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, …
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 …
The NRA’s Measured Silence
Will an atypical crisis management plan help preserve the organization’s reputation? In the wake of the tragic killings in Connecticut, there has been a remarkable silence from the National Rifle Association. The typically vocal organization has shut its Facebook page down, ceased updating its Twitter feed and definitely isn’t returning …
CDC’s Crisis Management for Flu Season
Comprehensive online crisis communication from the Center Most of us pay little heed to flu season, accepting that there will be a bump in absences from work or school and maybe hoping to boost our own resistance with some over the counter vitamins. However, influenza is more dangerous than most …
Failed Child Abduction and Atrocious Crisis Management
How do you excuse letting a kidnapper leave custody? When a man attempted to snatch a two-year-old girl from a Virginia Fashion Square mall while she walked with her parents, entering in a wrestling match with the father in the process, security officers came in to assist and managed to …
Crisis at St. Louis U
Leaked letter reignites reputation management crisis St. Louis University is facing a serious crisis, and to say that it’s not weathering the storm well would be an understatement. Early this fall SLU’s Faculty Senate and Student Government Association took a vote of “no confidence” against University President Lawrence Biondi, citing …
Online News and Reputation Management
Hard evidence for the importance of fact checking Late last month a PRWeb press release went out stating that Google had acquired Rhode Island-based ICOA Wireless for some $400 million. It’s not unusual for the big G to pick up a smaller company, so what’s the problem? Well, how about …
The Cascading Decline at the BBC
Editor’s note: The following is a guest post from crisis management expert Michael Nayor. It originally appeared on his blog, Crisis Management for Business. Covering for an organization rarely works. Neither does the belief that an organization is so strong and respected that it exits on a level all its …
When to Talk, When to Walk
Help with crisis management for tricky media situations Most of the time when organizations are dealing with crisis management, their leadership is very concerned, often even intimidated by, the media. This often drives people to speak when they really shouldn’t, simply because they’ve had a microphone shoved in front of …
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. …