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Just a
Thought
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"As a
general rule, a
reputation is
built on manner as
much as on
achievement."
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Your Opinion!
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We are
considering offering a
new service and would
very much appreciate
your opinion as to its
usefulness. Could you
take a few seconds to
answer the
one-question poll,
linked below? Thank
you!
Could
you use a second
opinion?
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From
the Editor
Much
lauded
fast-casual
establishment
Chipotle hit a
stumbling block
early this month
when E.coli
cases connected
to locations in
Oregon and
Washington
caused 43
restaurants to
be closed and
the CDC to step
in. The chain
chose to stay
mostly silent -
always a risky
move - while it
worked rapidly
to reopen.
While
Chipotle was
able to reopen
all 43
locations
surprisingly
quickly (under
8 days total),
shares of the
company took a
significant
hit as a
result of
stakeholders
being left in
the dark.
It
appears Chipotle
learned its
lesson quickly,
because when the
CDC announced
that more
individuals had
fallen ill in California,
Oregon,
Minnesota and
New York, we saw
an entirely new
set of tactics.
An official information hub was established which
shared relevant
information you
might wish to
see before
chomping down on
your next
burrito, and an
official
statement which
wraps with the
confidence-inspiring
line, "In
response to
this incident,
Chipotle has
taken
aggressive
steps to make
sure its
restaurants
are as safe as
possible.
There have
been no
reported new
cases in
Washington or
Oregon since
Chipotle put
its
remediation
plan into
effect."
While
the situation
isn't scaring
customers away
in droves thanks
to the
massive reservoir of
brand loyalty
Chipotle has
garnered,
investors are
still a
different story.
But, as perhaps
even further
evidence of the
direct
connection
between
reputation and
share price, the
company's stock
did take a sharp
upturn the day
the information
hub was brought
online.
Barring
further bad news
we expect the
brand to fully
recover, and if
Chipotle
leadership is as
smart as they
seem to be you
can bet they're
already looking
at lessons
learned to do
better the next
time around.
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Interested in
reprinting BCM
articles or blog
posts?
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We're
happy to give
permission for
material to be
reprinted in hard copy
or online!
If you find something
you would like to
reprint, simply submit
a request to jonathan@bernsteincrisismanagement.com.
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Blogs
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The Bernstein
Crisis Management
blog, along with
our blog at the Free
Management Library
are frequently updated
and filled with case
studies, advice, and
the latest news on
techniques, threats,
and more.
Here, we share a look
at some of the most
popular posts from
recent weeks:
Volkswagen
- Death By 1000
Cuts is an
examination of VW's
thinking on crisis
management and why
it's resulted in a
lot more damage than
was necessary.
Spiking someone's
drink is no laughing
matter. Bloomingdale's
Courts Controversy
with Inappropriate
Ad tells the
story of what happens
when you utterly fail
to remove offensive
material from your own
publications.
Diving deeper into
VW's ongoing PR
efforts, Volkswagen
"Working to Make
Things Right"
poses the question,
"Are you buying it?"
We've bashed the auto
industry quite a bit
recently, so it was
refreshing to see
someone doing things
well. Tesla
Goes Above and
Beyond in the Name
of Safety looks
at a very different
take on vehicle
recalls and why it
will pay off in the
long run.
A young model with a
strong brand takes a
stand against a
fashion magazine and
wins, leaving us with
takeaways from all
sides, in Zendaya,
Modeliste, and a
Lesson in Reputation
Management.
Not every issue is a
crisis, but that
doesn't mean you can't
work to secure your
reputation when you
know people have been
upset. The perfect
example? A
Dash of Reputation
Management for
Penzeys Spices.
We're back in the auto
world again with Takata
Facing Record Fine
from NHTSA, a
look at a quite
opposite response from
Tesla's handling that
resulted in
predictably negative
consequences.
Do you have a
topic you'd like to
see featured in our
blogs? Send an email
to erik@bernsteincrisismanagement.com
and there's a good
chance you'll be
seeing it right here
in the next issue!
