A Peek Inside a Crisis War Room From Chicago Navy Pier’s Top Communicator
By Sophie Maerowitz, writing for PRNews… In this installment, we hear from Payal Patel, communications director at Chicago Navy Pier, who shares her approach to a crisis war room, as well as her take on PR’s role in the tourism industry’s recovery. PRN: What is your role at Navy Pier in Chicago? What are some […]
Texas Storm Communications Show Stark Messaging Contrasts
By Nicole Schuman, writing for PRNews… On top of a global pandemic and unprecedented economic downturn, Texans also had to deal with the fury of Mother Nature over the past week, when an unlikely winter storm wreaked havoc on one of the nation’s largest states. In an area not exactly used to dealing with snow, […]
Tone-Deaf or Bad Timing? Lady Gaga’s Reputation Management Nightmare
by Howard Fencl, Hennes Communications “Help! I’ve been shot! I’m bleeding out of my chest!” Wednesday night on Sunset Boulevard. A man walking three French bulldogs is jumped by two creeps demanding he hand over the pricey animals. He refuses. One of the assailants blasts him in the chest with a semi-automatic weapon. Two of […]
Monumental Crisis Management FAIL: Ted Cruz’s Mexican Vacation
By Nora Jacobs, Hennes Communications As is now clear to the entire country, Senator Ted Cruz apparently skipped class the day they taught Crisis Management 101. As his constituents and fellow Texans faced a winter storm that may be the costliest in the state’s history, boiling snow for drinking water and burning furniture to heat […]
KPMG’s Bill Michael Resigns After Telling Staff to ‘Stop Moaning’
Recently, we were asked to comment on the story below. Our quick analysis: it’s not like he said something accidental, or something he didn’t mean. His words clearly expressed his beliefs. And those beliefs were not consistent with the values of KPMG – and appropriate action was taken. From Mark Sweney & Joanna Partridge writing in […]
Goodell Super Bowl Pre-Game Interview Showcases PR Fundamentals
Nicole Schuman at PRNews writes: From a PR standpoint, highlights of CBS’s Super Bowl pregame show didn’t come from Miley Cyrus’s concert for essential workers or the moving piece celebrating the 30th anniversary of Whitney Houston’s performance of the national anthem. It came from a simple interview that many viewers may have missed while preparing […]
What’s Next When Your Apology is Not Accepted
From Michael Toebe, writing in SmartBrief: Apology, even a sincere, well-meaning one, is not always accepted. One’s name, credibility and reputation are mud. Forgiveness and trust are not granted. What then? It can prove helpful to go through a detailed, yet simple process to increase the odds of your apology eventually being well-received. Start with […]
When Should You Correct Fake News on Social Media Sites?
by Howard Fencl, Hennes Communications The tempo of client calls we field about dealing with social media misinformation continues to increase. Our mantra has always been: Stridently correct factual errors the second you see them posted. But what if you get wind that a disgruntled former employee or a special interest group is planning to […]
Negative Online Client Reviews: ABA Gives Some Tips for Responding
Preface by Bruce Hennes, Hennes Communications Last week, writing in Law for Lawyers, a publication of the Thompson Hine law firm, our friend Karen Rubin wrote about how attorneys should deal with negative online reviews. We’ve taken the liberty of adding this preface to her excellent article: When considering a response to a negative lawyer […]
Political Action Committee & Personal Political Contributions Revisited – Might This Be Only of Passing Interest?
The National Law Review By Bruce Hennes, Hennes Communications After publication of our article in the National Law Review on January 16, Political Action Committee & Personal Political Contributions Become the Next Reputational Challenge for Law Firms & Their Clients, we heard from an attorney from a large firm who raised the issue of “staying […]