2018’s Best Crisis Management Response: The Crisis Was Live, Southwest Airlines Was Ready
By Thom Fladung/Hennes Communications We’re hard-wired to hope bad news goes away. And when that hope is dashed, as it so often is, we hope that the fewest number of people possible find out about our bad news. So, imagine your bad news being broadcast live to potentially millions of people. That’s what Southwest Airlines […]
Q&A: Is telling the truth really always a good idea for crisis communications? I see plenty of people caught up in crises who I don’t think are telling the truth.
Telling the truth is an absolute necessity if you or your organization is caught up in a crisis. First, of course, it’s the morally right thing to do. But if morals aren’t your cup of tea, pragmatically it’s the right thing to do. The truth will come out. And if the truth shows you’ve been […]
With Cybersecurity #1 Feared Threat, Here’s How To Boot Up Your Crisis Communication Plans
By Thom Fladung/Hennes Communications When working with companies and organizations on crisis communication plans, we ask a simple question to the leadership team: What keeps you up at night? The #1 answer for businesses across the world is becoming clear: cybersecurity. Infosecurity Magazine, citing the 11th Annual Survey of Emerging Risks involving 200 risk managers […]
Fake News, the 2016 Election, and How to Deal with Bots in a Crisis
[by Howard Fencl, Hennes Communications] The 2016 election was inextricably entwined in social media “bot” controversy that may challenge you today in a crisis at your organization. Bots are automated accounts that can be unleashed to spread information – or disinformation – in the blink of an eye across the web using Twitter and other […]
A National Debate Grows Louder: The Free Press Makes Its Case For The Free Press
By Thom Fladung/Hennes Communications Spurred by The Boston Globe, more than 300 newspaper editorial boards answered the call to stage a coordinated effort to publish editorials on the same day, August 16, defending the role of a free press and, in many cases, decrying President Trump’s attacks on the news media. “We are not the […]
Lessons From a School on Handling Social Media Crises
By Thom Fladung/Hennes Communications Whether in-person or virtual, the kids are still in school. For the moment, however, this will be a class for the adults – and class is now in session on how to handle a social media crisis. On a Labor Day Sunday some time ago, the leadership team at a school […]
How Doughnuts Can Make You a Better Storyteller
[by Howard Fencl, Hennes Communications] Let’s face it: Most of will never be invited to do a TED talk. We all feel like we can when we march up to a podium and launch into a presentation – but nerves creep up our gullets and we wind up hearing only crickets as we slink off […]
Wide-Awake: Sanofi’s Rapid Response to Roseanne Barr’s Twitter Attack – Lessons Learned
[By Howard Fencl, Hennes Communications] By now you know the story: Acerbic, sharp-tongued comedian Roseanne Barr shoots her mouth off on Twitter, posting a racist tweet targeting Valerie Jarrett, a former aide to President Barack Obama: “Muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj [Valerie Jarrett]” ABC wastes no time cutting ties […]
The Cleveland Browns on HBO’s ‘Hard Knocks’: A Weekly Reputation Management Tutorial
[By Thom Fladung, Hennes Communications] Tell the truth. Tell it all. Tell it first. Tell it fast. Tell it on “Hard Knocks.” OK, that last one about HBO’s Emmy Award-winning inside look at a National Football League team’s training camp is not one of our fundamental principles at Hennes Communications when we’re working with clients […]
The Hanging Judge of the Court of Public Opinion
[by Howard Fencl, Hennes Communications] When the charges you face are shocking and severe – damning charges that chafe the deepest ingrained norms of our society, such as rape and murder – the Court of Public Opinion can forever decide your fate no matter what happens in a courtroom. If you are deemed guilty by […]