[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 …
Walmart’s iPad Abuse Crisis
Ugly employee actions create reputation management crisis for retailer We’ve seen a growing number of YouTube-based crises created not by the actions organizations themselves, but those of employees. Domino’s was one of the first high profile cases, and this month Walmart joined the list. Four employees of a Pikeville, Ky. …
Twitter’s Own Crisis Management
What crisis communications “must-do” did Twitter miss? If you have a Twitter account (and who doesn’t at this point?) you may have witnessed a bit of crisis management first-hand earlier this month. When a widespread security issue within the service put a large number of accounts at risk of being …
Sharing Responsibility for Social Media Crisis Management
Get everyone involved in social media and bolster your crisis management People work best when feel that they have ownership of a project. It’s a long-accepted fact of business and team building, so why are so few integrating that thought with their online reputation management programs? Often the social media …
KitchenAid Turns Social Media Fail into Reputation Win
How a nasty post became a boon for housewares giant Now Kitchenaid can add itself to the list of companies who’ve run into social media crises stemming from an apparent slip of the mouse. Right smack in the middle of last week’s presidential debate, this post went out from the …
Social Media Doesn’t Close for the Weekend
Use online reputation management to help you catch problems early, or risk walking into a full-blown crisis Monday morning We applaud social media networks for allowing us to communicate with the public on a massive scale, but it’s critical to remember that while many businesses may close for the weekend, …
#drought12
Farmers put social media to work in combating a devastating drought The reach and flexibility of social media makes it an ideal crisis management tool, even in industries that are thousands of years old. When a crushing drought put the crops of farmers across the U.S. in danger, they turned …
Bic’s “For Her” Crisis, or How to Play Ostrich
Nonexistent crisis management from the pen maker Are you a woman? Are those manly black, white, red and blue pens keeping you from writing? Well look no further, because Bic’s “for Her” line is here! Yes, we’re being sarcastic, but no, we aren’t making up the “for Her” line. Industry …
Colleges Use Social Media to Defuse Bomb Threats
Crisis management that reaches its intended audience This past Friday, the University of Texas at Austin and North Dakota State both received bomb threats from unidentified individuals. The obvious first step after receiving such a threat is to clear the area, but how do you notify the tens of thousands …
No “Likes” for Facebook’s Crisis Management
What drives a social media innovator to sit silent while his stock plummets? With Facebook stock, one of the most anticipated public offerings, well…ever, sinking from day one, you would think that the company would be eager to trot out the man who brought it all together, THE face of …
The Crisis Show Ep.12 – Recalls, Apple Leak, Montreal Shooting and…
The Crisis Show’s 12th episode aired this week, and as usual hosts Jonathan Bernstein, Rich Klein, and Melissa Agnes had no shortage of topics to discuss. Two shooting incidents shocked the public this week, one at a PQ Montreal Victory Rally and another at Pathmark in New Jersey. The foul …
Yeah We Lost Your Kid, So What?
Appallingly poor online crisis management from United Airlines United Airlines was riding a wave of social media success following the Olympics. With Facebook contests and Twitter stunts accompanying pictures of returning athletes embracing United staff, the campaign was a mounting success. Suddenly, the Monday after closing ceremonies, a new and …
The Crisis Show Ep. 10 – Akin, West Nile, Sports Crises, and that’s not all!
In the latest episode of The Crisis Show, hosts Jonathan Bernstein, Rich Klein, and Melissa Agnes welcomed guest Karen Freberg, assistant professor in Strategic Communications at the University of Louisville and adjunct faculty member for West Virginia University. The crisis management mishaps continue to roll in, and we covered the …
How to Trash a Political Career in 15 Seconds or Less
Rep. Akins reputation is beyond crisis management “Legitimate rape.” If you don’t know what I’m referring to, prepare to be shocked. This weekend, Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO) was the guest on a St. Louis TV news program. A vocal opponent of abortion, Akin should be used to answering questions related …
Progressive’s #Crisisfail
Don’t let lawyers control your crisis management Progressive has made a fortune branding itself as the “everyman” of the insurance world with its kitschy commercials, but a major crisis management failure has caused the brand harm it could have avoided. At the heart of the controversy is a Tumblr created …