As in other pursuits, you have to train to be good at crisis management Would you step on stage to perform a play without ever going through rehearsals? Do you think you’d be successful at the free-throw line if you skipped every practice? The answer, obviously, is no, yet organizations …
Eating Mr. Ed
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 …
States Flunk Public Health Crisis Evaluation
Study reveals many states not prepared for public health crisis management If the health scares and natural disasters of recent years have shown us anything, it’s that state governments are expected, and needed, to lend a hand in getting us through crises with minimal damage. In order to evaluate the …
Crisis Prevention Plans Make a Difference
Stop trouble the smart way – by not letting it start in the first place There’s a reason we’re quite fond of the saying, “the best form of crisis management is crisis prevention.” Sure, the big publicity comes from swooping in to salvage a disaster in progress, but few realize …
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, …
Cybersecurity & Crisis Management in 2013
New threats hold potential to create crisis management woes As computers and mobile devices continue to become deeper entwined with all aspects of our daily lives, the potential dangers presented by cybersecurity breaches become exponentially more worrisome. Cyberheist News recently published its “13 Predictions for 2013,” and below we have …
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 …
Kentucky Fried Crisis
Poorly chosen spokesmen create crisis management scenario Every time an organization chooses a celebrity spokesperson it runs a risk of reputation damage due to that person’s words or actions. A formerly-golden celeb can become a detriment to your reputation overnight (think Lance Armstrong), but typically thorough research will eliminate candidates …