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Business
Announcements
(aka
blatant
self-promotion)
Are
There Any Holes in
Your Crisis
Planning?
Your
organization may
well have crisis
prevention and
response-related
plans in place -
but are you sure
they're going to
cover all the
bases? Bernstein
Crisis
Management's
Crisis Document
Audit is a
low-cost,
flat-rate service
which will quickly
provide you with a
comprehensive
analysis of your
existing plans and
recommendations
for improvement.
We're
Giving Away
Keeping the Wolves
at Bay
Keeping
the Wolves at
Bay, the
widely used
media-training
manual published
by Jonathan
Bernstein, is now
being given away
in its PDF format.
Formerly $10,
there will be no
charge for the
publication as
long as demand
exists.
Exciting
New Services from
Bernstein Crisis
Management
We are
are proud to
introduce two new
services that will
allow us to better
meet the needs of
our clients!
First,
from entering new
markets to defending
billion-dollar
established
industries, BCM's
public affairs
practice, led
by twenty year
veteran Greg Brooks,
will help you win
the battle for the
hearts and minds of
audiences from City
Council to the halls
of Congress.
Our
second addition is
based on the belief
that an important
piece in managing a
crisis includes
attending to the
emotional reactions
that influence the
outcome. Presented
and facilitated by
Steven Degelsmith,
Ph.D., our focused human
factors in crisis
management service
will equip you with
the tools you need
to handle even the
most volatile of
situations.
Social
Media Crisis
Training
A solid social media
manager has quickly
become a must-have
for organizations of
any size, and can
make an immense
difference by
driving in customers
and building your
positive reputation
online.
The
problem is, the vast
majority are simply
not equipped to even
identify building
crises, much less
take the steps
necessary to cope
with and mitigate
the damage that can
result.
That's where we come
in.
Bernstein
Crisis Management is
now offering crisis
management training
for social media
managers, both
independent and
in-house, as well as
social media firms.
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About Us
Jonathan
Bernstein is both
publisher of
Crisis Manager and
president of
Bernstein Crisis
Management, Inc.,
a national crisis
management public
relations agency
providing 24/7
access to crisis
response
professionals. The
agency engages in
the full spectrum
of crisis
management
services: crisis
prevention,
response, planning
& training. He
has been in the
public relations
field since 1982,
following
five-year stints
in both military
intelligence and
investigative
reporting.
Write
to Jonathan at:
Erik
Bernstein is vice
president of
Bernstein Crisis
Management. Erik
started with BCM
in 2009 as a
writer and
subsequently
became social
media manager for
the consultancy
itself as well as
for a number of
BCM clients before
moving to the VP
position.
Write
to Erik at:
Bernstein
Crisis
Management,
Inc. is
located at 700
S. Myrtle
Ave., #404,
Monrovia, CA
91016.
Telephone: (626) 825-3838.
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Legal
Disclaimer (aka
the small print)
All information contained
herein is obtained
by Jonathan
Bernstein from
sources believed
by Jonathan
Bernstein to be
accurate and
reliable.
Because of the possibility
of human and
mechanical error
as well as other
factors, neither
Jonathan Bernstein
nor Bernstein
Crisis Management
is responsible for
any errors or
omissions. All
information is
provided "as is"
without warranty
of any kind.
Bernstein Crisis
Management and
Jonathan Bernstein
make no
representations
and disclaim all
express, implied,
and statutory
warranties of any
kind to the user
and/or any third
party including,
without
limitation,
warranties as to
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merchantability,
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Unless due to willful
tortuous
misconduct or
gross negligence,
Jonathan Bernstein
and Bernstein
Crisis Management
shall have no
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contract, or
otherwise (and as
permitted by law,
product
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user and/or any
third party.
Under no circumstance shall
Bernstein Crisis
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Jonathan Bernstein
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Crisis Management
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As we do not write
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