Like it or not, when someone’s represented your company publicly for many years that association sticks around after they retire. That’s a lesson Starbucks is learning the hard way after former CEO and chairman Howard Schultz announced that he …
3 Tips on Public Speaking from the Experts
Posted on: 20, Nov 18
Improving your ability to deliver the often-intimidating media interview or public statement According to Psychology Today, people are more afraid of public speaking than death. I see you nodding your heads out there, and to be honest when I first …
What Do You Do When The Media Goes Too Far?
Posted on: 15, Nov 18
This article, written by Bernstein Crisis Management president Jonathan Bernstein, has only grown in relevance since it was written. More often than not when we’re assisting clients with breaking crisis response there are reporters involved, and a worrying percentage of …
Wells Fargo And The Dangers Of A Tarnished Reputation
Posted on: 16, Oct 18
Explaining why a slow trickle of “small” bad news keeps companies facing major crises in the headlines Why do seemingly minor issues result in damaging headlines for organizations facing crises? In this interview for NPR’s Marketplace, Bernstein Crisis Management VP …
How to Spot a Crisis 101: What is a Crisis?
Posted on: 18, Jul 18
Spot a crisis early to minimize damage How do you spot a crisis? Clients are frequently surprised when they bring us in because of what they’ve deemed a “potential problem” and we inform them they’re heading straight for a full-blown …
So You Don’t Think You Need Crisis Training, Huh?
Posted on: 05, Jul 18
I haven’t learned to do anything really well without training and lots of practice. I suspect this is true for you in your personal and professional lives. We all have areas in which we’re naturally more skilled, of course, but …
Are Logical Fallacies Hurting Your Crisis Communications?
Posted on: 16, Jun 18
Stay away from bad logic if you want to avoid inviting criticism Logical fallacy is a term you hear thrown about a lot, especially if you keep track of politics. Put simply, logical fallacies are errors in reasoning. Though they …
When April Fools Marketing Goes Wrong
Posted on: 08, Apr 18
It’s practically become a spectator sport to watch for marketing mistakes after any calendar event, and April Fools 2018 did not disappoint. There were numerous examples to choose from, like the French mayor who thought it would be a great …
The #MeToo Backlash — The Crisis is Just Beginning
Posted on: 07, Mar 18
Why every organization is vulnerable to #MeToo allegations When humans are oppressed and repressed long enough and finally find a channel for venting their feelings, for finding justice, we sometimes overreact. Riots occur, with innocent individual and businesses damaged (or …
When Legal Meets PR — The Court of Public Opinion pt. 2
Posted on: 28, Feb 18
Mounting an offense In part one of this series we talked a bit about being on the defendant’s side, but what about when you’re the one on the offensive in a battle of litigation and PR? There are two scenarios …
When Legal Meets PR — The Court of Public Opinion pt. 1
Posted on: 28, Feb 18
Playing defense While it’s been happening for many years, the internet – and more specifically social media and review sites – have made the process of trying a case in the court of public opinion long before it hits a court of …
Elon Musk’s flamethrowers walk a fine line between publicity stunt and PR nightmare
Posted on: 29, Jan 18
Why is this product particularly risky for Musk and The Boring Company? There’s no doubt that Elon Musk is a technical genius and a great thinker. And, while his latest venture has the kid in me shouting “woohoo!” it’s also …
Guest Post: Lessons from H&M’s “Coolest Monkey” Fiasco
Posted on: 27, Jan 18
[Editor’s note: This guest post on the situation H&M faced after releasing a controversial ad comes to us from friend and colleague Andrea Obston, of Andrea Obston Marketing Communications.] On Monday, I learned that H&M actually stands for Hugely insensitive …
Bad Apology/Good Apology ft. YouTuber Logan Paul
Posted on: 03, Jan 18
Mistakes happen. You’ll be judged on what you do next. YouTubers are a controversial topic. If you’re a teen or young adult it’s likely you have your own favorites that you’ve spent hours watching, and you may even feel deeply …
How your customer service can create (or prevent!) crises
Posted on: 12, Dec 17
Failures in day-to-day communications can create serious threats to reputation Customer service is a critical part of crisis management. The way each individual in your company treats stakeholders is a direct reflection of how your company feels about said stakeholders, …