Crisis Communications Review: Linkedin’s Data Breach Notice

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Evaluating the social network’s crisis messaging Data breach announcements aren’t the big news that they once were, in large part because just about all of us have received several by now. That said, people are still (quite understandably) concerned when they know their data has been exposed, and how you …

Preparing for Social Media Crisis Management

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Being ready in advance is key to mitigating damage Social media mishaps can turn into crises in the blink of an eye. The best way to prevent a single incident from turning into a costly crisis is to leap into action the minute you spot the warning signs. You can’t …

Crisis Management Quotables…on a Dialogue with Millions

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Communication is now a two-way street whether you like it or not You don’t wind up leading teams at organizations like Fast Company and Inc. magazine unless you have your finger on the pulse of the modern world, and our featured quote for this first Crisis Management Quotable of 2016 …

Constructing a Communicator

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The stats behind this critical member of your team Anyone tasked with speaking for their organization is under serious pressure. While practice and experience can result in the appearance of effortless communication, the reality is that it’s a tough job with responsibilities that extend beyond saying a few words for …

Communication Through the Years

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My how things have changed! At the core of nearly every aspect of crisis management you will find communication. Even if you consider yourself a master of crafting the right message, there’s no arguing that the precise “how” of transmitting ideas, instructions, and explanations is constantly shifting. We came across …

Dell Leaves the Door Open for Dirty Work

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A partial response leaves plenty of room for problems What happens when a supposedly trusted piece of software creates a major vulnerability in the systems on which it’s installed? Is the software’s publisher responsible? And, if so, what actions should they take? Over the weekend details emerged about the dangers …

Volkswagen “Working to Make Things Right”

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Will the PR effort be enough to push VW out of its rut? Although the facts behind its scandal are still murky at best, Volkswagen is moving ahead with its crisis management plan. The embattled automaker ran a full-page ad in major newspapers this past Sunday which not only boldly …

More Giveaways from Bernstein Crisis Management

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Sharing valuable lessons with the community As announced recently, we decided to start giving away the formerly $10 PDF version of Jonathan Bernstein’s media training manual, Keeping the Wolves at Bay. Now, from Bernstein Crisis Management’s Home Page, you can choose to download the media training manual or any of these …

Volkswagen – Death By 1000 Cuts

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A slow and painful way to destroy a reputation When the Volkswagen scandal first broke we specifically told several publications that the automaker needs to avoid a “death by 1000 cuts” scenario wherein bad news comes out bit by bit, re-igniting the public’s attention each time. Well, if you’ve been following …

Crisis Management Quotables…on Trust and Communication

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Building trust is a must if you want communications to be effective A quote I came across from Dr. Stephen Covey, author of the famous “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”, really got me thinking. Too often, those at the center of crises mistakenly believe their stakeholders have an obligation …

Knowing How the World Uses Twitter

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Knowledge that will help keep your communications on point Knowing what communication platforms stakeholders prefer, along with how they’re actually using them, is key to delivering your crisis messaging on target. We discovered this HubSpot infographic that nicely displays how people make use of one of the premier social media …

7-Eleven Taking a Dive Down Under

Erik Bernstein crisis communications, crisis management, reputation management 1 Comment

Worker exploitation, wage fixing, and a lax crisis response create massive backlash against 7-Eleven Australia While 7-Eleven remains a ubiquitous part of American culture, the buzz surrounding the brand has taken a serious dive down under. A joint investigation by Four Corners and Fairmax Media found evidence of systemic wage …

Guest Post: Subway’s Gonna Be Fine

Erik Bernstein crisis management, Crisis Response, public relations, reputation management 2 Comments

Why Jared won’t dethrone the sandwich king [Editor’s note: Subway found out first-hand the dangers even a seemingly clean spokesperson can suddenly present, and caught a lot of flak as a result. In this guest post, Andrea Obston explains why, despite the serious hurdle, Subway’s gonna be just fine.] Kudos …

Google’s Accidental Share: How “Right to be Forgotten” is Being Used

Erik Bernstein crisis management, online crisis management, online reputation management, PR, reputation management Leave a Comment

Reporters uncover stats the search giant’s been reluctant to share European courts have determined that the ability to remove Google search results is a matter of privacy, and although it’s been firmly contested in the U.S., the “right to be forgotten” has become a regular part of European law. While …