Monday's quick reads: Polar bears, Denny's, and missing gold

1.) Royal Canadian Mint went into damage control over missing gold (National Post) -- Faced with what may prove to be a huge gold heist right out from underneath its nose, the Royal Canadian Mint ordered polls and consulted with a high-powered Ottawa public relations firm as it worked on damage control, access to information documents show.

2.) American Express gets social to help small businesses (Social Media Business Council) -- Inspired by research indicating many small business owners had a “high relationship IQ” but a “low social media IQ,” American Express created an online forum dedicated to helping small business owners better understand social media strategies.

3.) Do it for the polar bears! (The Washington Post) -- For marketers, climate guilt isn't the easiest thing to sell. Part of the audience doesn't have it and doesn't want it; another segment of the audience already has too much of it. So can you change all these minds with a single ad?

4.) Why public relations is the main course at Denny's (PRSA) -- As the CEO of one of the largest full-service restaurant chains in the United States, Nelson Marchioli credits public relations for Denny’s success. Marchioli speaks with PRSA about reaching customers via social media, the company’s continued diversity efforts and leading during a recession.

5.) How to lose an argument online (Seth Godin) -- Once you start an argument, not a discussion, you've already lost. Think about it: have you ever changed your mind because someone online started yelling at you?

Tuesday's quick reads: Harvard, UBS, and Climate Change

1.) Harvard backs off media policy (The New York Times) -- Harvard Medical School is backing off a new student policy that would have restricted interaction with the news media after students complained it would chill their ability to talk about current issues in medicine, school officials said Tuesday.

2.) The close relationship between bloggers and marketers (Emarketer) -- Blogging has become a major social media marketing phenomenon over the years—so much so that even the US Federal Trade Commission is considering rules for bloggers to follow when working with marketers. Worldwide research from Text 100 shows just how close that relationship has become.

3.) UBS CEO to employees: Regaining trust will take time (The Wall Street Journal) -- UBS AG's organizational and operational restructuring is on track, but the Swiss bank's efforts to renew client trust will require long and hard work, Chief Executive Oswald Grübel warned. In a memo sent Tuesday to the bank's more than 70,000 staff, Mr. Grübel said that "returning the group to profitability will only be the beginning." He warned that "the recovery of our reputation will require hard work and relentless effort."

4.) Energy bill proponents prepare counter attack (Business Week) -- Even as the health-care fight dominates the headlines, another Washington battle is heating up over climate and energy. Opponents of cap and trade legislation like the National Association of Manufacturers, the American Petroleum Institute, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have mounted an expensive campaign of ads and rallies to try to win over key Senators.