Crisis Management

As is our tradition, in late November PRNEWS asked senior communicators to prognosticate about the coming year. This is the first installment of a multi-part series containing their predictions for 2020. In this first installment, one of the dominant themes was the importance of personalization in various aspects of PR. We’ll run subsequent parts of this series throughout this week.

Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg is no longer atop the world’s largest aircraft maker. That he survived this long offers hope to those who believe that crisis can be overcome by ignoring it. Or by insisting for as long as you can that your brand is not to blame. Communicators can add Muilenberg’s name as proof that those tactics usually don’t work for very long.

Girls and boys, it’s the moment you’ve been waiting for: Ashley McCown’s year-end video with her choices of the top PR crises for the final 6 months of 2019. So, fire up your Google machine and get ready for McCown’s eclectic mix of popular and outside-the-box PR crises. Hats off to those of you who can guess all five of her top picks before watching this video. Hint: Look for a clue in this post.

Amy Rosenberg saw the initial messaging in its controversial ad as progressive, displaying how fitness isn’t about pounds and inches — but letting endorphins and commitment take center stage for a woman who brings exercise back into her crowded life. However, with Peloton straying from the norm, Rosenberg believes the messaging also could have used another look—by those with a more feminine perspective.

The experts we talk to routinely stress the importance of having a crisis plan. Of course, it’s not enough simply to do the initial work—we must revise mindfully and make important adjustments. Join PRNEWS on Dec. 10 for Crisis Webinar: Why a Strong Defense is the Best Offense featuring representatives from Hyatt, Virginia Commonwealth University and Devine + Partners.

This is one in a series of articles about the history of PR as part of our celebration of PRNEWS’ 75th anniversary. The series is part of a partnership with the Museum of Public Relations. This article looks at Ivy Lee, considered the father of PR. Some 100 years ago Lee established foundations for much of what PR pros do to this day. The list includes the press release, crisis communications and branding, which he did for John D. Rockefeller.

Imagine a crisis resulting in a death is part of your first day on the job as a communicator. That was the case for David Gaier, a former chief of communications at NRG Energy. He offers lessons learned and crisis preparation tips after years on the job.

No one needs to tell a communications team twice that if “you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” Creating a strategy which not only allows for a defensive response when something hits, but an anticipatory plan of possible situations, provides an offense your organization can depend on. Join PRNEWS on Dec. 10 for a crisis webinar: “Why a Strong Defense is the Best Offense.”

We can’t wait for our 2020 Crisis and Measurement Summit, taking place February 25-26 at Miami’s Downtown Hilton. Sure, maybe part of that has to do with the idea of flying down south for the winter. But moreover, we were thrilled to see such a turnout at this past February’s inaugural crisis summit—a sellout crowd that flocked to Miami Beach for two days of real talk about every stage in crisis prep and recovery. Ahead of this year’s summit, let’s look back on a few takeaways that changed the way we, and our audience, think about measuring, communicating, and staffing around a crisis. 

We’re guessing the sudden and untimely death of Deadspin (no pun intended) as a purveyor of no-holds-barred sports and social commentary will provide a case study for business students in what not to do with a successful endeavor. This post, from PR pro Dave Dykes and PRNEWS staffer Nicole Schuman, argues that the incident also offers a bevy of PR lessons.