crisis management

communications, Crenshaw Communications, crisis management, public relations, reputation • December 31, 2010

The Worst PR Moves Of 2010

It was a good year for bad moves – when it comes to PR, that is. Here’s our list for 2010’s biggest PR blunders. BP. Let’s get it out of the way. There’s not much more to say about BP’s response to the flood of bad press after the Gulf oil spill. Its handling of the […]

communications, Crenshaw Communications, crisis management, public relations, reputation • December 28, 2010

The Best PR Moves Of 2010

This year brought well-publicized disasters, misbehaving celebrities, and corporate goofs. But, which individuals and companies communicated most skillfully during 2010? Here are our nominees. Wikileaks. Whether Julian Assange is a hero or a “high-tech terrorist” depends on your point of view. But in 2010 Wikileaks perfected a media relations strategy for maximum impact for the […]

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

Ten Trends That Will Affect Public Relations Pros In 2011

PR is reaching a golden age, triggered by the growth of social media and new, more relevant metrics. PR is dead, a bridesmaid in the hot pursuit of larger budgets and sexy social programs. The predictions are all over the map, but, as usual, the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Here’s our list for […]

communications, Crenshaw Communications, crisis management, leadership, public relations, social media • October 13, 2010

Crisis Management: Lessons From The Chilean Mine Rescue

As the world watched, the government of Chile showed not only leadership, but remarkable PR and communications savvy as it sought to free 33 miners trapped underground for over two months. Its handling of the ordeal was like a mirror image of the BP disaster. Here are some crisis management learnings we can unearth from […]

branding, communications, Crenshaw Communications, crisis management, public relations, social media • October 11, 2010

The Gap’s New Logo: Bad Fit Or Savvy PR Move?

It almost seemed like a PR stunt. When the Gap replaced its iconic logo with a new visual identity, Gap-watchers were not just alienated. They seemed to take it personally. It was as if a fortyish suburban dad suddenly hired a downtown stylist. Branding experts decried the Helvetica font with its tech-y box as “lazy,” and fashion bloggers rejected […]

communications, Crenshaw Communications, crisis management, public relations, reputation, social media • August 26, 2010

A Sorry State: How We Apologize

As every PR professional knows, an artful public apology is a staple of reputation management – just ask Toyota, BP, or Goldman Sachs. A cottage industry has been created that’s dedicated to what I call “apology PR.” But, apologizing is also a key piece of the social CRM toolkit, which communicators are rapidly learning and […]

communications, Crenshaw Communications, crisis management, leadership, public relations, reputation • August 19, 2010

Did HP Get Bad PR Advice?

A seat at the table. That’s how those of us in PR often put it when we talk about the role of public relations counsel in the corporate suite. Since the PR function is easily misunderstood, marginalized, or reduced to tactics, it’s a popular topic in professional circles. We want that seat, and we applaud signs […]

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, 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 […]