Infographic: Lessons in Nonprofit Communications

Jonathan and Erik Bernstein crisis communications, crisis management, Crisis Prevention, Erik Bernstein, Jonathan Bernstein, public relations Leave a Comment

Stats and info that will improve your communication capabilities Nonprofits typically have a mission of doing good, but unfortunately that doesn’t mean they don’t have their fair share of sticky communication situations. We think you’ll find this infographic, from the 2015 Nonprofit Communications Trends Report, useful for any organization’s communication …

Guest Post: Great Idea, Horrible Execution

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[Editor’s note: This post, originally published in Jeff Chatterton’s Winning Reputations newsletter, provides a perfect example of how using the wrong language can completely disrupt the message you’re trying to get across.] Brussels Airlines has launched an international ‘image makeover’ campaign in an effort to disassociate Africa from the horrible …

SeaWorld's Hashtag Disaster

Jonathan and Erik Bernstein crisis communications, crisis management, Crisis Prevention, Crisis Response, Erik Bernstein, Jonathan Bernstein, public relations, reputation management, social media Leave a Comment

Before you launch that “hot” new hashtag, stop and think about what could go wrong What’s it going to take for people to learn that you can’t just slap up a hashtag and assume the outcome will be a positive one? From huge organizations like McDonald’s and British Gas to …

Krispy Kreme’s KKK Crisis

Jonathan Bernstein crisis communications, crisis management, Crisis Prevention, crisis public relations, Crisis Response, Erik Bernstein, Jonathan Bernstein, public relations, reputation management, social media Leave a Comment

“We didn’t know” is a weak excuse these days Krispy Kreme was left apologizing after a store in Hull, England started promoting “KKK Wednesday”. Meant to stand for “Krispy Kreme Klub”, the promotion was shared on the popular doughnut shop’s UK Facebook page and quickly drew shocked reactions from stakeholders, …

UCLA Using ‘Net for Superbug Outbreak Crisis Comms

Jonathan Bernstein crisis communications, crisis management, crisis public relations, Crisis Response, Erik Bernstein, internet crisis management, Jonathan Bernstein, online crisis management, online reputation management, PR, public relations, reputation management Leave a Comment

Becoming a go-to the source for information is a proven crisis management tactic The deadly “superbug” outbreak at UCLA Medical Center that left seven sick, two dead, and 179 potentially exposed to bacterial infection has made headlines across the country. Several news stories we reviewed referred to statements from Medical …

Guest Post: Too Much Joy About Brian Williams

Jonathan Bernstein crisis communications, crisis management, crisis public relations, Crisis Response, Erik Bernstein, Jonathan Bernstein, public relations, reputation management Leave a Comment

[Editor’s note: This guest post comes to us courtesy of Andrea Obston, president of Andrea Obston Marketing Communications, LLC., and touches upon a topic we felt relevant to today’s social climate.] There’s been entirely too much joy floating around about Brian Williams’ fall from grace.  Folks are either wagging their …

Investment Firms Requiring Cyber Crisis Planning

Jonathan Bernstein crisis communications, crisis management, Crisis Prevention, crisis public relations, Crisis Response, Erik Bernstein, Jonathan Bernstein, public relations, reputation management 1 Comment

The rising trend of insisting on crisis preparedness reaches the investment industry Last year we saw widespread insistence by insurance providers that the insured have crisis management plans in place, and now it looks like other industries are hopping on board in force. Here’s a look at new requirements being …

What the Google-Twitter Deal Means to Crisis Management

Jonathan Bernstein crisis communications, crisis management, Crisis Prevention, crisis public relations, Crisis Response, Erik Bernstein, internet crisis management, internet reputation management, Jonathan Bernstein, online crisis management, online reputation management, PR, public relations, reputation management, search engine optimization, SEO, social media, social media crisis management, social media reputation management Leave a Comment

Social media’s impact on search position gets another boost Twitter Inc. has struck a deal with Google Inc. to make its 140-character updates more searchable online. In the first half of this year, tweets will start to be visible in Google’s search results as soon as they’re posted, thanks to …

Erik Bernstein Named Vice President of Bernstein Crisis Management

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February 10, 2015 – Monrovia, CA — Erik Bernstein has been named vice president of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc. (BCM), a 21-year-old national crisis management consultancy based in the Los Angeles area. Erik started with BCM in 2009 as a writer and subsequently became social media manager for the consultancy …

Advice for Church Officials in Drinking and Driving Case

Jonathan Bernstein crisis communications, crisis management, crisis public relations, Crisis Response, Erik Bernstein, Jonathan Bernstein, public relations, reputation management Leave a Comment

We share the crisis management steps they should be taking Details are emerging in the case of the Maryland bishop who struck and killed a bicyclist while drunk driving this past December, and although church leadership has taken a step in the right direction by sharing some details, it’s not …

GoDaddy’s Super Bowl Ad Draws a Penalty

Jonathan Bernstein crisis avoidance, crisis communications, crisis management, Crisis Prevention, crisis public relations, Crisis Response, Erik Bernstein, Jonathan Bernstein, public relations, reputation management Leave a Comment

Failing to anticipate public reaction is a costly oversight Domain registrar and Web host GoDaddy has a history of questionable taste for its ad campaigns, and its latest addition, axed after uproar from stakeholders, looks to have been a costly mistake. The ad, which features a lovable puppy making his …

Guest Post: Cybersecurity Takes Centre Stage as a Crisis Risk

Jonathan Bernstein crisis communications, crisis management, Crisis Prevention, crisis public relations, Crisis Response, cyber security, cyber threats, cybersecurity, data breach, Erik Bernstein, hackers, hacking, Jonathan Bernstein, public relations, reputation management Leave a Comment

[Editor’s note: The below article, originally published in the Managing Outcomes newsletter, is an excellent look at the hot topic of cybersecurity from our colleague and frequent contributor Tony Jaques.] 2014 was a landmark year for cybersecurity, which saw a real change in reputational risk for corporations and other organisations.  …

Crisis Management for a Major Nor’Easter

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A scramble to prepare for this historic storm A massive blizzard is set to hit the Northeast today, and everyone from local governments and businesses to just about every major airline are putting crisis management plans into action. With three feet of snow expected to bury major metropolitan areas including …

Crisis Management Quotables…on Intent and Reality

Erik Bernstein crisis communications, crisis management, crisis management quotables, crisis management quotes, Crisis Prevention, crisis public relations, Crisis Response, Erik Bernstein, Jonathan Bernstein, public relations, reputation management Leave a Comment

It’s important to test your communications to see how they sound coming out of your mouth before sharing in public We return to our Crisis Management Quotables with a line from a great thinker. Herman Hesse authored, among other works, Steppenwolf, Siddartha, and The Glass Bead Game, and left a …

A-Rod’s Crisis Management To-Do List

Jonathan Bernstein crisis communications, crisis management, crisis public relations, Crisis Response, Erik Bernstein, Jonathan Bernstein, public relations, reputation management, sports crisis management Leave a Comment

Doing the right thing could sway fence-sitters and restore the faith of fans, but it will take a hefty dose of honesty and humility The saga of Alex Rodriguez has been one full of ups and downs, with repeated mea culpas and seeming returns to normality, followed by yet more …