Crisis Management

Given the power of blogs and other social media channels, crisis expert Richard Levick writes that it’s critical that organizations have a digital-savvy litigation communications team in place.

After a wave of negative press followed Royal Caribbean’s decision return to its long-visited Haitian port just days after the massive earthquake struck the island in January, the cruise company was able to turn the course of the coverage with consistent messaging.

Mutual trust and a set of firm ground rules go a long way toward keeping PR and legal counsel on point during a crisis. Having the CEO on board with messaging doesn’t hurt, either.

For Target, saying sorry for a donation to an anti-gay politician simply wasn’t enough; PG&E, however, did enough and more after its gas line explosion in the Bay Area.

With all the talk about how companies act during a particular crisis, what happens after the fact? Companies post-crisis should review their actions and measure their impact to discover valuable lessons.

Liz Mair of Hynes Communications on what BP could have done better from a digital PR perspective.

â–¶ Public Trusts Media in BP Leak: According a recent survey findings by Pew Research Center, the public expresses far more trust in the news media for information about the Gulf oil leak than it… Continued

According to the findings of an Adweek Media/Harris Poll by Harris Interactive, almost three-quarters (74%) of Americans say when a celebrity endorser gets involved in a scandal, it doesn’t impact the way they feel about the brand or brands they endorse.

As the public’s anger builds over the Gulf oil spill disaster, just who gets the blame and what should the government and BP be focusing on from a PR standpoint?

The ability to anticipate problematic user comments and the development of a comprehensive "Rules of the Road" will help keep a Facebook crisis at bay.