Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “crisis communications”
Do the right thing and the public will forgive Whether in daily life or business, negative situations bring a negative reaction. It’s how we behave after the fact that shapes the way we are perceived. Attempt to cover up the facts, and people smell a rat. Take the high road …
Who needs media training? Everyone. While empowering employees to speak up in the midst of a media firestorm is the opposite of most large companies’ knee-jerk reaction — telling staff to zip their lips is a more likely standard response — more firms are coming around to this approach. “What’s …
Share information first to prevent problems later We live in a litigation-happy society, but, while it’s important to protect your business, in the midst of a public crisis disseminating important information should take priority. Besides increasing safety for all involved, this practice plays another crucial role in crisis management, as …
Short messages, long reach Twitter by its nature helps facilitate mass discussion, and the evolution of hashtags means that it’s even possible to (mostly) keep these discussions organized and on-topic. My favorite part of this is that it enables professionals around the world, who might otherwise have no contact with …
It’s not voodoo – SEO pays by preventing crises My dear mother forwarded me an email today with the subject line, “Target Says “Veterans do not meet our area of giving.” It was one of those emails that had been flashed around the world and the string was filled with …
Take control with wordplay Whether you’re a Fortune 500 company or a garage startup, at some point your business is likely to come under fire, whether it be from opponents or the media. These attacks often focus on one particular word or phrase which is damaging to your reputation, and …
Stay humble in your celebrations Using crisis management to cope with negative events is a common topic on this blog, and of course it’s an essential part of business. What gets less attention is exactly what you’re supposed to do when you have good news to share. In a recent …
Changes in technology have shifted priorities Public relations and marketing have always served similar functions, but in decidedly different arenas. In their evolutions, though, the two disciplines have grown increasingly closer, resulting in some organizations naming one person to hold both CMO and CCO roles. One example is American Airline’s …
Extra crispy crisis management brings success Another food fiasco occurred last month, with YouTube at the center once again. A worker at a KFC Malaysia location was filmed tampering with food and fired, but weeks later KFC officials were shocked to see the video pop up on YouTube and quickly …
Don’t keep employees out of the loop Many businesses plan for ways to communicate with the public and media during crises, while neglecting internal communication plans. While obviously external communication is important, well-informed employees are a necessity for proper crisis management. In this quote from a New York Examiner article, …
Mistakes happen – fix them with a plan While Twitter and Facebook are great at attracting potential customers rapidly (potential being the operative word), you can lose them just as rapidly via a silly or careless remark. Just weeks earlier one of the bosses of a PR firm got annoyed …
New study shows pervasive lack of preparedness Burson-Marsteller, the global public relations firm, has just released a study surveying corporate perceptions of the state of crisis communications in the age of social and digital media. It amounts to a wake-up call for business leaders who defend reputations and brand equity …
Don’t turn a blind eye to safety One of the most powerful (and overlooked) aspects of crisis management is the ability to come in and spot “crises waiting to happen.” Often they are things that could result in minor lawsuits, ie. slippery spots in restaurants, but sometimes problems are so …
Replaces traditional tools in times of crisis The effectiveness of social media as a crisis management tool has been proven repeatedly over recent years, with some of the most telling demonstrations coming in the midst of natural disasters. The flurry of tornadoes that struck the Southern U.S.in late April was …
Schwarzenegger down, but not out Ex-California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger tried to make the best of a very bad thing when he humbly admitted his having fathered a child with a former staffer.. Had the timing been different, it would have undoubtedly dented his political reputation, but considering the fact that …
