Crisis Management

UPS and FedEx are trying to change the message to keep this holiday shopping season from turning into chaos. But will retailers go along?

“Keep Tracy Morgan’s name out of headlines,” would be one of the more blameless strategies Walmart could have adopted. But on Monday, the company filed federal court papers claiming that Morgan’s injuries were caused by his failure to wear a seatbelt.

Figuring out how to best handle a PR crisis depends in part on whether your client is a public company, private company or non-public organization like an NGO.

In our hyperconnected world, little is hidden from the public view. Most CEOs understand this, but they may benefit from an update on how the scope of public relations has broadened to meet the new stakeholder reality.

Apple hit back hard against accusations that its iPhone 6 Plus bends. Perhaps too hard. How would you handle complaints against one of your products?

State Farm, which promotes immunizations awareness as a way of preventing the spread of viral diseases, probably should have been aware of Rob Schneider’s stance on vaccinations before they launched the ad campaign.

In addition to rethinking how (and how often) we monitor for potential issues, how we organize to effectively manage crisis situations must also evolve. Issues management expertise is no longer sufficient to succeed in this environment.

For senior PR managers, the NFL scandals (and the league’s bumbling responses) hold several lessons. Perhaps the biggest takeaway is the need to set new standards without concern “for the gate” and strongly communicate those standards to the public.

Just hours before the iOS 8 rollout began Wednesday night, Apple discovered a bug in HealthKit, forcing the company to pull third-party apps designed to sync with the new service from the App Store.

It’s getting worse. The various scandals now engulfing the National Football League are showing no signs of letting up. The league’s reactions to the scandals have been all over the map, and the damage to the heralded brand is exacting a serious toll.