The coronavirus outbreak is creating unprecedented challenges for consumer industries of all shapes and sizes—from travel & tourism to dining & recreation, and whether for business or pleasure, consumers today are showing a reluctance to get involved in many...
Viral by association—some beer-drinkers won’t buy Corona now
New research from 5W Public Relations showcases how brands can go the wrong kind of viral. As fear of the coronavirus sweeps the nation, one similarly-named beer brand is suffering from sheer name association. The firm’s new survey of American beer drinkers examined...
Girl Scouts get out in front of Boy Scouts’ bankruptcy crisis with proactive messaging
On February 18, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) formally filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Exemplifying the Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) motto of “Be prepared,” the organization promptly sent messaging guidance to all of its members, which includes volunteers and...
5 PR tips from Queen Elizabeth’s regal crisis communications plan
I’m glued to my TV following all things Sussex. In case you haven’t heard, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have stepped down as senior royals, hope to become financially independent, and will be spending lots more time in Canada. It’s big, historic, complicated...
Top 20 bruised, battered and embattled brands in 2019
2019 was quite a tough year for a bevy of brands. From tech titans such as Facebook and Uber to traditional stalwarts such as Boeing and PG&E, many took a beating and will be limping into the new year. For them, the New Year’s resolution is clear and immediate:...
2020’s changing PR landscape: crisis management + healthcare communications
Every year brings increasingly rapid changes for many industries, and public relations is no exception. As we look toward 2020, two key areas—crisis management and healthcare communications—may be among those experiencing the most dramatic shifts for PR professionals....
Hallmark Channel’s uninspired apology—why the brand’s ad gaffe was a PR double fail
Just as the Hallmark Channel and its corny, white-bread Christmas movies were getting parodied in a “Saturday Night Live” skit over the weekend for its outdated perspective on romance and relationships, the greeting card network managed to really blow up its image...
2019 year in crisis: Boeing’s poor PR leads to sky-high reputation damage
Boeing’s mishandling of the 737 Max crisis is almost legendary. We can already see future generations of PR students going over the missteps that the company made. In this post, we will analyze what happened, what the company did, and what it could have done better....
Is Peloton crazy for not apologizing for that ad—or is it creating a new era of crisis response?
The recent criticism of Peloton’s latest bike ad is emblematic of where we are as a society and culture in 2019. The case of obtuse and presumably misintended offense, imperceptive to some but plain as day to others, is representative of a new breed of sensitivity...
Can Buffalo Wild Wings rebound from its wild week of crisis?
For any company, the sickening of customers and the death of an employee would be an epically bad week. Just ask Chipotle, which battled outbreaks of e-coli and Norovirus at restaurants in 2015 and 2018. And any business open to the public would be reeling for weeks...
Crisis management—navigating the new frontier of corporate cybersecurity
The world of crisis management has changed dramatically, and continues to swiftly shift as what constitutes a crisis and how organizations respond both continue to evolve. From Target to Equifax to Capital One, high-profile hacks of the last few years have certainly...
When is crisis a four-letter word? Just ask Nike.
Crisis communications befell Nike this year when the sports apparel manufacturer rang up not one, but two crises. Managing one can be an onerous task, but two? Crisis One Duke University’s rising star freshman basketball player, Zion Williamson, fell during a big game...