#MuellerReport – Managing the ‘Spin’ Game

The long wait is over.  Special Counsel Robert Mueller has issued his report  – on his investigation into alleged collusion by President Donald Trump’s campaign and Russia during the 2016 election and obstruction of justice by President Trump into the investigation – to the Department of Justice.  After reviewing it, Attorney General William Barr and ..

Crisis Communications in the World of Small and Mid-Size Businesses

Most small and medium sized business owners never believe they will face a major crisis that requires a crisis communications response.  When they hear the term, crisis communications they believe only large corporations need to worry about crisis communications. But nothing can be further from the truth.  In this world of social media and online ..

Crisis Communications For Organizations In The Age of Harvey Weinstein

It seems like every day a new sexual harassment or assault story is hitting the news out of the entertainment industry, the world of the media, or the political world.  The names of celebrities who have been named keep climbing.  For the organizations that employed these people or were associated with them the question arises, ..

Equifax: An Epic Fail In Crisis Communications

Equifax’s crisis communications strategy dealing with its security hack has been an epic fail.  And the credit reporting giant continues to make the situation worse. The story of the security hack at Equifax is well known.  The breach lasted from mid-May through July of this year with hackers obtaining the personal information of 143 million ..

Crisis Communications Done Right: Rick Scott and Hurricane Irma

So often in crisis management we observe what individuals and brands do wrong and that receives most of the coverage.  Very seldom do we talk about things being done right.  So, this article is about doing crisis management the right way.  Florida Governor Rick Scott’s crisis management deserves praise and is something brands should study. ..

Do You Need A Public Relations Agency?

A very common question asked when considering public relations is, do I need a public relations agency?  The answer is yes, you do need a public relations agency for a variety of reasons (and not just because we are a public relations agency). Why you ask do you need a public relations agency?  Let us ..

How To Defuse A Social Media Attack Before It Becomes A Full Blown Crisis

Social media drives narratives. That cannot be emphasized enough. And it is particularly true during a crisis over customer service. More and more dissatisfied customers are taking to Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube to express their displeasure over poor customer service or what they view as poor quality products

#Boycott: What You Need To Know

Our society is more polarized today than at any moment in recent memory. Our politics is divisive. Opinions have become more outspoken and outraged. Driving all of this is social media. Social media has allowed millions to have a voice and share their opinion. It is also a driving force in spreading disapproval of a brand when it takes a stand that someone disagrees with. Brands need to be prepared when this happens