6 Steps to Take When the Media Get It Wrong
[by Bruce Hennes] Recently, George Clooney publicly pointed his finger at The Daily Mail for publishing a story he said was false from start to finish. By doing so, the famous actor exponentially drove more readers to the original offending article than might otherwise have occurred. Did he do the right thing? What if this […]
Risky Business
[by Bruce Hennes] According to Reputation Dividend, a company that helps quantify the economic value of reputation for publicly held businesses, few CEOs would argue that their corporate reputation isn’t one of their company’s most precious assets. Giving thought to the difference between ‘brand’ and ‘reputation,’ Sandra Macleod writes, “The value and importance of a […]
Dear Mary Barra – Tuning Up GM’s Reputation Repair
Dear Mary, Thank you for your letter about the GM recall repair work for my car’s faulty ignition. You may be glad to note that I was not among those killed by this manufacturing defect. I am glad to note that you have been only scorched, and not immolated, by the firestorm this crisis has […]
Did Ohio State Do the Right Thing by Firing the Director of the Best Damn Band in the Land?
[by Bruce Hennes] Put aside for the moment IF the band director for Ohio State University’s storied marching band should have been fired. Certainly, one can make the argument that under university policy, the university administration had a strict and legal “duty to act.” And under the Civil Rights Act, provisions in Title IX prohibiting […]
LeBron James Wins Big in the Court of Public Opinion
[By Bruce Hennes] The way LeBron James announced his return to Cleveland was brilliant. Yes, the past includes lots of hurt feelings by fans and baggage with Cavs owner Dan Gilbert, but LeBron decisively dealt with it all, head-on and eye-to-eye. Was the announcement scripted and stage-managed? You bet. But anyone can stage-manage an event […]
10 Ways to Prepare for a Crisis
[by Nora Jacobs] We’re unaware of any insurance policy you can buy that will protect your organization from experiencing a crisis. There are, however, several proven steps you can take to significantly enhance your crisis response capabilities. Here’s a short checklist to get you started: 1) Assess your threats. Determine the most likely events your […]
Which Comes First, the Operational Plan or the Communications Plan?
[by Nora Jacobs] Tornados…active shooters….explosions and fires…workplace fatalities…leaks of toxic chemicals. Given the wide range of catastrophes, accidents and attacks that threaten organizations of almost any size these days, wise management teams have taken the time to put together detailed emergency response plans. Those plans typically describe the procedures, people and resources to be deployed […]
When Hashtag Turns Bashtag
[by Howard Fencl, APR] You could see disaster coming. The New York Police Department dangled prime Internet troll bait on Twitter this week in an ill-conceived campaign that quickly backfired and spread hate posts to other police departments across the country. The department’s initial volley was a sincere attempt to promote good community relations: “Do […]
What if Your CEO is a Poor Communicator?
[by Howard Fencl] When a crisis significantly impacts reputation or stock price, when the magnitude of crisis is significant enough to bring business to a halt – your key internal and external audiences expect to hear directly from the CEO. But what if your CEO is a poor communicator? An extreme example: Edward Burkhardt, the […]
General Motors – Where Were the Truth-Tellers?
[by Bruce Hennes] According to this week’s New York Times, ”It was nearly five years ago that any doubts were laid to rest among engineers at General Motors about a dangerous and faulty ignition switch. At a meeting on May 15, 2009, they learned that data in the black boxes of Chevrolet Cobalts confirmed a […]