By Thom Fladung, Hennes Communications Only 49% of U.S. businesses report they have a formal crisis communications plan, according to Capterra’s Crisis Communications Survey, conducted in January 2023 with 243 U.S. business executives, all of whom held leadership positions of director or above. Another 28% said they have an informal or undocumented crisis communications plan – although […]
From Joan Donovan and Sarah Parker, writing for The Conversation… “You have blood on your hands.” “I’m sorry for everything you have all been through.” These quotes, the first from Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., speaking to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and the second from Zuckerberg to families of victims of online child abuse in the […]
From our friend and colleague in Australia, Tony Jaques… Who should speak in a crisis? That deceptively simple question can help determine whether an organisation’s reputation is enhanced or irreparably damaged when things go wrong. And behind that question are two common errors in crisis management. The first error is the idea that “speaking with one voice” […]
By Richard Levick Speaking with journalists, shareholders, customers and stakeholders is easy when the going is good. As the old saying goes, “We are all capitalists on the way up but socialists on the way down.” But when things turn bad, communications suddenly become much more challenging. As another old saying goes, “The gods of […]
From Emma Goldberg, writing for The New York Times… After reading the details of Hamas’s attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, Brad Karp, who runs the law firm Paul, Weiss, sat at his computer and wrote a memo to his roughly 2,000 employees. He didn’t ask the firm’s spokesman to draft it; he channeled his […]
By Stephanie Vozza for Fast Company You’ve decided to ask for a raise. Should you go into your boss’s office first thing in the morning to get it out of the way? Or wait until the afternoon? Wait until tomorrow? Your chances of success will depend on your ability to read the room. Paying attention to […]
By Chris Gidez for PRNews Imagine a Jeopardy category titled, “Tired Corporate PR Phrases.” For example, “delivering solid results,” “leverage our strong position,” “people are our greatest asset,” and—perhaps the most infamous corporate cliché of all—”Safety is our top priority.” These phrases have become so over-used as to be worthless. But we continue to see them in […]
Longtime readers of this newsletter know of our ongoing admiration of TV advertisements that tell stories. Recently, we stumbled upon a gem that stands out for its narrative brilliance, telling a compelling story within the brief span of 60 seconds, proving that often it’s not just the facts but the story that resonates. The ad […]
All year long, Coke, Apple, Nike and other large companies spend megabucks to create a 30 or 60-second ad for the Christmas season or the Super Bowl to win the hearts and dollars of consumers. This year, Hennes Communications gives our Top Holiday Tip of the Hat Award to…The Greater Cleveland Regional Sewer District. Just […]
By Laura Burrows for Experian Information Solutions Fraud is a serious concern for everyone, including businesses and individuals. In fact, according to our 2023 U.S. Identity and Fraud Report, nearly two-thirds (64%) of consumers are very or somewhat concerned with online security, and over 50% of businesses have a high level of concern about fraud […]