[by Howard Fencl, Hennes Communications] The breathless buzz about the coming global deployment of 5G wireless technology keeps building to a crescendo. 5G will launch the Internet of Things (IoT) to the next level, empowering massive real-time data sharing between connected devices (health sensors, traffic sensors, weather sensors, your car, your HVAC and lighting systems, […]
Q: My attorney says apologizing will be bad for future litigation – that apologizing means we are liable. What do you think? A: We often find ourselves wrestling with our client’s attorneys over the phrase “I’m sorry.” Somehow, through the years, attorneys have come to define the phrase “I’m sorry” as meaning “I’m liable. I […]
[by Howard Fencl, Hennes Communications] There’s nothing the self-righteous embrace more than joining with their fellow self-righteous to gang up on some unfortunate target. The angrier the echo chamber, the better. Social media is their perfect rage machine. It’s where anonymous trolls can obsess and pile on. And they do it relentlessly and instantly over […]
By Nora Jacobs, Hennes Communications If you’ve been to a food establishment recently and received a paper straw in lieu of the ubiquitous plastic device, you are witnessing the mature stage of an issue lifecycle — in this case, an issue that has been evolving for more than 30 years. Clients often ask us […]
From Matt Cavanaugh at McDonald Hopkins: Earlier this week, Rep. Devin Nunes (R-California) sued Twitter, Liz Mair (a republican strategist), and two obvious parody Twitter accounts: “Devin Nunes’ Mom” and “Devin Nunes’ Cow.” A copy of the complaint is available here. Nunes claims that tweets by Mair and the parody accounts were defamatory and “fighting words” and that Twitter was negligent for […]
We often tell clients that it’s not just what you say, but how you say it. And first impressions do count. Here’s what Scott Mautz, writing for Inc., had to say on the subject. Impressions make quite an impression on us as we’re so eager to manage them. I’ve written about how to overcome a bad […]
Q: How do you convince leadership that creating a crisis communications plan is a good idea? A: We get it. People don’t want to think about their businesses or organizations being thrown into a crisis because there’s been a data breach, or an allegation of sexual harassment, or an inappropriate social media post. And who […]
By Thom Fladung/Hennes Communications The crash of Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 and subsequent focus on the Boeing 737Max airliner brought with it the usual analysis and reaction from crisis communications consultants. Some of our crisis communications peers provided insight into how Boeing was dealing with its crisis. And some reaction, unfortunately, we found lacking in […]
From Dr. Carol Kinsey Goman: You may have a leadership title, or tremendous leadership potential, but that in itself doesn’t give you leadership presence. These are typical comments I hear when asked to coach an up-and-coming female whose career has stalled: “It isn’t that she couldn’t do the next job. It’s that no one on the […]
By Bruce Hennes, CEO, Hennes Communications On September 11, 2001, the world changed. The terrorist attack on the U.S. altered American politics and propelled us into a foreign war, changing government surveillance, our travel habits and even the architecture of our buildings. On a micro-level, it also changed Hennes Communications. For the previous 12 years, […]