Crisis Management

The Boston Bruins created a PR mess Nov. 4 when they attempted to pull a fast one on the public. Tell the whole truth is the PR lesson here.

A prompt response is a hallmark of crisis communication. The NBA and the Brooklyn Nets waffled on their initial responses to Kyrie Irving’s antisemitic posting. Have they run out of time to act?

In a PR crisis we know time often is your enemy. Preparation and prompt action are your friends. As such, ‘what took so long?’ is a question you don’t want asked. Unfortunately, it arose for Adidas and its tardy Ye reaction. And it was asked about the slow removal of Beyond Meat’s nose-biting COO.

Books about mishandling PR crises often include sagas about Boeing, Wells Fargo, Volkswagen, the tobacco industry and BP. An accompanying chapter should include how sports mishandles PR crises. The National Football League (concussion denial, players… Continued

The news about Ye, aka Kanye West, reminds communicators that vetting influencers and having reputation-management plans are critical pieces of influencer campaigns.

The jury is out on how the public interprets Adidas’ tardy break-up with Ye and his antisemitic rants. And what took the GAP so long to pull Yeezy clothes after dissolving ties w Ye in Sept.?

The concept of transparency is a PR maxim. China’s attempt to silence its bad economic news shows you can run but can’t hide.

As we celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month, PR pro Marco Gonzalez discussed regaining trust in the wake of the LA City Council debacle.

Communicators know about inclusivity and DEI. Today saw a news story that pushed against inclusivity. Perhaps it made Indigenous Peoples Day the saddest one in the holiday’s short history. It was filled with irony and a few PR lessons.

Waffle House looks good on several fronts—protecting employees and customers from going out in a hurricane, while gearing up quickly in the aftermath.