Our crisis management consultants share their takeaways from this outrage outbreak You’ve undoubtedly already seen coverage related to Peloton, maker of high end exercise bikes and treadmills, becoming the first brand to draw the internet’s ire in the 2019 holiday season. While pundits have been furiously drawing lines in the …
Avoiding the Somebody Else’s Problem Field
Avoiding the Somebody Else’s Problem Field Don’t make this common, and often damaging, crisis management mistake! In The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, author Douglas Adams famously described the “Somebody Else’s Problem” (SEP) cloaking device as the perfect way to hide even the most noticeable of items, writing, “An SEP …
Understanding the Three Phases of a Crisis
[Editor’s note: This guest post from Sheri Singer, president at Singer Communications, explores three phases found in every crisis, teaching a bit about each and highlighting the most important phase…which is probably not the one you’d expect!] As one of the wealthiest people in the world, Warren Buffet says …
Why Crisis Management Best Practices Matter To You
Ever since the early days of Bernstein Crisis Management we’ve referred to much of what we share with readers as, “for all crisis managers, whether it’s in their job description or not”. While we know most of the folks who wind up on our site are wearing other hats in …
Fisher Investments’ CEO Ken Fisher Puts $600 Million Foot in Mouth
It is the year 2019. Anything we say or do can end up being captured live and/or as a recording by virtually anyone around us, and then shared globally. Apparently Fisher Investments’ CEO Ken Fisher didn’t get the word. At the Tiburon summit conference this past week, according to …
Sorry Joan Jett, Reputation Does Matter
[Editor’s note: Today we’re pleased to share a guest post from Australia-based crisis pro Tony Jaques and his Managing Outcomes newsletter. While what exactly constitutes a “bad” reputation certainly varies depending on factors including industry, past behavior, success level, and many more, to not care at all is rarely …
Catching Loose Cannons Before They Cause Damage
In today’s business world, off-the-cuff comments or behaviors by key players can expose your organization to millions of dollars in lost reputation, sales, legal fees, and other recovery costs. How, then, do you determine if you have a loose cannon on your hands and what are the steps required …
3 Public Speaking Tips From Crisis Management Experts
With very few exceptions, people will tell you that speaking in public terrifies them. Even when it’s to deliver good news! Make it your job to communicate about a negative issue, and suddenly the anxiety cranks up to an 11. While there is no magic formula to remove every …
When A Sudden Event Threatens Your Company, Step Up Like Wag
This guest post comes to us from expert consultant, Bernstein Crisis Management team member, and founder of Jon F. Harmon Strategic Communications, Jon Harmon! When a sudden event threatens your company, step up like Wag What do you do if you’re a five-year-old company suddenly faced with an existential …
Crisis Management Case Study: Exploding Fireplace Recall
[Author’s Note: The general public seldom gets to see what goes on behind the scenes of a significant product recall. It ain’t always easy!] The Crisis Home Products manufacturing (name disguised), based in the Midwest with operations throughout North America, received reports from distributor showrooms that some of the …
Tips To Help You Sort Through Today’s Polarized Publics
More and more often while working with clients we see examples of how extremely polarized audiences have become today. While gauging public reaction to your crisis communications is a recommendation any expert will give you, fewer mention the fact that you may see completely different responses to the same …
Boeing: “Sorry” Doesn’t Have To Be The Hardest Word
[While there’s absolutely a need to take care when dealing with issues involving major risk of litigation, sometimes the situation demands a clear, “We’re sorry”. In this guest post, reputation and crisis expert Mark Story asks why it was those words Boeing battled to avoid saying in the face …
The 3 Most Important Things to Do When A Crisis Hits
When you run into a situation that threatens to disrupt operations, reputation, and your bottom line, a brand-new “To Do Now!” list snaps into existence with alarming speed. Over our decades of experience working with clients in nearly every industry, we’ve found a few steps to be most important …
Crying Wolf Pt. 3 – How to Prevent the Situation from Spiraling into a Crisis
[Editor’s note: This compelling blog series comes to us from international crisis management expert and Bernstein Crisis team member Tim Scerba.] How to Prevent the Situation from Spiraling into a Crisis Once a situation exists that has the potential to become a crisis, there are specific conditions that can …
Crying Wolf Pt. 2 – The Elements of a Crisis
[Editor’s note: This compelling blog series comes to us from international crisis management expert and Bernstein Crisis team member Tim Scerba.] The Elements of a Crisis A key part of crisis preparedness and issues management planning is remembering that a crisis will only occur under very specific circumstances. First, …