Get everyone involved in social media and bolster your crisis management People work best when feel that they have ownership of a project. It’s a long-accepted fact of business and team building, so why are so few integrating that thought with their online reputation management programs? Often the social media …
KitchenAid Turns Social Media Fail into Reputation Win
How a nasty post became a boon for housewares giant Now Kitchenaid can add itself to the list of companies who’ve run into social media crises stemming from an apparent slip of the mouse. Right smack in the middle of last week’s presidential debate, this post went out from the …
Social Media Doesn’t Close for the Weekend
Use online reputation management to help you catch problems early, or risk walking into a full-blown crisis Monday morning We applaud social media networks for allowing us to communicate with the public on a massive scale, but it’s critical to remember that while many businesses may close for the weekend, …
#drought12
Farmers put social media to work in combating a devastating drought The reach and flexibility of social media makes it an ideal crisis management tool, even in industries that are thousands of years old. When a crushing drought put the crops of farmers across the U.S. in danger, they turned …
Bic’s “For Her” Crisis, or How to Play Ostrich
Nonexistent crisis management from the pen maker Are you a woman? Are those manly black, white, red and blue pens keeping you from writing? Well look no further, because Bic’s “for Her” line is here! Yes, we’re being sarcastic, but no, we aren’t making up the “for Her” line. Industry …
Colleges Use Social Media to Defuse Bomb Threats
Crisis management that reaches its intended audience This past Friday, the University of Texas at Austin and North Dakota State both received bomb threats from unidentified individuals. The obvious first step after receiving such a threat is to clear the area, but how do you notify the tens of thousands …
No “Likes” for Facebook’s Crisis Management
What drives a social media innovator to sit silent while his stock plummets? With Facebook stock, one of the most anticipated public offerings, well…ever, sinking from day one, you would think that the company would be eager to trot out the man who brought it all together, THE face of …
Yeah We Lost Your Kid, So What?
Appallingly poor online crisis management from United Airlines United Airlines was riding a wave of social media success following the Olympics. With Facebook contests and Twitter stunts accompanying pictures of returning athletes embracing United staff, the campaign was a mounting success. Suddenly, the Monday after closing ceremonies, a new and …
The Crisis Show Ep. 10 – Akin, West Nile, Sports Crises, and that’s not all!
In the latest episode of The Crisis Show, hosts Jonathan Bernstein, Rich Klein, and Melissa Agnes welcomed guest Karen Freberg, assistant professor in Strategic Communications at the University of Louisville and adjunct faculty member for West Virginia University. The crisis management mishaps continue to roll in, and we covered the …
Progressive’s #Crisisfail
Don’t let lawyers control your crisis management Progressive has made a fortune branding itself as the “everyman” of the insurance world with its kitschy commercials, but a major crisis management failure has caused the brand harm it could have avoided. At the heart of the controversy is a Tumblr created …
Crisis Management for One, Please
Protecting your reputation on the ‘net When your small business is reliant largely on word of mouth, as they so often are, how do you protect its reputation when upset customers get vocal on the web? This quote, from an AmEx Open Forum article by Angela Stringfellow, features some solid …
Alleged Delta Employee’s Reddit Posts Create Crisis Management Stir
Respond when your reputation’s threatened The popularity of social media has certainly opened up organizations to new types of crises. For a perfect example, take a look at how a poster on Reddit.com, claiming to be a Delta Airlines employee, responded to a complaint about poor baggage handling: “People get …
Talk to Your Online Community in Times of Crisis
Crisis management calls for constant communication One of our most-used sayings here at Bernstein Crisis Management is, “in the absence of communication, rumor and innuendo fill the gap.” Never has that been more true than now, where the line between accredited media member and amateur e-reporter is almost completely blurred. …
Rumors Cause Crisis Management Catastrophe
Catch trouble early to prevent crisis management nightmares It was a blood-boiler of a story, a menacing tale of government gone too far: The Environmental Protection Agency was spying on Midwestern farmers with the same aerial “drones” used to kill terrorists overseas. This month, the idea has been repeated in …
A Crisis in One Culture May Be Commonplace in Another
It depends on the culture [Editor’s note: We’re pleased to bring you this article from crisis consultant Tony Jaques.] While the Internet and online technology is rapidly flattening out cultural differences, an incident in Australia provides a reminder that what might be commonplace in one country can trigger a reputational …