#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 ..

Public Relations Lessons From 2017

Two thousand and seventeen is drawing to a close.  What a year it has been.  It has been a year that has seen some major stories with serious public relations lessons that will be applied going into 2018 and far beyond. What were the major stories and the public relations lessons that can be learned ..

What Is The Difference Between Marketing and Public Relations

Many people often wonder what the difference is between marketing and public relations.  The two seem so intertwined in people’s minds that very often people consider them to be the same.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Public relations and marketing while essential to success are totally different. So how should both be defined? ..

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. ..

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

Advice For Celebrities In A Crisis

Sooner or later sports stars and entertainment celebrities are going to have to deal with a crisis. Some embarrassing media report will come out or an inopportune social media post will take off. The key to preventing them, dealing with them if they arise, and not letting them affect your career is to have a plan in place