Crisis Management

From AI failures to SOTU and corporate labor meltdowns, there’s been a bit of bad behavior for PR professionals to deal with. 

The beating death of Tyre Nichols exposes many things, including the Memphis Police’s PR work, especially its press release and police report. PR pro John Guilfoil, who works with police departments, grades the Memphis PD’s communication so far.

We thought Adani might have averted a bad situation since its FPO was successful. That changed quickly. PagerDuty’s issue is more predictable. Its CEO needs a communication function or a more competent one.

Preparation for negative media coverage always is important. For tentpole events like the Super Bowl and the Olympics, it’s table stakes. Here are tips for preparing companies.

In part II of our interview with PR crisis pro Bridget Paverd, we focus on a human dimension of crisis, apologizing with humility.

Professor Anthony D’Angelo responds to a PRNEWS article and defends how Southwest Airlines handled its winter debacle. He argues strategic PR is about what you do, not what you say. As such, PR should lead Southwest’s recovery.

In this edition of Week in Review, the Hindenburg-Adani case shows an activist investors’ allegations demand factual responses.

Usually an excellent communicator, Southwest Airlines must repair its reputation now. PR and apologies are important, but won’t be enough. Instead, it also needs a strategic rebrand.

This week’s notable PR items showcase the consequences and impact of crisis at Zelle and TikTok as well as a change at Amazon.

Admitting mistakes promptly is difficult. Yet the history of PR crisis shows it’s the best route for avoiding drip-by-drip negative media. The White House is learning this lesson the hard way.