Crisis Counselor’s Open Letter to Paterno Family
Tweet Dear Jay Paterno: Given your media visibility over the past few months, it appears the Paterno family anointed you as its crisis spokesperson. That’s a tough role for a son and brother to assume for his family. Being no stranger to controversy and highly negative public opinion, I know how it feels to be Continue Reading
Cyber Crisis Not Solely IT’s Problem
Tweet As American companies conduct operational risk assessments, the potential for a cyber crisis must be at the top of the list. In late January, at the World Economic Forum held in Davos, PriceWaterhouseCoopers educated world leaders about this growing problem, using in part a four-minute video that illustrates potential risks faced by organizations that Continue Reading
Crisis Communications: Lessons Learned from the BP Oil Spill
Tweet Gerald Baron, currently principal of Agincourt Strategies and a Senior Advisor with Public Information Emergency Response, videotaped a lively conversation with Neil Chapman, a retired BP crisis communications pro, who provides a behind-the-scenes look at the Gulf of Mexico tragedy. Mr. Chapman’s comments are eye-opening and the video’s 14-minute running time provides a worthwhile Continue Reading
PSU & Syracuse Sexual Abuse Scandals Top 2011 Crisis
Tweet A new nationwide poll of business executives indicates the alleged sexual abuse scandals involving coaches at two prominent eastern universities topped the list of 2011 corporate crises. The dishonor within the Penn State and Syracuse University athletic departments received 13.16 percent of the 266 responses to earn the top spot in a poll co-sponsored Continue Reading
Phone Calls and Bar Tabs Spell Crisis
Tweet The sixth of a six-part series examining prominent corporate crises impacting U.S.-based business operations during 2011. I don’t believe it is a stretch to say that Netflix’s Reed Hastings would like a do-over for, at minimum, the last six months of 2011. One has to wonder if Roy Bostock might desire a similar reprieve Continue Reading
When Chasing or Paying Dollars Creates a Crisis
Tweet Do you wonder if the Netflix Board of Directors ever asked Reed Hastings, “Did you lose your loving mind?” Early in 2011, Netflix is a Wall Street favorite with revenues up over the previous year, profits up year-over-year as well and subscribers flocking to your service. Faced with this scenario, the only concern keeping Continue Reading
Poor Design and a Blind Eye Produce Perfect Storms of Controversy
Tweet The fourth of a six-part series examining prominent corporate crises impacting U.S.-based business operations during 2011. By all eyewitness and video accounts, Mother Nature experienced a seizure at 2:46 p.m. (local time) on Friday, March 11, 2011. On what began as a typical March morning turned into a deadly afternoon and evening after a Continue Reading
5 Reasons Mark Cuban is Wrong About Hiring a PR Firm
Tweet Let’s acknowledge reality upfront. Mark Cuban is perhaps the nation’s top entrepreneur and there’s probably someone in the universe who can list five reasons why Mark is the next Warren Buffett. Mark’s likely among the most business savvy people in any boardroom he enters, he’s more technologically savvy than his peer group, his glibness Continue Reading
Death or Birth: Crisis Communications Doesn’t Play Favorites
Tweet The third of a six-part series examining prominent corporate crises impacting U.S.-based business operations during 2011. When seeking the latest dirt on a prominent celebrity embroiled in a slimy scandal, the first place interested readers turn is to the tabloid media. Suspend your belief system and toss your moral convictions out the window because Continue Reading
Which is the Better CEO Defense: Bad Due Diligence or Blissful Ignorance?
Tweet This posting is the second of a six-part series examining prominent corporate crises impacting U.S.-based business operations during 2011. To a person, the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) I’ve worked for during my 20+ years in FORTUNE 500 Corporate Communications were earnest, whip smart, hard working business professionals who cared about the company’s employees, drove Continue Reading