reputation

Crenshaw Communications, crisis management, public relations, reputation • August 15, 2010

The Steven Slater Effect: Has JetBlue Lost Its Cool?

Steven Slater’s slide to freedom took less than a day to establish him as a folk hero. The reasons are obvious. Who hasn’t wanted to make an, um, emergency exit from a miserable job with that kind of flourish? It was just one employee who lost his cool, in a big way. But did his exit signal a downhill slide […]

communications, Crenshaw Communications, public relations, reputation • August 9, 2010

For Mrs. Obama, This Vacation Isn’t Free

There’s that word again. Optics. The First Lady and daughter Sasha departed last week on a whirlwind trip to Spain, where they stayed at a posh Ritz Carlton-owned hotel with friends. The press made it out like a Sex And The City-style girls’ weekend of lavish shopping and touring, finished off by lunch with the Spanish […]

communications, Crenshaw Communications, public relations, reputation • August 2, 2010

Have We Been Fair To Tony Hayward?

There’s an expression related to PR that I particularly dislike. It’s “optics,” and like most buzzwords, it’s a bit pretentious and unnecessary. But when I heard that Tony Hayward will be replaced as CEO of BP, it popped into my head. Good optics, that is. Hayward’s been sent to Siberia (he’ll join a BP joint […]

communications, Crenshaw Communications, reputation, social media • July 27, 2010

Shirley Sherrod And The Death Of Context

It’s practically a given that privacy is dead. Just ask Mel Gibson. His creepy rantings (and pantings), as recorded by his girlfriend, have probably ended his career. In a different way, General Stanley McChrystal was also brought down by a breach in the traditional discretion granted to subjects of his ilk, greatly amplified by digital […]

communications, Crenshaw Communications, public relations, reputation • July 7, 2010

Why Do PR People Lie?

The latest PR war between tech blog Boy Genius Report and Apple has ignited some pretty harsh accusations, including charges that Apple’s PR is lying about emails BGR claims were sent by Steve Jobs. For me, the outcome of the drama isn’t important, except as it affects the reputation of those of us who earn a living […]

communications, Crenshaw Communications, public relations, reputation • June 24, 2010

McChrystal’s Defeat: Poor PR, Or Natural Disaster?

The term “PR disaster” is thrown around a lot these days. But unlike man-made catastrophes that wreak Gulf-spill-sized reputation damage, the McChrystal debacle is a direct result of poor PR. After all, it was the clumsy handling of an ill-advised press interview that lost the reputation war and the General his job this week. Or […]

communications, Crenshaw Communications, crisis management, leadership, public relations, reputation • June 17, 2010

What PR People Can Learn From BP

Let’s get one thing straight. The Gulf Oil spill isn’t a PR problem. It’s an environmental disaster that no PR team, no matter how skilled, could clean up. The public relations crisis comes with BP’s lack of preparedness for the gusher, and with the communications in its wake. But, all calamities offer learnings. What lessons can we extract from […]

communications, Crenshaw Communications, crisis management, public relations, reputation • June 4, 2010

Apology PR: What We Can Learn From Jim Joyce

It’s been a good week for apology PR, but a tough time for most of the apologizers. Take BP, which can’t seem to stick to a uniform strategy. Just as it prepared to air an apology ad claiming “full responsibility” for the Gulf oil spill, its CEO cemented his reputation as the Joe Biden of the […]

communications, Crenshaw Communications, crisis management, public relations, reputation, social media • May 20, 2010

When Fans Attack: How To Defend A Brand’s Reputation Online

A social media presence can morph from PR asset to liability in the time it takes to say “brandjacking.” The recent takeover of Nestle’s Facebook page by Greenpeace activists has many brand marketers dusting off their crisis programs. But the world has changed. How do you defend your brand if, despite good business and communications practices, […]