Crenshaw Communications

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 • June 10, 2010

Memo To Obama: Don’t Get Mad, Get Going

I used to work with a man who was notoriously calm and self-contained. His demeanor was so low-key that it was easy to parody. I perfected an impersonation of him asking for the sale at a typical new business pitch, just to entertain the staff. I’d stare straight ahead, let all trace of expression leave […]

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 […]

Crenshaw Communications, public relations • May 30, 2010

Do Startups Really Need A PR Firm?

Brant Cooper’s indictment of PR firms for start-up businesses (Hey, Startups: Don’t Hire A PR Agency) has triggered another flurry of discussion about what should be expected from a professional public relations firm. I don’t agree with Cooper’s conclusions, but he makes some valid points. His argument is more well-reasoned than journalists’ complaints, and more […]

communications, Crenshaw Communications, crisis management, public relations, social media • May 24, 2010

Is Facebook Evil, or Just Clueless?

Shall I quit Facebook? Facebook’s recent fumble along policy, technology, and PR lines has many asking the question for the first time. Not just privacy activists or technophobes. But, regular people who are pretty savvy about the social Web. The perception is morphing from irritation to doubts about its integrity. That’s not a good thing. I’ve never […]

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, […]

communications, Crenshaw Communications, marketing, public relations, social media • May 13, 2010

How To Get A Job in PR: Advice For Millennials

It’s graduation season, when advice is plentiful, but jobs are scarce. Firms like mine are blitzed with resumes from freshly degreed communications grads eager to make their mark in PR. A tough economy isn’t the only obstacle. Those entering the workforce now are tagged as Millennials and stereotyped as indulged, overpraised, and entitled. Here’s my contribution to the […]

branding, communications, Crenshaw Communications, crisis management, leadership, public relations, reputation, social media • May 9, 2010

Disaster Branding: How BP’s Green PR Backfired

Quick, which company was responsible for the catastrophic natural gas leak in Bhopal, India, the worst industrial accident in modern history? What about the corporation that created the infamous toxic brew known as Love Canal in Niagara Falls, New York? Man-made disasters are usually named, and remembered, for their locations. That won’t be true in the case of the recent […]

communications, Crenshaw Communications, public relations, social media • May 4, 2010

Betty White Is One Petition We Can Believe In

Facebook petitions are like email jokes. They may be novel and intriguing at first, but they get old quickly. E-petitions in general have always had a sketchy reputation. They’re easily faked, often misdirected, and frequently about causes that don’t hinge on public opinion. Some think they encourage “slacktivism” by lulling us into mindset that we’re doing something […]