By Mark Penn for Harvard Business Review Historically, companies faced crises related to their products, services, or governance. Think Boeing and 737 Max crashes, Chipotle and burritos contaminated with E. coli and Wells Fargo creating millions of fake bank accounts. And historically, these companies’ reputational recovery, as measured by the Harris Poll’s Reputation Quotient, followed […]
By Kimberly Whitler, Julia Mahoney and Mary Kate Cary for Directors & Boards The recently released third-quarter results for AB InBev, the company formerly known as Anheuser-Busch, were stark. U.S. revenue and EBITDA declined by 13.5% and 29.3%, respectively, driven by a decline in Bud Light sales following the April 2023 Dylan Mulvaney influencer debacle. […]
Need an end-of-the-year CLE? An Attorneys’ Guide To Crisis Communications & The Court Of Public Opinion Monday, December 11 9:00 am – 10:30 am eastern time 1.5 hours of CLE | Online via Zoom only To register, click here Today, with the ubiquity of the internet, the legal battlefield must include the Court of Public […]
In the wake of the Uvalde school tragedy, the frequent call that “thoughts and prayers are not enough” resonated deeply. This sentiment underscores a growing numbness towards standardized expressions of empathy and compassion, which, while well-intentioned, often fall short in the face of real crisis. As these phrases become routine, their ability to truly address […]
Tony Jaques, Director of Issue Outcomes Pty Ltd, is both colleague and friend. Writing from Australia, he offers solid advice about when to speak – and when not to speak. Let’s see what he has to say… When you’re in the public spotlight over a high-profile issue, the first question is often: “What shall we […]
From wildfires in Hawaii to hurricanes in Florida, and sweltering heat, ice storms, boil-water notices, tornadoes, and extended service outages everywhere in between, 2023 has provided many crises (or near crises) on which utility communicators must communicate. That’s why we sat down with Thomas Fladung (left), managing partner at Hennes Communications, a crisis communications firm, to assess the current state of […]
By Jack Shafer for Politico It was 30 years ago that novelist-filmmaker-physician Michael Crichton lowered his stethoscope to the chest of the media business and denounced it as dying, if not dead. The diagnosis began as a National Press Club speech, but he promptly adapted it into magazine form and published it in Wired under the […]
By Kathleen Meyer for Business Wire Crises happen when they are least expected, which is why every organization should have a crisis communication plan in place. Crises communications refers to information that is shared when an event occurs that impacts customers or a company’s reputation. The intent is to mitigate negativity, ensure all employees and […]
By Adam Petrilli for Entrepreneur Business reputation is the public perception of the brand, its products or services and its treatment of employees and customers. A good reputation serves a company well, but a lousy reputation inflicts damage and potential ruin. That is not to say a company cannot come back from negative reviews or missteps. Reputation management is […]
By Eva Rothenberg for CNN Innocent until proven guilty might hold up in the court of law, but the court of public opinion tends to play by hazier rules. From celebrity scandals to business blunders, crisis communication is a cornerstone of public relations. It’s a specialty of PR dealing with protecting reputation, because a blow to […]