Crisis Management

It is clear that until the pandemic is over, the world will experience constant change and heightened uncertainty. This should be good for PR, as demand for strategic communication will remain strong. In addition, there will be plenty of changes in how PR looks and functions once the pandemic subsides.

On Memorial Day, a video went viral of a white woman, Amy Cooper, calling the police in New York City’s Central Park on a black man, Christian Cooper (no relation) after he asked her to leash her dog in a leash-required area. The video sparked widespread outrage at Ms. Cooper’s racist report, with some lawmakers calling for false calls to law enforcement like Amy Cooper’s to be classified as hate crimes. Franklin Templeton, Cooper’s employer, enacted a rapid crisis response.

There’s no more iconic symbol of US business than the NY Stock Exchange (NYSE). Specifically, its floor. That floor reopened today. How its president Stacey Cunningham communicated it likely will serve as a template for other businesses.

May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, making it a good time to consider diversity & inclusion issues and communications. We find that in the rush to emphasize health and safety, brands and organizations are allowing diversity and inclusion efforts to slip.

Nearly everyone’s hurting from the pandemic, so when big brands ask for relief when the little guy isn’t able to, it could hurt brands’ reputations. Accordingly, brands need to be particularly aware of the court of public opinion when they seek financial relief. Careful messaging and other tactics can help soften reputation damage, PR pros say.

After 2.5 months, the International Olympic Committee seems to have seen the error of its ways. Back on March 3, as the coronavirus began to ramp up in several parts of the world, IOC president… Continued

With all 50 states reopening in some fashion today, many people are wondering when it will be safe to eat out again. In this first of a series about reopening various industries, we examine the role communications will play. In the case of reopening restaurants and other eateries, communication will be key.

As of Tuesday evening, two dams have failed in Midland, Michigan, the home of Dow Chemical’s headquarters. Given chemical products including pesticides and Styrofoam are produced in the area, Dow’s current weather-related crisis could soon erupt into an environmental catastrophe. Gene Grabowski, partner at D.C. firm kglobal, says that at this early stage, Dow’s communications team is responding “intelligently and appropriately” to the flooding in Midland.

Data provided to PRNEWS confirms what media relations pros have been feeling since the pandemic arrived–communicators are pitching more than they did prior to the novel coronavirus. Fortunately, journalists are opening more pitches than they did before the pandemic.

The pandemic shows it’s impossible to predict a crisis. On the other hand, assessing likely risks, preparing a response plan in advance, understanding processes and practicing regularly will ensure success during most crises.