Crisis Management

Gauging how quickly to respond is one of the more difficult elements of PR crisis. Yet a prompt response is a critical part of recovery. As such, crisis expert Bridget Privard says instilling confidence in executives through training and planning is vital.

You thought the McDonald’s-CEO Stephen Easterbrook PR crisis was finished in 2021 with a claw-back settlement. Well, not quite. The SEC added an exclamation point to it, emphasizing corporate transparency.

The first week of January 2023 came roaring in with crises and opportunities for communication wins. While some brands and individuals seemed to suffer from a holiday hangover, others made unforgettable strides that practitioners will be talking about for years to come.

They were seemingly unrelated incidents. Yet the irony was thick. Crisis response worked well Monday night and failed badly Tuesday.

Few thought 2022 would eclipse 2020 and 2021 as a year of PR crises. Wrong. Fortunately, 2022 brought useful lessons for 2023. So, begin 2023 correctly: measure reasonably, use appropriate platforms and own your mistakes promptly.

Overall, the mood of our PR prognosticators is upbeat as they anticipate PR continuing its recent ascension into 2023.

Balenciaga likes living on the edge. It went too far this time. Its response will determine how much damage it suffers from its latest snafu.

The Taylor Swift ticket hubbub dented the singer’s reputation. She also waited too long to respond. Swift let Ticketmaster absorb all the blame. When she finally responded, it was late and disappointing.

Ticketmaster’s less-than-transparent communication about Taylor Swift ticket offers myriad PR takeaways. Owning your mistakes is one of them, others involve transparent apologies.

Sometimes PR crises throw together companies that usually don’t mix. Regardless, preparing in advance for a PR mishap or crisis always is a wise move.