Safeguard this valuable asset Regardless of what your business is, trust plays a major factor. The problem with this is that by their very nature, crises undermine trust. They prove that you have vulnerabilities, and often demonstrate that you don’t have them protected very well. How then, do you maintain …
E-Reporters
It’s not just the pros anymore …the definition of “the media” has changed. Today, anyone with a smartphone and YouTube is a TV journalist. Anyone with a smartphone and Facebook is a photojournalist. Anyone with a laptop and a blog is a newspaper reporter. The citizen journalist is the person …
Shut Down Negative Chatter
Word of mouth has very long reach At some point, an individual will have a problem with your organization. In the past they would tell a friend, who would then would tell two friends, and so on. Bad news, yes, but the information rarely got far. Now, instead of merely …
FEMA’s National Test
Strong communication means straight talk The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s first nationwide test of its Emergency Alert System took place earlier this month, and although there were some hitches encountered, the agency was a fine example of communication following the test. A quote, from the FEMA blog: So now that …
Convincing the C-Suite
Convincing doubtful execs is easier than it seems Crises of reputation and operation happen every day, yet for some reason one of the most daunting tasks facing those assigned with crisis management is to get a budget that will actually cover the costs involved. In a recent interview with Ragan’s …
When "Shut the Hell Up" is the Best Advice
The entire Sandusky/Penn State situation continues to capture national attention not only because it is one of the worst college scandals in history, but also for the spectacularly bad crisis management strategy of those involved. In this guest piece from crisis management pro Rick Kelly, originally posted at the Triad …
Hack Attack Hits Steam
Data Grabs the New B&E? The latest victim of a high profile hack attack is Valve Software’s Steam platform. Steam is used to digitally distribute over 1,000 of the most popular games online, which obviously means its databases hold a large amount of sensitive information such as names, addresses, passwords …
Penn State’s Crisis Management Mistakes – ESPN Interview
THE biggest scandal in sports history The scandal at Penn State is on the tip of everyone’s tongues, and the series of wrong-way crisis management decisions made by the university’s top brass are only cementing the reputation damage that’s being done. Interviewed this morning by host Bo Bounds on the …
Turn Bad Publicity Around
When life hands you lemons… Every business makes mistakes, and at some point or another the media’s going to pounce on one of yours. When this happens, it will be your reaction that determines whether your reputation bounces back or takes a pounding. In every case you should apologize and …
Protect Your Rep
Safeguard this valuable asset Reputation matters. People are Googling companies before they buy product, invest, or attend events. Heck, it’s not unusual for us to use our smartphones to assess a manufacturer while literally standing in a store looking at one of its products. The question this should raise for …
The Shape of Crisis Communication
How much has the game changed? The rise of social media was said by some to indicate the beginning of a reclusive state, where communication was done from our individual devices while everyone stayed at home, or in the office. While it’s true that most of us have our nose …
Crisis Management in the Real World
Fictional story prompts real talk A new movie, “Margin Call,” seeks to give audiences a glimpse into the world of fast paced, high level crisis management. While it misses the mark in terms of reality, Forbes business writer Coeli Carr saw the film as a perfect opportunity to talk with …