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Veteran PR guru Katie Paine looks at the crisis responses of the New England Patriots and the Chinese company Huawei. She gives neither one of them a passing grade.

A new study from PR News and Crisp, a social media issue detection and crisis monitoring firm, of more than 400 PR executives finds more than half of respondents saying their brands and organizations have current crisis plans. The downside is brands seem slow to react to a situation during off hours and communicators say they lack the resources to respond to a crisis.

With PR News’ CSR and Nonprofit Awards luncheon coming March 15, we look at two brands taking stands, though they do so with different philosophies and strategies.

Too many PR pros look askance at measurement. That’s not the issue with measurement advocate Graeme Harris, but he wants to know the most cost-effective way of measuring. Is it preferable to have your in-house staff do the collection and analysis, or contract with an outside firm to handle things? Harris does the math on both options.

This week, Facebook announced the launch of its “Showcase” feature, a program that allows brands to advertise on popular Facebook Watch videos. While the feature is referred to as a “premium video ad program” (read: big-ticket item), it’s important for brands of all sizes to note the direction in which Facebook’s advertising business is headed. Here are some takeaways from the feature announcement for brand communicators to be aware of.

Preparing the CEO or other C-suite executives for press interviews isn’t the easiest of tasks. They’re busy, don’t always see the value, and often have legal counsel telling them not to talk. So how do you crack the code? Patience, videotape and building a strategic relationship are key, said panelists at the the PR News Media Training Workshop on Feb. 27, part of the inaugural Crisis Management Summit in Miami.

While anecdotal evidence shows many or even most recent PR crises were self-induced and therefore predictable and preventable, more than a few “come out of the blue,” says Emma Monks, head of trust and safety at Crisp, a social media issue detection and crisis monitoring firm. Fortunately, many of the same tactics used in predictable crises are of use in managing unexpected #PR crises, Monks says.

One-size-fits-all is great for some things, but it rarely works when managing a PR crisis. Recent evidence is the statement the New England Patriots issued when its owner was caught in a sting operation. Uttering a quick denial of alleged wrongdoing is a bad move unless you can back up your statement with facts. Better to say you’ll wait to comment until more facts are available and move on.

PR crises are winnable, says Hill+Knowlton Strategies’ crisis chief and managing partner Kevin Elliott. In fact, organizations should see crises as opportunities to display their bona fides to the market. He cites research showing brands that manage a PR crisis well can and do improve their market value.

PR professionals need to prep company spokespeople for media interviews, making sure they offer the best appearance, are comfortable on camera and stay on message. To be sure it’s not as simple as how to dress, though that certainly is one of the components of preparation. Here’s a look at some of the best practices for readying your company spokesperson for a media appearance.