Avoiding reputation management issues while discussing social change In the midst of widespread demands for change across America and around the globe, many brands are shifting tones in their marketing efforts to share with powerful messages of support for the …
Five Crisis Communications #Fails for 2020
Posted on: 28, May 20
Avoid these #fail behaviors if you want to stay out of #crisiscomms trouble It’s the year 2020 and yet, sadly, some organizations and individuals seem to still be living 10 to 20 years in the past in terms of crisis …
Allostatic Load from Coronavirus — A Hidden but Real Threat to Crisis Management
Posted on: 11, May 20
Another complication for orgs working to get back to ‘business as usual’ We all know that the novel coronavirus is affecting most of us negatively on a personal and professional level. It’s harder to focus, easy tasks seem more difficult, …
Coronavirus and the Permanently Changed Face of 21st Century Crisis Management
Posted on: 14, Apr 20
The face of 21st Century crisis management has been permanently changed, for worse and for better, by the coronavirus threat. We have always preached the idea of preparing for the worst while hoping for the best. The reality is …
Words Matter! Use the right ones.
Posted on: 06, Apr 20
[Editor’s note: This guest post from crisis pro Janie Jordan highlights the importance of avoiding negative language in your crisis communications. While it’s more natural for many people to use words like don’t, not, won’t, or can’t when describing …
5 Reasons To Call A Crisis Management Consultant Today
Posted on: 31, Mar 20
Do you need a professional opinion? While it’s an established best practice to make crisis management a part of day-to-day business, we know the reality is that not everyone has room on their plate to truly make it a priority …
Freakout Crisis Management: The Wrong Way to Respond to COVID-19
Posted on: 25, Feb 20
Freaking out is not a crisis management plan Headless chickens running amok appear to be in charge of many organizations – including media outlets – in response to the spread of COVID-19 globally and its imminent status as a pandemic. …
Death By Committee
Posted on: 10, Feb 20
How Some Well-Intentioned Meetings Increase the Risk of Crises Committees can be very useful for hearing different points of view, working out details of plans, and building consensus. Committees can also be the inadvertent cause of completely preventable crises and/or …
Crisis Manager On The Spot Returns!
Posted on: 14, Jan 20
Join us for quick pro tips from real crisis management consultants We’re bringing back a popular Bernstein Crisis Management series of short, informative blog posts, “Crisis Manager On The Spot”! These will typically feature questions for a crisis management consultant …
The 5 Top Crisis-Causing Mistakes in Customer Service
Posted on: 19, Dec 19
The front desk person at a financial services firm I visited some time ago had a marvelous title on her nameplate, “Director of First Impressions.” She knew that she was in a make or break position for her firm, …
Know These Leadership Diseases So You Can Avoid Them
Posted on: 18, Dec 19
[Editor’s note: The author of this post, Paul Biddle MBE, has 23 years in UK Law Enforcement along with multiple tours of Iraq & Afghanistan. In other words, he knows some things about real world crisis management and crisis leadership. …
Avoiding the Somebody Else’s Problem Field
Posted on: 03, Dec 19
Don’t make this common, and often damaging, crisis management mistake! In The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, author Douglas Adams famously described the “Somebody Else’s Problem” (SEP) cloaking device as the perfect way to hide even the most noticeable of …
Why Crisis Management Best Practices Matter To You
Posted on: 05, Nov 19
Ever since the early days of Bernstein Crisis Management we’ve referred to much of what we share with readers as, “for all crisis managers, whether it’s in their job description or not”. While we know most of the folks who …
Fisher Investments’ CEO Ken Fisher Puts $600 Million Foot in Mouth
Posted on: 15, Oct 19
It is the year 2019. Anything we say or do can end up being captured live and/or as a recording by virtually anyone around us, and then shared globally. Apparently Fisher Investments’ CEO Ken Fisher didn’t get the word. …
When Crisis Comms is the Right Thing to Do
Posted on: 15, Oct 19
[Editor’s note: This post is quite interesting as it examines a topic that’s not often approached in the public eye. If a company in crisis knows it’s going out of business regardless of how things play out, how should …