Preparing for the worst while hoping for the best is a core philosophy of crisis preparedness. Unfortunately, because of the Internet, the “worst” keeps getting…worse. The latest example is the site WikiLeaks, which takes the notion of the I-Reporter to a whole new level. A quote from the Washington Post …
Informing Employees
It’s clear that organizations need a crisis management plan for dealing with the media and their stakeholders outside the company. The party that many overlook, though, is their own employees. Why is this so important, and how do you do it? This quote from a Communicate Magazine article explains: The …
BP Ignoring Impostor
You would think that BP would be fretting over the hijacking of its brand on Twitter, because, in less than a week, the handle @bpglobalpr has amassed a following double the size of BP’s real feed. But part of the reason the impostor is still going strong is the company …
Zappos Markets its Mistake
A sister site of online retailer Zappos.com fumbled more than $1.6 million in the wee hours of Friday morning when a pricing-engine blip inadvertently made every product on that site available for no more than $49.95. Aaron Magness, director of brand marketing and business development for Zappos Development, said in …
Global Crisis Management
2010 has seen a range of unforeseen events that have wreaked havoc, from the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull, the Icelandic volcano, which closed down European airspace, to the financial crisis in Greece and the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico. These incidents follow the financial crisis that unfolded as a …
Manage the Media
There are many variables in crisis management, but one thing that remains consistent is that when things really heat up, the media gets involved. Why is learning to use all forms of media to your advantage a must? This quote from an HFMweek.com article demonstrates the answer: …how well your …
Hayward’s Haywire Crisis Management
More than any other time, in the midst of major crises CEO’s are seen as the face and voice of their organizations. Because of this, it’s important that they possess excellent crisis management and media relations skills. BP CEO Tony Hayward, unfortunately, has been shown to possess neither of those, …
United Shines
A United Airlines flight from New York made an emergency landing outside Washington after a fire broke out in the plane’s cockpit, a spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration said. The fire aboard the Boeing 757 was extinguished before the plane landed Sunday night and no injuries were reported, FAA …
Tracking Twitter
As a crisis management tool, Twitter has an incredible number of uses, but if your organization wants to make the most of it when trouble comes knocking it needs to be ready. A recent post on the Collective Cloud Consulting blog provides some excellent tips for anyone looking to harness …
BP Says No To Grassroots
The crisis management team at BP is working around the clock, but the oil giant is drawing ire from the public by focusing more on redirecting blame and trivializing the amount of oil actually spilled into the Gulf than ways to clean up the mess. Citizens have been reaching out …
Seven Signs
Thanks to the Internet, any crank with access can write something that spreads. If you’re managing the reputation of a brand, the factor working in your favor is there is so much material being published that it is the rare message that cuts through the clutter. But how do you …
10 Questions to Ask Your Media Trainer
In a major crisis, stakeholders want to hear what’s going on not from a lawyer or hired spokesperson, but straight from the CEO or other appropriate senior organizational exec. Because of this, proper media training is an absolute must-have for organizations who wish to deliver effective messages. Not all media …
New Crisis Manager
This week in the Crisis Manager newsletter, now posted on the Bernstein Crisis Management website, BCM President Jonathan Bernstein offers advice on how to choose an experienced and effective media trainer. After that, communications consultant and crisis coach Ike Pigott uses the real life case of the “Jena Six” to …
Social Media Stops the Flood
With nearly 100 of its roads closed due to storms and flooding last month, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation couldn’t get information out fast enough. To help struggling motorists keep up with the changing conditions, the RIDOT started pumping out updates on Twitter and Facebook on a regular basis. …
Overcoming Crisis
Whether it is a business or individual, how one reacts to crisis can make or break a reputation. MyMidwest Magazine recently interviewed several experts on ways to overcome a disaster, including Bernstein Crisis Management Jonathan Bernstein, who offered this thought: Jonathan Bernstein, author of Keeping the Wolves at Bay, adds …