Two recent highly publicized pronouncements show that you have to be cautious about every statement you make in public and that you might never completely recover from a monumental gaffe no matter how many times you apologize. One group of statements were by Oscar Munoz, head of United Airlines which experienced the manhandling of a passenger caught in an overbooking mess and captured on a … Continue reading Ignorance, Arrogance, Obliviousness
When news media call, who answers? Every company should think about responding to calls from media and other people off the beaten path. How often might an average company get such calls – once in a blue moon. How often are media calls crucial to the company – every single time. Much more important than who fields that call is how the recipient handles the … Continue reading Answering ‘the’ call
When a large company absorbs another large enterprise, usually, stock prices rise, investors get excited, top management rejoices and customers look for improvements across the board. But all those positives vibes can mask a big problem that can lead to a whoppingly expensive crisis. Behind the scenes, it is common for the buyer to take over the properties of the seller. An outsider might think … Continue reading A near-perfect crisis plan
The government wouldn’t listen. The company was being savaged in the media. Its local plant was shut and several hundred workers were at the mercy of bureaucrats including inspectors of their food products. The PR people were frustrated. Suddenly, the PR team became excited and was able to see some light at the end of the really dark and scary tunnel. A ‘source’ told us … Continue reading Means and ends
An organization can find itself in crisis mode quickly when any sizable group is alienated by the actions or even the intent of the organization. This group can morph into a protest group and then go public at electric speed because of the power of social media. The traditional way for organizations to deal with such public protest groups gone public is to oppose the … Continue reading When protest becomes a crisis
These are essential qualities and skills needed by a crisis communications capable public affairs staffer: Ability to communicate: he/she must have the skills and talent to write and speak well under pressure to represent the organization and to guide statements made by others on behalf of the organization during a crisis; Understanding of the ‘bottom line’: he/she must understand business so as to determine the … Continue reading 10 must-haves of your PR crisis manager
… There is more need than ever for the executive caught in a crisis to tell his or her story forcefully and clearly Continue reading Media: A changing landscape
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