Recent high profile online calamities experienced by notable brands are prompting discussion about the emergence of a new discipline: digital crisis communications. I understand that some people may believe the fundamental rules have shifted, thus necessitating a new approach to crisis planning and response. However, this is not the case. The fundamentals of crisis communications remain as relevant in an era of rapidly evolving media power structures as they have always been. That said, I am realistic enough to expect that digital crisis communications will probably catch fire because it captures the current zeitgeist. Social media has reached the tipping point, so more problems will be reported and discussed through online tools such as Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and whatever emerges in the next year to dethrone them. There will undoubtedly be all sorts of people who portray themselves as digital crisis …
DPK Public Relations President and Founder Dan Keeney, APR was featured in the article, "Crisis Communications: How to Recover from a Black Eye," in the March/April issue of Perspectives, a publication for the insurance brokerage industry. The article was written by Paula L. Weis, who does a great job of gathering a lot of solid information and delivering it in a way that is interesting and easy to read. Of course, these are challenging times for the entire financial services industry and insurance brokers are dealing with customers every day who are afraid that their carriers will not be able to survive. But the tips provided regarding crisis planning, response and recovery should be in the pocket of every communicator these days. You never know when you might need it. Download the article by clicking on the image below. …
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As you might understand, Lance Armstrong doesn't like to be called "a cancer," so when a journalist who did just that in the past tried to pin him down at a news conference, Lance was none too pleased. It is a great example of how to take control and deliver your message no matter what.
DPK Public Relations founder Dan Keeney, APR, posted a good discussion about the current state of news embargoes to his blog, The PR Counselor Is In and we wanted to share the link with you and offer a brief synopsis. The title is "New Rules to Guide Use of News Embargoes." He recounts his years as a journalist in the 1980s and early 1990s, saying he regularly honored embargoes. "We knew that if we didn't comply, we would have a moment of glory as we broke the news, but forever after the rest of the media that did comply would continue to get the information early and we would not. We would have to play catch up for the rest of eternity." It was a risk that journalists simply could not take. Of course those were different times. News was gathered in …
When dealing with unpleasant PR issues, the best course of action is often to move forward and forget about the past. Learn from the negatives and have them inform substantive changes -- while at the same time working to drown them out with positive actions and information. Read more!
27 years after Johnson & Johnson rewrote the book on crisis communication response, the company is back in the spotlight. No deaths, no tampering, just hurt feelings. The question is: was the inevitable apology acceptable?
What can every public relations counselor learn from Hurricane Ike? We offer 10 crisis planning and response fundamentals, expanding on what was published in the November 2008 edition of Public Relations Tactics.
The current environment, in which people search for and discover information that is valuable to them without the interference of traditional "gatekeepers" such as editors and journalists, makes the news release more powerful and important than ever. Read how to pack your release with more punch.
The role of media in covering crises is evolving with enormous impacts from the impacts of the 24-hour news cycle and ubiquitous mobile devices with the ability to record or stream live video and sound. Find out what your organization should do now to protect its reputation.