A leader of a company or organization can serve as the quarterback when it comes to delivering a positive reputation to the public. While leaders do not always handle the day-to-day details of running a brand, they serve as a face for employees, customers, shareholders and more. We asked communication professionals about how to proceed when leadership falls ill.
Crisis Management
Why Hope is Necessary for Crisis and Its Worst Enemy
October 6th, 2020 by Seth ArensteinIt was one of those rare weekends. Just about any news story was getting crickets from the media except for one. Indeed, there were several examples of moderate PR crises, but few noticed. Basing your crisis strategy on other stories crowding out media coverage of your company’s PR crisis is a gamble that hardly ever pays.
Nikola Demonstrates Why Silence is Not Always Golden in a PR Crisis
October 6th, 2020 by Thom WeidlichOne of the most difficult aspects of crisis communication is deciding when and how to respond. In the case of truck start-up Nikola, which a short-seller attacked as a fraud, it chose to respond almost immediately to a short-seller’s allegation-filled report. Now with Nikola’s CEO gone, the company must be as transparent as possible in combatting allegations.
Measuring ROI: Avoiding Catastrophic Cost Through PR’s Crisis Counseling
October 6th, 2020 by Mark WeinerOur measurement column looks at another route to ROI. This one centers on the value PR brings to the enterprise when it helps maintain reputation in the wake of a crisis. It’s all about market capitalization.
Corporate Values, Relationships with Staff and Customers are Keys to Surviving Any Crisis
October 6th, 2020 by Seth ArensteinWe jumped at the chance to interview Michael Monahan, a veteran brand communicator who’s now on the agency side. In addition, he and his team have been working in their offices for months. He tells us what’s on his mind.
Trump Hospital Visit Leaves Gaping Informational Holes, Opportunity for Misinformation
October 5th, 2020 by Nicole SchumanPresident Trump, who according to photos released by the White House, has been spending his time at Walter Reed going along with his daily workload. However, not much is known regarding the details of his infection, marred by contrasting information (see Dr. Sean Conley and Chief of Staff Mark Meadows) and lack of transparent detail from the White House, leading much of the media to speculate and drum up outside sources.
Keep It Up: Communicators are Making a Difference Against COVID-19
October 5th, 2020 by Brad RossThe City of Toronto’s CCO Brad Ross argues communicators have done a good job relaying vital messages about the pandemic. As people are tiring of safety measures and we face a second wave, this is not the time to take a break. Do not let this long crisis, and its critics, cause you to question the effectiveness of your work
President’s COVID-19 Night Highlights Need for Transparency
October 2nd, 2020 by Seth ArensteinThe news of the day, of course, is the positive test results of the First Couple. In the coming days, PR pros, and everyone else, will be discussing whether or not the White House press operation informed the media and the public in a timely fashion. We take an early look.
Tips for Protecting Your Brand in the Age of Cancel Culture
October 1st, 2020 by Lisa RobertsYou can’t stop what you don’t see coming. The internet is comprised of thousands of small, hyper-connected sub-cultures. Many will use brands to further their agenda. To protect her brand, the communicator needs to understand what motivates these online groups so she can spot a disruptive narrative in its earliest stages.
Wells Fargo and Ellen Make it a Week of Weak Apologies
September 23rd, 2020 by Seth ArensteinIt’s not easy to compose a solid apology. Ellen DeGeneres infused hers with jokes and compromised the apology’s tone. Wells Fargo CEO Charlie Scharf made a bad situation worse pretended the press hadn’t quoted his earlier comments about the diverse talent pool being small. He also loaded his apology with deflection.