With most cell phones now capable of shooting and downloading video, there are millions of people walking around with the technical capability to be on-the-scene reporters. In this article, Dan Keeney, APR explores the implications for crisis communications response.
The Bumbo Baby Seat recall, guided by DPK Public Relations, is getting some attention. The focus of the public relations response was on protecting the safety of children whose parents may have been unknowingly putting them at risk of a fall. The public education campaign positioned the company as a caring and responsive corporate citizen.
A new survey from Harris Interactive found that 15 percent of respondents would never again purchase a recalled brand while 21percent would avoid using any brand made by the manufacturer of the recalled product. Clearly, consumers today have more options than ever and they will abandon a company and its brands if it makes a mistake.
The March 5th issue of Brandweek looks at how various food companies have responded to E.coli outbreaks that threaten their respective reputations and strain consumer trust. It includes comments from DPK Public Relations'' President Dan Keeney.
DPK Public Relations is among the firms that specialize in crisis communications featured in the San Francisco Chronicle report on Jet Blue''s response to the shut-down of its entire flight schedule a couple weeks ago. The observations and advice of all the counselors included in the report provides great guidance for CEOs under pressure.
Below is a description of the fundamental elements of crisis communications. If you believe this can be improved, we invite you to comment on it by posting your thoughts below. Crisis communications at its most basic level consists of three elements: crisis planning, crisis response and crisis recovery. Crisis planning is the work done to define what constitutes a crisis for the organization, identify vulnerabilities -- both likely and less-than-likely, assign responsibilities, prepare a spokesperson with media training, practice periodically and prepare standby materials as appropriate. I've seen organizations spend tens of thousands of dollars on the development of a crisis communications plan the size of a phone book and I've seen others create a perfectly functional crisis plan on the back and front a business card. The important thing is the thinking that goes into the process and the commitment to …
Nothing heals the wounds of a crisis like time. As time goes by, the hurt feelings and horrors associated with organizational misdeeds tend to subside. A new study suggests that executives believe it takes companies more than three years to recover from crisis.
Apologizing is a powerful communications tool, but for various reasons it is one that is increasingly neglected by CEOs. This article describes how owning up to a misstep can effectively frame the issue, putting parameters around it and defining it. Learn how to begin repairing the damage and winning back credibility.
A recent article in the Houston Business Journal features an interview with the founder of DPK Public Relations who identifies three key components for protecting and enhancing a company''s reputation when it is faced with unwanted public scrutiny: crisis communications planning, response and recovery.
Our crisis communications training seminars often include scenarios regarding personal indiscretions of the CEO -- sexual harrassment, substance abuse or financial misdeeds, for instance. The purpose is to get attendees thinking about the point at which the interests of their CEO diverges from the interests of the company and its shareholders.