Hey, it's the only year-end wrap up story that will not mention Bill and Monica. Another year of Image Patrol has passed and it's time to review what we've learned and how the profiled companies have fared longer-term.
The key theme this year was preparedness. Those companies that were prepared fared well and those that were caught by surprise often did not. It helped to be as forthright as possible, never letting the lawyers speak first, and remembering that who you are and what you do is more important than what you say. Strong brands fared better than weaker ones in the long-term as names like Nike, Gap and CVS topped the list, while lesser understood brands such as Beverly and Tishman fell to the bottom.
So here's our review of the reviews over the past year, in order from best effort to worst. If any more is known about where the company stands since the crisis, we've included that commentary as well. Learn and enjoy.
Key:
Rank &Company
Crisis
What we said at the time
Net impact on reputation: Where they are now
1 Gap
Internet crisis over Gap founder's environmental policies.
A good reputation and the right timing (holiday shopping season) beats Internet activists.
Better: The boycott fizzled and Gap appears most enviro-friendly.
2 Nike
Accused of child labor violations in making soccer balls
A great spokesperson is the key to successful crisis management. Phil Knight and Nike have made this issue a corporate crusade.
Same: Once the World Cup was over, the activists got strangely quiet. Even so, Nike already had a program in place.
3 CVS/Giant
Privacy violations
Prompt action, concerned response and listening to customers was critical to their success.
Better: They played it by the book and came out way ahead
4 USPS
Postal rate increase
Reputation is built one success at a time. This was a great first step.
Same: Given the normal outcry over an increase, they did well. It's still the most preferred method of shipment for Internet purchases.
5 Burlington Coat Factory
Animal rights
Be careful with whom you partner. All the best laid plans of communicators can be undermined by one bad supplier.
Same: Their proactive support of the Humane Society and quick response seems to have worked. Their reputation is largely unaffected.
6 Chase
Holocaust money
You can't escape history, but you can prepare for it.
Same: Prompt action kept damage to a minimum. Other companies became the focus. Dig into your company's history to avert this kind of crisis.
7 Royal Caribbean
Pollution on the high seas
At the time we congratulated RCCL's for coming clean with honest soundbites that the media picked up frequently. Now we're embarrassed to find that all they were doing was sounding honest.
Worse: The NY Times recently revealed that they continued to pollute the waters even after being charged and fined - making the cruise line appear hypercritical, arrogant and uncaring. The problem is systemic and communications can't help.
8 Adidas
Accused of child labor violations in making soccer balls
Proactive is better than reactive. Adidas took few proactive steps.
Worse: In general, the brand's popularity remains at an all-time high.
9 Boston Globe
Firing Mike Barnacle
There's such a thing as too much communication.
Worse: Like all media in 1998 they were an easy target, but the credibility they lost will take years to rebuild.
10 General Motors
Strike
Pride goeth before a fall - or a strike. GM needs to stop bullying and start communicating.
Same: You'd think the costliest strike in U.S. history would have some lingering impact, but sales are strong and all seems forgiven.
11 International Olympic Committee
Bribery scandal
A scandal that wasn't going to be "communicated" away. The athletes and the sponsors lost the most.
Way Down: Fingers were pointed everywhere, and the scandal was spreading at press time. The only remedy is for Samaranch to step aside. After all, it all happened on HIS watch.
12 IRS
Picking on a taxpayer
Start by communicating internally before you go "external" and look hypocritical.
Worse: Can the big bad tax guys reputation get any worse? Yup.
13 Tishman
Scaffolding collapse
Saying nothing will only make things worse.
Worse: The lawsuits linger, and New Yorkers have long memories.
14 Olympic Hockey
Players trash rooms after loss
These guys wrote the book on how NOT to handle a crisis. "No big deal" it wasn't.
Worse: Compared to all the other Olympic scandals, this one now appears trivial and forgotten.
15 NBA
Lockout
The fans were the losers in this one. They were forgotten by each side of the dispute.
Worse: It's too soon to see what impact it will have on ratings, but early indications are that fans have gone elsewhere this year.
16 Beverly Enterprises
Lawsuit backfires on them
The worst communications of the year award. They made their bed, now they have to lie in it.
Worse: Don't go after the underdog (remember McLibel?) and don't boast anti-labor sentiment.
PR News Column: By Katharine Delahaye Paine
CEO and founder, The Delahaye Group, Inc. http://www.delahaye.com