Mistakes of all sizes happen. We know that. PR pros often are called in after those mistakes occur. They usually attempt to mollify things. Sometimes they goof and fan the flames. At times, communicators can do very… Continued
Crisis Management
The Epic List of PR’s Daily Challenges (And How to Overcome Them)
July 24th, 2017 by Diane SchwartzReality checked in with me recently when a few parents on my son’s rowing team, knowing my affiliation with PR News, asked me to write the press releases for the club. Sure, it’ll be easy,… Continued
Delta Drops the Usual Customer Care Persona on Twitter—and Coulter Tweets On
July 18th, 2017 by Steve GoldsteinDelta Air Lines jettisoned the bland, cheery persona employed typically by social customer care representatives in favor of stoic sarcasm in two now-notorious Twitter replies to author and political commentator Ann Coulter on Sunday, July… Continued
How USA Gymnastics Excelled at Handling a Harsh Investigative Report
July 17th, 2017 by Katie Paine, Paine PublicationsIn her latest installment of Image Patrol, Katie Paine looks at how USA Gymnastics is handling its sexual scandal and contrasts it with Bell Pottinger’s mishandling of its crisis concerning an account from a South African company with ties to that country’s president.
How Royal Caribbean Controls the Message During a Crisis
July 14th, 2017 by Samantha WoodCynthia Martinez has handled some of the worst crises you could imagine. As director of global corporate communications for Royal Caribbean Cruises, Martinez has dealt with everything from fires to a guest committing suicide by jumping overboard. And since any of Royal Caribbean’s guests can tweet or post a video the moment a crisis arises, her team needs to be quick, transparent and, most of all, prepared. Martinez, who will speak at PR News’ Digital and Marketing Show Oct. 17-19 in Miami, shares a few tips on how to own the narrative.
MillerCoors’ CCO on What Makes Large Brands Vulnerable to Crises
July 10th, 2017 by Seth ArensteinMillerCoors’ CCO Pete Marino discusses why large brands remain vulnerable to crisis and why PR blunders still occur. He also expands on a discussion about his brand’s relatively new blog, transparency and how he would spend an unlimited budget.
How PokerStars Managed Its FBI Crisis
June 29th, 2017 by Ian James WrightImagine that one day you wake up to find that your brand’s web domain has been seized by the FBI and there is a warning blazoned across the page alleging the brand and its customers have committed federal crimes—and that prison time and fines may be involved. Reputation trouble doesn’t get much worse than that. But this was exactly the situation PokerStars found itself in.
4 Steps to Help Your Team Remember and Execute Its Crisis Plan
June 26th, 2017 by DIANNE ANDERSONPR pros know that having a Crisis Communications Plan (CCP) is critical. The more difficult task is keeping the plan’s steps top-of-mind for rapid recall when you need them. Chances are your CCP is sitting on a shelf somewhere. This article provides a handy checklist of CCP steps as well as a step-by-step approach to handling crisis communications in a way that will be easy for staff to remember.
The Bell System: How Taco Bell Assesses a Social Situation Before It Responds
June 19th, 2017 by Seth ArensteinIn part II of our interview with Taco Bell’s social media and brand engagement manager Matt Prince, we ask him about how the brand manages during the initial moments of a potential crisis. With 7,000 restaurants across the country, incidents pop up constantly, he tells us, making social listening crucial. We also discuss the particulars of how Prince and his team measurement and report metrics to the C-Suite.
A Three-Step Method to Ensure Proper Use of Social Media in a Crisis
June 5th, 2017 by Robert FlemingSocial media can be a blessing and a curse. While it provides an information dissemination platform that an organization can use to communicate with its stakeholders during a crisis, the fact that anyone with access to the Internet or social media can broadcast information about the crisis and an organization’s actions or inactions can result in the dissemination of misleading information. This article provides guidance for using social media in a crisis environment.