Don’t let negative encounters become crises Negative customer experiences are often passed off as someone “having a bad day” or excused with statements like, “nothing would make them happy”, but the reality is that dismissing these incidents is setting yourself on the road to crisis. Yes, sometimes there is nothing …
Army.mil Hack – a Reminder of the Need to Prepare
Chances of being the victim of a cyber attack continue to rise While the military has had its share of web issues, it’s still safe to say that its official websites are more secure than your average page. Although there’s no way to keep 100% of hackers out of any …
Are You Sending the Right Message Internationally?
Chances are some of your communications are being lost in translation It’s quite common for even smaller organizations to operate across international borders, and those that don’t are still likely to need to communicate in more than one language from time to time. While your communications may be polished and …
Reputation and the Financial Sector
Identifying the biggest threat to financial firms’ reputations Reputation is your most valuable asset, and today there are more threats to reputation than ever before. One of the fastest-growing and most impactful issues is information security, and the results of the 2015 Makovsky Wall Street Reputation Study show why. According …
Cyber Threats 101
The time to prepare for a cyber attack is before it happens, not while you’re picking up the pieces A recent poll from the cybersecurity experts at CyberEdge returned some startling stats. A full 71% of respondents’ networks were breached in 2014, 59% saw a rise in mobile device threats, …
Austin City Managers Take a Trip Back in Time
A situation that begs the question, “what were they thinking?” Austin, Texas has been making a name for itself as a hip and progressive city in recent years. While you would expect city officials to be celebrating their new majority female City Council, the first in Austin’s history, their reaction …
Customer Service Matters for Crisis Management
Customer service is often the first line of defense when it comes to reputation We’ve all had an awful customer service experience. Whether it was in person, over the phone, or now through email and social media, it never leaves you feeling eager to do business with the entity responsible. …
DoT Forces Takata’s Recall Into the Fast Lane
Dragging your feet is an easy way to make a bad situation worse Air bag manufacturer Takata has been dragging its feet when it comes to a widespread recall despite agreeing that a defect does exist which causes potentially deadly ruptures in its product. Used in cars from a variety …
Sexual Innuendo Bus Ad Backfires
Another easily preventable crisis creates financial loss In a perfect example of the type of crisis that would have been averted had those responsible thought to use the just-launched AvoidTheApology.com, UK-based New Adventure Travel Limited thought it would be brilliant if there were images of half-naked folk holding signs that …
Tech Failure: American Airlines iPad Glitch
You need backup plans in place for when technology fails Many organizations have looked to technology to lower costs and lighten the load, but they often seem surprised when that very technology encounters issues or just plain stops working. This was the case when iPad software used by American Airlines …
The Price of Losing Your Cool
Flipping out is not an option Composure is everything, and whether you’re a public figure or an ordinary Joe, blowing up in front of anyone with a recording device can quickly make you headline material. The Cincinnati Reds have been having a tough time recently, and manager Bryan Price finally lost …
Crisis Management Risk: .sucks Domains
Don’t let nasty new domains create trouble for your org We often caution clients to snap up URL’s like yournamesucks.com or yournamescam.com in order to protect themselves, but a newly approved domain is taking that issue to a whole new level. Starting in June, .sucks domains will go on sale …
Infographic: Lessons in Nonprofit Communications
Stats and info that will improve your communication capabilities Nonprofits typically have a mission of doing good, but unfortunately that doesn’t mean they don’t have their fair share of sticky communication situations. We think you’ll find this infographic, from the 2015 Nonprofit Communications Trends Report, useful for any organization’s communication …
Guest Post: Great Idea, Horrible Execution
[Editor’s note: This post, originally published in Jeff Chatterton’s Winning Reputations newsletter, provides a perfect example of how using the wrong language can completely disrupt the message you’re trying to get across.] Brussels Airlines has launched an international ‘image makeover’ campaign in an effort to disassociate Africa from the horrible …
SeaWorld's Hashtag Disaster
Before you launch that “hot” new hashtag, stop and think about what could go wrong What’s it going to take for people to learn that you can’t just slap up a hashtag and assume the outcome will be a positive one? From huge organizations like McDonald’s and British Gas to …