crisis management

advertising, branding, celebrity, communications, Crenshaw Communications, crisis management, marketing, public relations, reputation, social media • March 5, 2010

The Future of Celebrity Endorsement, Post-Tiger

Last night I had the pleasure of speaking at a symposium sponsored by The Cardozo Arts and Entertainment Law Journal. The topic was “The Tiger Woods Effect” on celebrity endorsement, contract negotiation, morals clauses, and a host of other legal, marketing and PR issues. Here’s my take on the discussion, from a strictly brand marketing perspective. Brands […]

communications, Crenshaw Communications, crisis management, public relations, reputation • February 21, 2010

Why PR Advice Is The Last Thing Tiger Woods Needs

The Tiger Woods soap opera isn’t just a gift to the tabloid press. It’s been a championship season for PR and crisis management advice. Even before the latest statement hit the Web, communications experts were scrambling to rehash the criticisms of last November and offer another round of self-serving counsel about what Woods should do to get his reputation out […]

communications, Crenshaw Communications, crisis management, public relations, reputation • January 30, 2010

What Goldman Can Learn From Toyota: Apology Communications

Lately, the public apology has been cheapened to the point of commodity. Hardly a month passes without a tearful, televised mea culpa from a politician or athlete. On the corporate front, the typical PR offering is more along the lines of “mistakes were made” – a masterful mouthful of nothingspeak. The banking industry’s contrition is […]

communications, Crenshaw Communications, crisis management, public relations, reputation • January 22, 2010

Royal Caribbean In Haiti: A Tough Call

When I first read about the Royal Caribbean Line ship that docked at Haiti’s Labadee beach shortly after the earthquake that devastated Port-au-Prince, I was taken aback. To say it created a royal PR problem for the cruise line that owned many a private boat in Cabo San Lucas was an understatement. The storm of criticism was so fierce […]

communications, Crenshaw Communications, crisis management, public relations, reputation, social media • January 18, 2010

What PR Boom? Why The Recession Hasn’t Helped Public Relations

Like my peers, I was interested to read the latest article about our industry in The Economist. Titled “Good News,” the piece posits that PR has profited during the recession, since so many companies have suffered business and reputation declines. It cites the latest Veronis Suhler Stevenson data indicating a 3% growth for the PR business […]

communications, Crenshaw Communications, crisis management, marketing, public relations, reputation, social media, technology • January 2, 2010

Ten Trends Affecting PR Professionals In 2010

Despite their overabundance this time of year, I’m a fan of lists. They impose structure and order on what is actually messy, imperfect, and disorderly. But, because I missed the 2009 list window I’ve taken a crack at identifying the major trends affecting our business and what they’ll mean in 2010 and beyond. 1. Social […]

advertising, celebrity, communications, Crenshaw Communications, crisis management, marketing, public relations, reputation • December 11, 2009

Will Tiger Woods Sink Celebrity Endorsement?

The seemingly endless Tiger Woods scandal, and the well-worn implications for PR and crisis management, have me thinking instead about another aspect of our business – the celebrity endorsement. In this case, the negative fallout is so dramatic – and so unanticipated – that I have to wonder. Could brands become wary of getting into […]

communications, Crenshaw Communications, crisis management, marketing, public relations, reputation, social media • December 4, 2009

How Method Cleaned Up A PR Mess

How do you clean up a PR mess? That’s the question Method, the natural cleaning products company, asks after a video created to rally support for the Household Products Labeling Act, which would mandate disclosure of chemical ingredients in common cleansers, somehow went toxic. It went from being the toast of the ad world to…well, just toast. In “Shiny Suds,” a […]

advertising, communications, Crenshaw Communications, crisis management, public relations, reputation, social media • October 15, 2009

Did Amp Turn Up The Volume With #pepsifail?

As I’ve noted previously, good public relations sometimes means having to say you’re sorry. “Apology communications” is a PR buzzword these days. But, when is an apology something else altogether? (Hint: When it involves 18-year-old dudes, maybe?) What got me wondering was the backlash to the Amp energy drink campaign. Of course, I’m talking about the now-infamous iPhone app created […]