If you’re even remotely involved in crisis management, then a couple weeks ago your desk was flooded with H1N1 flu warnings and preparations. The aim of many communicators was to prevent panic, and they were quite effective. Judith Analco of consulting firm EnviroKey says that may be a problem. In …
Reputation Remorse
We’ve seen many public figures in dire need of reputation management, from Hollywood starlets to Wall Street Bankers and sports superstars. The fastest way to get past these problems is to first accept responsibility and apologize, then demonstrate to the public that you have changed your ways. Of course, they …
Put Down the Shovel
Yesterday we talked about one of the crucial ingredients to successful reputation management, transparency. Today I’d like to take a look at another important aspect – customer service. This time, though, our story is an example of what not to do from Boston-based computer-repair service Geek Choice (no affiliation with …
GooglePR
There have been some spectacular crisis management disasters in the online tech world recently (#amazonfail anyone?), but how about a success story? This one comes from the usually tight-lipped 500 pound gorilla of the web, Google! When many of Google’s sites went down Thursday, there was an immediate backlash across …
Dealing with Delay
“We may have to delay the Marathon at least three hours.” Few words can put a chill down a Marathon staff’s spine quite like “delay.” For runners and walkers who have their pre-event routine timed to the minute; any kind of a disruption is upsetting at the least, and devastating …
Total Recall
Every manufacturer and reseller should be ready to launch into crisis response mode in case of an unexpected product recall. As I said in this story: “Too many CEO’s play ostrich about the possibility of a recall. They wait until the recall is required and then try to figure out …
The Flying Pig Crisis & The Case of the Angry Urologist
There’s a new issue of Crisis Manager hot off the presses, with some oddly titled but excellent stories. It’s free for the taking! This edition’s got a crisis management success story by Betsy Ross, president of Game Day Communications, a couple announcements, and crisis prevention advice spawned from a spat …
Rights? What Rights?
We haven’t quite made it a week since the last crisis management disaster involving a major US company and here’s The Consumerist at it again, this time with a doozy of a story involving sporting goods giant REI and Loomis security. While Shane was standing in the customer service line …
Don’t Be A Boob!
British retailer Marks & Spencer passed a public Crisis Management 101 pop-quiz with flying colors when, facing a campaign protesting its charging extra for bra sizes above DD, it decided to reverse the policy and issue a public mea culpa via full-page newspaper ad. Toting the bold headline, “We boobed.”, …
Kentucky Fried Crisis
Kentucky Fried Chicken is the latest big name to find themselves in need of some heavy-duty crisis management. Their super promo, a partnership with Oprah designed to introduce America to their new grilled chicken, seemed destined for success. A story from The Consumerist details what went wrong. What’s happening is …
One-Stop Flu Info
The smooth way in which the US government has handled the H1N1 swine flu, including the excellent flow of information and high level of transparency, can largely be attributed to the crisis management efforts of the Department of Health and Human Services, along with the CDC. Thanks to their careful …
Get Digital
Ask any crisis management professional and they’ll tell you, the absolute best way to handle a crisis is to prepare for it before it ever happens. With digital media fast becoming the standard, it’s critical to factor the Web into both your crisis prevention and crisis response plans. In a …
Message Timing Important During Crises
What exactly do pictures of children dangling from tire swings and teenagers surfing sand dunes have to do with the recent salmonella scare? That’s the question a recent article from TwinCities.com, and many consumers, are asking. “I thought it was an odd way to market peanuts,” says Mallue, a 32-year-old …
CDC Crisis Management
Successful crisis managers learn the most from studying real-world situations. This recent article from AdAge.com dissects the crisis management strategies used by the CDC when reacting to the recent “swine flu” outbreaks. Although the story is directed towards marketers, I believe the tips within apply to any organization’s crisis prevention …
Obama: Crisis Manager
The President of the United States is the most prominent crisis manager in the world. His entire job revolves around crisis management, reputation management, and communications on a scale few can truly understand. A recent CNBC story gives our newest President high marks. “I think he understands communications better than …