Crisis Management

To get prepared for PRNEWS’ Crisis and Measurement Summit in Miami later this month, we asked several of the scheduled speakers to provide crisis and measurement tips. Planning was one of the themes their answers had in common.

In a far-ranging interview, new PRSA chair T. Garland Stansell discusses the need for PR pros to be courageous enough to accept and shape change, his goals for the 30,000-member organization and the challenges of communications measurement.

On first glance you might not think diversity and inclusion has anything to do with crisis communications. In fact, it has everything to do with it, argues Esther-Mireya Tejeda, SVP, head, corporate communications & PR at Entercom.

No longer confined to China, coronavirus is beginning to move from a foreign story to a domestic one. More than that, it’s become a communications and reputation story. When iconic brands get involved, we tend to listen more closely.

Technology has made the world much smaller. Still, in many ways, humans remain very insular. What’s in front of us often receives most of our attention. As a result, where a news story occurs can… Continued

One of the complexities of PR crises is ensuring that, aside from crisis response, the company’s day-to-day work continues. Sometimes, though, normal work flow becomes the problem. For example, regularly scheduled social content posted during a crisis, or immediately after, can become a tone-deaf disaster. That’s why a social media pause button can help immensely.

The media discussion surrounding the royal family break seems shrouded with mystery and hearsay—with statements being given on both sides, but no one really coming forth and explaining the real reason for the schism. This creates an open dialogue for the public, leaving the families apt to rumors and falsities. Many takeaways can be found regarding the public relations tactics taken by the famous Brits in yet another family crisis.

Away continues to experience a public failure that undermines its stated values as a community-focused global travel brand. It’s painfully clear that the luggage company’s senior leadership, especially its co-chief executive Steph Korey, needs a lesson in reputation management.

Once again, Major League Baseball finds itself tangled in the details of a cheating scandal. Unlike the steroids era of the 1990s, where Congress held MLB accountable, we now find the sport policing itself, holding its own teams accountable. Is this the correct route in terms of PR and reputation?

Every company and organization should have an up-to-date crisis plan. In addition, holding periodic crisis simulations and post-simulation analyses are important. Still, one of the keys to crisis management, and one that’s often overlooked, might be the personalities sitting around the table in the C-suite. And don’t forget the corporate politics involved, argues Jim Lindheim, a former Burson-Marsteller chairman.