[Editor’s note: The following is another take on Volkswagen’s situation from our friend and colleague Rick Kelly.] The Volkswagen Case Study Two weeks after the Volkswagen emission test cheating scandal erupted, the company has taken several important steps toward redemption. Here we present our second installment in this real-time case …
Is Volkswagen Engineering a Crisis Management Plan?
Things are cranking over slowly, but the automaker is showing it’s ready to face the problem it created Volkswagon’s reputation (and stock price) took massive damage as a result of the revelation it had cheated U.S. emissions testing by programming its diesel-powered vehicles to perform differently when attached to diagnostic …
The View’s Nurse Bashing Backfires
Another failure to live up to expectations creates a reputation threat The hosts of The View created a code red situation after dropping disparaging comments about Miss America contestant and nurse Kelley Johnson. The backlash was immediate, and came from not only nurses and their families but the general public, …
We’re Giving Away “Keeping the Wolves at Bay”
KEEPING THE WOLVES AT BAY MEDIA TRAINING MANUAL NOW FREE TO ALL September 16, 2015 – Monrovia, CA — Keeping the Wolves at Bay, the widely used media-training manual published by Jonathan Bernstein, president of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc., is now being given away in its PDF format. Formerly …
7-Eleven Taking a Dive Down Under
Worker exploitation, wage fixing, and a lax crisis response create massive backlash against 7-Eleven Australia While 7-Eleven remains a ubiquitous part of American culture, the buzz surrounding the brand has taken a serious dive down under. A joint investigation by Four Corners and Fairmax Media found evidence of systemic wage …
Social Media Demographics
Know who’s using what to maximize messaging Every communications plan has (or should have) a social media component. And, as with other forms of media, you’ll want to select the social media platforms best suited to your intended audience. The precise demographics on the most popular platforms are constantly shifting, but …
Are You Prepared to Face Conflict?
Put your conflict readiness to the test When we talk conflict resolution we’re referring to something far beyond basic people skills or managerial ability. Here at Bernstein Crisis Management, we call it Human Factors in Crisis Management. Higher-ups at most organizations will tell you they’re good at handling conflict, but …
[Infographic] Top Facts about Online Reviews
Essential info to help you manage reputation As much as many would like to believe they can ignore them, fake them, or land five-star ratings without going the extra mile, online reviews play a role in nearly every business today. Learning about the experiences of peers and other influences is …
Guest Post: Subway’s Gonna Be Fine
Why Jared won’t dethrone the sandwich king [Editor’s note: Subway found out first-hand the dangers even a seemingly clean spokesperson can suddenly present, and caught a lot of flak as a result. In this guest post, Andrea Obston explains why, despite the serious hurdle, Subway’s gonna be just fine.] Kudos …
Welcome to the Age of Karma
by Jonathan Bernstein The Digital Age has become the Age of Karma. The Internet has given virtually everyone the power to expose information that, in the past, would have remained hidden. The popularity of such disclosures with the media and general public has furthered the trend of looking under personal …
Ashley Madison Hack: Many in Sensitive Positions Open to Extortion
Fallout from this case is evidence of dangers from others As predicted, outed Ashley Madison users are being targeted for extortion. Although the reported cases thus far have been of a widespread spam-based attack, it would take very little digging for someone interested in a more personal attack to find …
Reputation Risk – Creeping Out Your Customers
Are companies going too far in trying to provide the ultimate customer experience? Would it creep you out if your flight attendant walked up to you and wished you a happy birthday out of the blue? That’s precisely what a Gawker article claims is happening on United Airlines thanks to …
Crisis Management Quotables…on Outdoing Negativity
Create a cushion of goodwill to protect your reputation Typically we try to avoid using words from unknown sources for our Crisis Management Quotables, but given the ease with which so many reputations are being put into jeopardy either by minor issues or manufactured/baseless outrage these days this gem was …
Another Scary Wireless Car Hack
More evidence connectivity is outpacing security Hot on the wheels (sorry, couldn’t resist!) of the uConnect hack comes another concern-causing car finding. This time, researchers at the University of California San Diego announced their discovery of a method that allows them to to hack thousands of different vehicles from a …
Allegiant’s Emergency Landing Puts Reputation at Risk
Poor communications and a questionable explanation leaves the airline’s most valuable asset in danger Allegiant Airlines’ emergency landing at a then-closed Fargo, ND airport raised serious questions about safety. And, when your organization revolves around carrying passengers some 30,000+ in the air, that means immediate damage to your reputation. Given …