Smart companies have crisis plans for when – not if – an incident occurs that disrupts business or damages their brand reputation. However, in today’s fast-paced, social media-dominated world, these plans need to be reviewed and updated on a regular basis to keep pace with an ever-growing set of potential threats: unsubstantiated damaging rumors, cyberattacks and data breaches, natural disasters, and unethical executive behavior to name a few. Read more
CommCore Blog and News
Posts Tagged: crisis communication
Wells Fargo’s Crisis Response: Could the Debacle Have Been Prevented?
The missteps in Wells Fargo’s fraud scandal response are well documented. As crisis consultants, our clients are asking us: Could this now chronic crisis have been prevented?
Yes and no. At least a more in-tune management could have kept this from getting worse:
- When employee letters citing fraud – one dating back to 2007 — and a petition from 2014 signed by thousands of employees complaining about draconian sales quotas are sent to management, don’t dismiss them.
“All Quiet” Is Only Good in the Library
Who doesn’t remember being shushed by the school librarian? Too much noise in the library is disruptive, but if you’re stuck at an airport or waiting to watch a football game, you want noise… a constant flow of information. Read more
Asking “How did we do?” helps Texas improve crisis response from Ebola to Zika
When local, state and federal authorities faced the nation’s first confirmed Ebola outbreak in Dallas in 2014, reviews of their response were harsh:
- Bungled protocols at Texas Presbyterian Hospital, site of the original infection
- Conflicting public messages from hospital, county, state and federal government authorities
- Lack of overall preparedness and coordination
A key tenet of good crisis planning is conducting a thorough post-crisis assessment of “lessons learned” – aka “How did we do?”
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The Washington Metro Shutdown: “Safety First” was the Message
When Washington, DC Metro’s new General Manager Paul Wiedefeld announced the complete shutdown of the nation’s 2nd largest subway system on a work day last Tuesday with only 9-and-half hours’ notice, he sent two unequivocal signals:
- Safety first
- He is ready to take whatever actions are required to safeguard the public and salvage the crumbling system regardless of the consequences
It turned out the caution was warranted.
Read more
What Were They Thinking: Burger Wars and World Peace
Survey: From Tylenol to the Latest Cyber-Attack- 30th Anniversary
In honor of CommCore’s 30th Anniversary, we invite you take this brief survey that explores the past and future of media and crisis coaching. Your responses are important in seeing how our training has affected your view of the media and your preparedness in certain situations.
What Were They Thinking: Big Game’s Big Reputational Stakes
Whole Foods’ Apology: Too Little Too Late?
By: David Bloch
Monday August 3, 2015
Last month, grocer Whole Foods apologized for systematically overcharging customers for pre-packaged food. “Straight up we made some mistakes,” stated Co-CEOs Walter Robb and John Mackey. Read more