I think John Edwards did one heck of a job of “packaging” his confession of infidelity in a manner that will quickly put the issue behind him — as long as there are no other skeletons in the closet. The problem with many cases like his, of course, as Bill …
Other than the huge fees, I have to say I’m not even remotely envious of the niche Cohn & Wolfe have chosen to fill in the field of crisis management. Infamous for their representation of the tobacco industry, they now take on “big marble,” which is faced, interestingly, with some …
One of the traits that can lead to crises for both businesses and individuals is failure to walk their talk. No such problem over at Help a Reporter Out (HARO), the new and phenomenally successful email list started by the effervescent and ubiquitous Peter Shankman. Subscribers receive high-quality media leads …
I just completed a Strategic Reputation Management Plan for a client that was, to the gratification of me and my team, received very well, described by our primary client contact as “exceptional.” It was a joint effort involving me, SEO/website development expert Chesa Keane, and media relations guru Dave Reeves. …
I know it’s off-topic for this blog, but I am simply blown away by the utility of a free MS-Outlook add-on called Xobni (spell it backwards). I’ve been online since 1982 and gone through every version of Outlook (and its predecessors) over the years, and I have to believe that …
Hey, want to know what type of sources reporters are looking for without having to pay for an expensive service? Check out Help A Reporter. And/or read the article at my website. Jonathan BernsteinPresidentBernstein Crisis Management, Inc.
I’m going to give you a teaser about a story coming out in the July 1 issue of my Crisis Manager newsletter. You can sign up for the ezine (it’s free!) — and read back issues — at this page of my website. Here’s the draft lead for the article: …
I was recently interviewed by Business Insurance magazine’s Gloria Gonzales for a story entitled “Preparedness can minimize reputational risks.” The story appeared in print, ran as a podcast, and is also available for you to hear as an .mp3 file, with the link printed by permission of Business Insurance.Your feedback …
Increasingly, I’ve been able to encourage clients I have already media trained in person to use webcams to allow me to deliver “spot” media refresher training shortly before they are on the receiving end of what may be a challenging interview. As long as there’s a good broadband connection at …
During a crisis, effective spokespersons must heed what I call the “Three C’s of Credibility.” If stakeholders perceive you as Compassionate, Competent and Confident, they are far more likely to believe your messages. In fact, if you’re really good at projecting the “Three C’s,” you can get away with some …
What if a search using keywords associated with your business returned: a vicious blog started by a disgruntled employee or if 75% of the results were critical of you and your business your name prominently and negatively reported on legitimate websites like the Better Business Bureau or on known complaint …
I wrote an article a couple of years ago that is even more pertinent and true today. The Internet is the Ultimate Medium and it can be a cross between tabloid journalism and a gladiator competition, between Pollyanna and Pandora, where minds meet and merge, clash and clamor and where …
This fire is burning just a couple of miles from our home, making things a little warm for this here crisis manager. Fortunately the wind is not blowing our way, but we just got word that the fire may have jumped to another, closer ridge and a family we know …
Inc.com published an article in December 2006, Bill Van Ness’s Instinct Was to Fight the Plan to Build a School Next to His Factory, explaining that in May 2005, Bill Van Ness, owner of Van Ness plastic Molding, received notification that the Board of Education for the city of Clifton, …
An article published on BizCommunity.com outlines that with chaos abounding in the world, “research shows that within the next ten years, it’s unlikely that the majority of corporations would have engaged in comprehensive crisis preparedness and planning.” As the article states, “A company’s reputation is its greatest asset. It can …
