Neglecting an important aspect of crisis management creates unnecessary risk As the leader of an organization, you should expect to be talking to the media on a regular basis. Apparently, John Tortorella, coach of the NHL’s N.Y. Rangers, missed the memo on that one, because he REALLY hates press conferences, …
Mountain Dew Loses Control, Crisis Management Ensues
How did this mess ever get the green light? Late last month, PepsiCo joined the ranks of organizations that went too far with edgy marketing campaigns and were forced into crisis management as a result. The company partnered with controversial rapper and producer Tyler the Creator to produce a new …
Hyundai’s Crisis Management for Suicide Video
Always consider the feelings of your audience When it comes to attempts at “edgy” marketing, it’s easy to go too far, creating a self-made crisis. Late last month, Hyundai raced into crisis management mode after an online video featuring its hydrogen fuel cell-powered Hyundai x35 literally brought many viewers to …
Communication Tips for Tragic Events
You can’t continue with messaging “as usual” when things are anything but Throughout the crises past week, we saw examples of both individuals and organizations whose communications made them look uncaring, foolish, or both. That’s why, when we read an excellent article titled, “How to Communicate in the Midst of …
Crisis Management Tactics: Control Your Story
Be the source of information and stop damaging rumor and innuendo in their tracks A huge part of successful crisis management is finding, or creating, the opportunity to tell your own story. Why, you might ask? The main reason is that it’s going to be told either way, and if …
Social Media Crisis Management in Cairo
A single tweet can create serious consequences We’ve examined many cases of organizations landing themselves in need of crisis management as a result of poorly planned tweets, but the latest Twitter dustup may have larger ramifications than rumblings in the court of public opinion. This past Wednesday, the @USEmbassyCairo account …
Think Before You Promote
Consider carefully, or you could create your own crisis management scenario In Oakland, CA, a city where the burglary rate climbed over 40% last year, Mayor Jean Quan came under fire after members of the public discovered that a lockpicking class was being promoted in her weekly newsletter. An Oakland …
Cracked Buses, Broken Business
Neglecting even basic crisis management, Fung Wah buses are no more When Massachusetts inspectors found cracks in Fung Wah bus frames, we knew the discount carrier line had a crisis on its hands. What we didn’t expect was just how fast things would go from seemingly repairable to completely out …
Dead Body Found in Water Tank: a Hotel Crisis
No playing ostrich with this one, crisis management is needed, and fast The story of the young woman who disappeared late last month and was found dead in a hotel’s water tank this week is still being unraveled, but what’s certain is that the Cecil Hotel, located in Los Angeles’ …
Twitter, Where’s Your Response?
Silence is a major crisis management no-no In case you’ve missed the social media headlines of the past couple days, the Twitter feeds of both Burger King and Jeep were compromised, big time. Burger King was the first to be hit, and the hacker (or hackers) gleefully defaced its profile, …
Every Avalanche Starts Somewhere
Large crises often have their roots in small incidents It’s painfully common for organizations to only learn invaluable crisis management lessons AFTER they’ve experienced costly problems of their own. Thing is, there are plenty of people messing up out there, and you can save a lot of time, money and …
Canadian City’s Rogue Tweet Crisis
Errant tweets, offended followers and weak crisis management – a bad combination The city of Vaughan, located a bit north of Toronto, was the latest organization to find itself in crisis as a result of rogue tweets. Last week, in the midst of a snowstorm, the following tweet went out …
Horsemeat Crisis Stampedes Across Europe
What crisis management steps should EU meat producers take as scandal grows? [WARNING: The following blog post may contain puns dangerous to one’s sanity.] As British police and regulators raid meat processors and slaughterhouses with unbridled enthusiasm, and French prosecutors open a formal judicial investigation into whether there was fraud …
Google vs. i-Privacy
Google caught tracking UK users after being busted in the States If you use any one of the massively popular i-products, we’d just about bet our hats that you’re accessing Google through Apple’s Safari browser on a regular basis. Whether looking up sports facts, driving directions or the best place …
PepsiCo Removes Controversial Ingredient after Online Petition
Although the company denies its actions were influenced by an online petition that received more than 200,000 signatures, the 15-year-old who started the petition has claimed victory. Corporations are being held accountable by the public like never before thanks to the Internet. Beverage giant PepsiCo announced that it would no …