Crisis Management

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.

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.

Our crisis and measurement columnist Katie Paine looks at 2019’s worst crises. She also offers lessons learned from what she sees as the year’s top PR crises. The overarching theme is that a “boneheaded” CEO’s approach to crisis can ruin a company’s reputation, trust and financial standing.

In the second of a multi-part series of predictions, several PR pros anticipate a rise in the need for crisis communications in 2020. They also see rises in diversity and inclusion as well as transparency. There also will be a need for storytelling that allows consumers to escape from the noise of the 2020 elections.

Nearly every day a story appears in the media that relates to PR and communications. Reading them can provide a tuition-free education in PR, argues veteran PR pro Arthur Solomon. This article concludes his two-part series that reviews instructive headlines from 2019.

As is our tradition, in late November PRNEWS asked senior communicators to prognosticate about the coming year. This is the first installment of a multi-part series containing their predictions for 2020. In this first installment, one of the dominant themes was the importance of personalization in various aspects of PR. We’ll run subsequent parts of this series throughout this week.

Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg is no longer atop the world’s largest aircraft maker. That he survived this long offers hope to those who believe that crisis can be overcome by ignoring it. Or by insisting for as long as you can that your brand is not to blame. Communicators can add Muilenberg’s name as proof that those tactics usually don’t work for very long.

Girls and boys, it’s the moment you’ve been waiting for: Ashley McCown’s year-end video with her choices of the top PR crises for the final 6 months of 2019. So, fire up your Google machine and get ready for McCown’s eclectic mix of popular and outside-the-box PR crises. Hats off to those of you who can guess all five of her top picks before watching this video. Hint: Look for a clue in this post.

Amy Rosenberg saw the initial messaging in its controversial ad as progressive, displaying how fitness isn’t about pounds and inches — but letting endorphins and commitment take center stage for a woman who brings exercise back into her crowded life. However, with Peloton straying from the norm, Rosenberg believes the messaging also could have used another look—by those with a more feminine perspective.