Vendors in crisis management mode after horse meat found in “beef” burgers Last week many shoppers in the UK and Ireland were dismayed to hear that they very well may have eaten horse meat when consuming what they believed to be pre-made beef burgers sold in several popular supermarket chains. …
L.A. Catholic Officials Caught in Scandal…again
New documents further damage an already-battered reputation As a result of ignoring the basic tenets of crisis management, not to mention human decency, for years the Catholic church takes a major reputation hit every few months as new revelations expose the scope of child molestations by clergymen, as well as …
An Alpine Road to Redemption
Editor’s note: In this post, which originally appeared on the Triad Strategies blog, Rick Kelly perfectly describes the situation Lance Armstrong finds himself in following his doping confession, as well as the opportunities that lie ahead of him should he be up to the challenge. An Alpine Road to Redemption …
Crisis Management for Tomorrow
The incident is over, but the crisis has just begun Most organizations understand the need to have crisis management plans to cope with immediate issues like fires, machinery failures or violence in the workplace. However, crises aren’t over just because the incident’s drawn to a close. In fact, they’re only …
IBM, Bribery and Crisis Management
If you’re caught, pay the price, or risk your reputation It’s well known that many countries around the world use and accept bribery so openly that it’s all but an official part of the business culture, but that doesn’t make the consequences any less damaging when an organization gets caught …
Cheerios’ Anti-GMO Social Media Crisis
Wily protestors turn Facebook app against company, creating need for crisis management An attempt to engage consumers via Facebook backfired for Cheerios last month when anti-GMO protesters turned the company’s new custom app to their own purposes. The protestors flooded Cheerios’ page created with the app originally intended to foster …
Watch What You Say…
Guard what you say around reporters, it’s just good crisis management There hasn’t been much news from the Mars rover in a while, so when the chief scientist for the project proclaimed that the latest discovery picked up through Curiosity’s Sample Analysis at Mars instrument, essentially an on-board chemistry lab, …
Sexism and Crisis Management
Avoid sexism in messaging, or find yourself knee-deep in crisis management With the U.S. women’s rights movement approaching 165 years in action, one would expect organizations to assiduously avoid sexist comments in their communications. Of course, if every organization did the right thing, then what fun would we have writing …
Get Real with Crisis Communications
Don’t make promises you can’t keep, or you’ll find yourself in need of more crisis management Make sure that you are realistic with your planning, and with the promises that you make to your customers and suppliers. It is better to keep customers informed with regular updates explaining exactly what …
Whole Foods Talks Sewer Sludge
Crisis communication from the health-centric grocery chain in response to biosolids controversy We know more about the food on grocery shelves today than ever before because instead of buying whatever produce or meat is in front of them, consumers are asking questions and demanding answers. The most recent stomach-turning fact …
The NRA’s Measured Silence
Will an atypical crisis management plan help preserve the organization’s reputation? In the wake of the tragic killings in Connecticut, there has been a remarkable silence from the National Rifle Association. The typically vocal organization has shut its Facebook page down, ceased updating its Twitter feed and definitely isn’t returning …
Failed Child Abduction and Atrocious Crisis Management
How do you excuse letting a kidnapper leave custody? When a man attempted to snatch a two-year-old girl from a Virginia Fashion Square mall while she walked with her parents, entering in a wrestling match with the father in the process, security officers came in to assist and managed to …
Crisis at St. Louis U
Leaked letter reignites reputation management crisis St. Louis University is facing a serious crisis, and to say that it’s not weathering the storm well would be an understatement. Early this fall SLU’s Faculty Senate and Student Government Association took a vote of “no confidence” against University President Lawrence Biondi, citing …
Good Crisis Management Means Getting Your Hands Dirty
[Jonathan Bernstein here to say that I’m proud to introduce an original thought piece by my son, “chip off the old crisis manager” Erik Bernstein.] Keep leadership involved for crisis management success Organizations frequently bring in outside crisis management professionals in time of trouble, but just because you’ve hired someone …
Online News and Reputation Management
Hard evidence for the importance of fact checking Late last month a PRWeb press release went out stating that Google had acquired Rhode Island-based ICOA Wireless for some $400 million. It’s not unusual for the big G to pick up a smaller company, so what’s the problem? Well, how about …