Crisis Management

In the wake of events of the past few days, we’ve decided to slow or suspend many of our activities on this site so we can reflect on diversity and inclusion. As one of the authors of the essay, Angela Chitkara, said, “People are hurting. We need to take a good look at ourselves and ask what kind of society and organization do we want to be.”

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.

Did you ever wonder how a biotech company communicates its news? The answer is like everyone else, more or less. Often its press releases are unreadable to the general public. Moderna’s news release about its potential coronavirus vaccine actually wasn’t too difficult to understand.

Did your brand or organization’s messaging around the novel coronavirus seem authentic to audience members? Did consumers read it or delete it? Did the sexes react to it similarly? Those were some of the questions Clyde Group asked in a recent survey of 1,000 consumers.

Much of PR is focused on the message delivered through written or spoken words. However, it’s important to remember the impact of images.  With millions of eyes watching government leaders, healthcare experts and business spokespeople… Continued

Reopening the country is too important to have it infused with politics. Unfortunately, important guidelines for reopening apparently are politically loaded, which could result in sickness and death. It’s time for clear communication to come from a central source.