Monthly Archives: September 2009

Crisis Management is a 24/7 Business

Published on 30th September 2009 by . Leave a Comment

Crisis management is a 24/7 business. The fact is, Lady Luck can turn fickle at any time, and she pays no mind to time zones or busy schedules. A bad decision or freak accident can quickly derail your organization and plunge it into crisis. A quote from a recent press release by New York PR firm Makovsky + Company illustrates this point well:

Plants explode, products are recalled, executives are caught with mistresses, another company announces its intention to acquire your company right after the Labor Day weekend… these are just a few situations that can emerge when least expected. Throughout the course of virtually every business there will most likely be at least one situation where the term “crisis management” comes into play. Just ask any politician or the management of any major company. For small and mid-size companies, a small fire can quickly turn into a raging inferno.

By carefully analyzing risks and preparing detailed crisis prevention and response strategies, you can put these blazes out.

JB

Jonathan Bernstein
http://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/

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Using Twitter

Published on 16th September 2009 by . Leave a Comment

It’s no coincidence that Twitter is in the news daily. The success of the platform is obvious, and the question is no longer how to convince clients that they should use the service, but, as an article from Affinitive’s Social Media Playground says, how to use it to meet your specific goals, whether they be marketing, communication, crisis management or simply driving traffic to other sites.

As a brand there are a variety of ways you can interact with your existing and potential consumers, or your target or aspirational audiences (or all of the above). It isn’t as simple as a micro statement. Like anything else – the tone, the audience, and the approach can vary based on how the deployment of Twitter would impact your business objectives.

While time will tell if Twitter will becoming an enduring figure in social media, its versatility and constantly growing audience have certainly put it on the right path.

JB

Jonathan Bernstein
http://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/

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Tools for Twitter

Published on 13th September 2009 by . Leave a Comment

Though I’ve mentioned tools for Twitter many times before, the technology custom-crafted for the service changes almost daily. A recent Wall Street Journal Online article detailing the latest in “must-have” software explains the need for these utilities:

Twitter’s popularity as a customer-service and public-relations tool for businesses is growing. But so are the headaches of managing all that communication with consumers—sorting through hundreds of messages, crafting the right responses, planning promotional campaigns, keeping track of it all. And keeping track of what people are saying to each other about your company, your competitors and your industry on Twitter isn’t easy, either.

Day by day, Twitter’s use as a crisis management aid and customer-service tool continues to skyrocket, and if the frequency with which the social-media juggernaut has been grabbing headlines is any indication, we have yet to see the peak of its popularity. With such a large audience eagerly absorbing every bit of information, you can’t afford to miss out on the full potential of Twitter.

JB

Jonathan Bernstein
http://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/

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Out of Control

Published on 12th September 2009 by . Leave a Comment

When acclaimed UK eatery, “Fat Duck,” once named the #1 eatery in the world, was stricken by a series of shellfish-related food poisonings earlier this year, it raised major questions over their safety procedures. With a total of 529 diners sickened and the owners unsure of the cause of their troubles, The Health Protection Agency was called in. In an article on their website, Bloomberg published the Agency’s findings:

“Several weaknesses in procedures at the restaurant may have contributed to ongoing transmission including: delayed response to the incident; staff working when they should have been off sick and using the wrong environmental cleaning products,” the agency said. “Delays in notification of illness may have affected the ability of the investigation to identify the exact reason for the norovirus contamination.”

In crisis management, any response to an incident must be both effective and near-instantaneous. Any unnecessary delays, such as those that (allegedly) occurred at the Fat Duck, could result in the situation spiraling quickly out of control.

JB

Jonathan Bernstein
http://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/

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Falling From Grace

Published on 9th September 2009 by . Leave a Comment

Though celebrities with tarnished reputations are no rarity here in the U.S., the heights from which they can fall are often astounding. According to a CNN.com article, actress-singer LeAnn Rimes, once considered to be as squeaky-clean as they come, has been accused of embarking on an extremely public affair with “CSI:Miami” actor Eddie Cibrian.

Though fans are often more forgiving of celebrities than the public is of private organizations, sometimes going so far as to encourage negative behavior if it provides enough entertainment, Rimes will likely need to do some crisis management related to alleged affair.

Rimes may not be having a good time, but I was quite entertained by the fact that me being quoted in the CNN article about her crisis resulted in an inquiry from a literary agent and also an invite to guest (by phone) on KSON country radio’s, “Cliff & Company” show, where a boisterous time was had by all!

JB

Jonathan Bernstein
http://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/

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