Crisis Management

It’s not easy for brands to listen to the social conversation. And having the sound of fireworks booming for weeks makes it difficult to listen to anything. Still, perhaps Macy’s and NYC should have compromised on plans for six nights of fireworks leading up to July 4.

With the country leading the world in virus cases and deaths, the White House’s Coronavirus Task Force held its first public briefing since late April. The effort was intended to mix positive vibes with bad facts.

The proper PR apology needs to include several basic ingredients. We provide them for you here and look at several apologies to see if they make the grade.

A new survey from PRNEWS shows the industry upbeat about the future. In the survey of 200 PR pros last month, 88 percent told us PR and communication will come back as strong if not stronger after the pandemic. Still, there’s concern for the future and diversity & inclusion content is lacking in industry messaging.

As brand communicators and PR firms plan to reopen their offices, the burden on internal communicators to set expectations seems great. Here’s a quick look at some of the areas they’ll need to consider communicating as offices reopen.

After a Black employee quit over its dress code, supermarket chain Publix stated it will not allow workers to wear clothing featuring Black Lives Matter messaging. In response to what could be an emerging communications crisis for the brand, Publix spokesperson Maria Brous pointed to company policy. TheoryComms’ CEO Andrea Hamiton argues PR cannot stay on the sidelines in a moment of national turmoil and transformation.

Confusion over coronavirus continues. Are things getting better or worse? Is the glass half full or half empty? It depends on whom you listen to? Cases are rising in 18 states. They’re declining in 22 states. Is the rise in testing the reason for increases in cases? Can someone without a political agenda tell us? Please.

When a brand gets caught in the middle of a crisis, what IS the proper response? Is it better to be a punching bag for the public and stay silent, or is it the responsibility of the middleman to explain or absolve themselves from the situation? So what is Wendy’s role?

In a week of public apologies, few have loomed larger than that of General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The nation’s top soldier apparently was transfixed reading social media attacks on him and President Trump’s photo op at St. John’s Episcopal Church. His apology was good, though slightly lacking.

Kathy Bloomgarden, CEO of Ruder Finn, spoke with Holly Teichholtz, SVP communications and content strategies at The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. The two discussed pandemic-related disruptions to the workplace, the future of work, and how the nonprofit sector can best respond to the Black Lives Matter movement.