say about AIG? Well in the PR sense, AIG's immediate actions generated a message to the public that said, "Thanks for the money, we've needed a vacation." One can't help but wonder if the AIG execs had any inclination as to what possible repercussions could result from such an inconsiderate act. You're company's on the brink of distraction, American taxpayers rescue you, and then you take your employees on a nearly half-a-million dollar trip to a lavish resort? Good luck pulling yourselves out of this one, AIG.

http://www.wisebread.com/the-aig-retreat-pictures-why-its-worse-than-you-think