The Ripoff Report. The very mention of the name is enough to make business owners and crisis management experts cringe. The popular site is often a source of controversy because postings, which can be 100% anonymous, can never be removed for any reason, even if refuted by the parties involved. …
The impact of crises are never felt only by those directly involved. For proof of this, look no further than the BP oil spill, which is now causing problems for seafood restaurants and vendors in Louisiana and other states surrounding the Gulf. WWLTV.com, has more information: The head of Louisiana’s …
In this week’s issue of the Crisis Manager newsletter, BCM President Jonathan Bernstein interviews ED Magedson, founder and editor of a website anyone in crisis management will be sure to recognize, the “Ripoff Report.” The interview, which contains both Magedson’s responses and Jonathan’s commentary, asks, and hopefully answers, some common …
Many businesses now have a documented crisis management plan – a backup strategy for dealing with a major crisis in the business such as a fire or theft. However, few businesses think ahead to an effective communication plan during a period of crisis. The global financial crisis is a good …
Working with the media is an integral part of every crisis management plan. So much so, that just how well you handle this relationship can make or break your company or client’s reputation. In a recent article for TechWithUs.com, Thomas Murrell discusses the right way to do things during a …
Any time credit information is compromised it’s bound to cause a crisis, so when it was found that the credit card information of several users of Blippy.com, a site that allows users to share online purchase information, could be found via a simple Web search, people took notice. TechCrunch has …
Last week’s explosion and sinking of an oil rig was just the latest in a series of disasters that have plagued petroleum giant BP. With several safety measures failing on their most high-tech and “safe” rig, the company will face investigations and questioning from several different sources. A quote from …
Across the continent, airports are operating and the airlines are flying again, but the complete halt to air transportation in Europe over the past week — the first such instance in history, with more than 100,000 flight cancellations — will be the subject of heated debate in the coming weeks …
As has been the case with nearly every natural disaster in recent memory, social media has been a life saver for individuals and organizations affected by the massive ash plume resulting from the Icelandic volcano eruption. A recent post on the SharkeyMedia blog shows just how social media became an …
Rarely does a crisis management professional have to use his skills to defend their own reputation. However, as this quote from TheWrap.com explains, we are about to see one of the biggest names in the business take on this very task: Mike Sitrick, called the Wizard of Spin for his …
“Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” This George Santayana quote is one of the most famous in the world, yet we constantly see organizations making the same mistakes that others have made before them. In an article originally written for his own newsletter and …
Would you rather have your online reputation be associated with your beautifully written corporate values or with the terms “vomit” and “crap”? That is the question posed by guest author Merrie Spaeth in her article for the latest Crisis Manager, “Harmonic Convergence”. In it, Merrie examines the reasons why it’s …
The latest issue of our Crisis Manager newsletter is now up on the Bernstein Crisis Management website! This time we have a guest who, although frequently mentioned on this blog, has never before graced the pages of the Crisis Manager with a piece of her own, the one and only …
California Attorney General Jerry Brown’s announcement that his office has kicked off a “broad investigation” (pun intended?) regarding a California State University foundation’s payments to Sarah Palin has raised a number of issues like these, from a USA Today article: In a statement issued by his office, Brown insisted his …
Every crisis holds valuable lessons for both those directly affected and their peers. A recent AP article, published on ASICentral.com, asked professionals for some lessons that other business owners can learn from Toyota’s recent crisis management mistakes and got several responses, including one from BCM President Jonathan Bernstein: “…the best …
