CEC Insider

The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico continues to generate no shortage of commentary.  Not only on the environmental, political, and economic consequences of the disaster, but also on a topic much more personal for corporate communicators: BP’s communications strategy.  If you’ve seen such commentary from activists (e.g., James Hoggan) or from news outlets covering the broader story (e.g., CNN), you’ve likely noticed a certain schadenfreude that permeates these remarks.  Of course, this makes them interesting, but mostly irrelevant to corporate communications professionals, aside from the minority who are responsible for crisis response in companies capable of major industrial accidents.

For the rest of us – and even for that minority – there are a couple lessons to be gleaned from BP’s handling of the Gulf Coast oil spill.  Lessons that are more subtle than the prevailing commentary and much more relevant.  Read More »

Goldman Sachs.  BP.  Toyota.  Domino’s.  Nestle.  GM.  United Airlines.  Procter & Gamble. Mattel.  In recent memory, some of the largest and most-respected brands in the world have faced public scrutiny, disapproval, and active opposition.  It’s fascinating to see that each time, a slew of critics will comment about how poorly the company in question is handling the crisis, often only to recant in retrospect when public anger isn’t as white-hot. Just as egregious, these critics of opportunity every time point to a favorite case study of Johnson & Johnson’s recall of Tylenol in 1982 as a point of comparison for handling crisis communications well.

Don’t get me wrong—I love that case study too. A speedy response, a clear sense of ownership, and making real change to rectify a situation instead of just changing your messaging are timeless principles that should be emulated. Recently, though, new technologies and stakeholder expectations have changed the parameters of how companies should react to crises.

Read More »

I’m supposed to be flying to Copenhagen today to visit some of our Danish CEC members.  But in fact as I write this I’m still sitting in my home in Ashburn, Virginia.  Ironic. I’m one of the kajillion travelers whose itineraries have been totally ash-burned by the megacloud from the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull.

(Fun Fact: If you spell-check that name, a black cloud actually spews out of your laptop.)

While waiting patiently for “the worst travel crisis in history” to come to an end, I’ve been spending my idle hours thinking about volcanoes—and crisis planning.

In my opinion, BOTH can burn you very badly. Read More »

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In the most dissected PR tactic since Bill Clinton first addressed the Monica Lewinsky affair, Tiger Woods delivered a statement in front of a hand-picked crowd unable to ask any questions.  I’ve argued in the past that the real lesson was from his allowing such a disconnect between the perception and reality of his life, but because Tiger is as close to a functioning business as an athlete could possibly be, I believe it’s instructive for professional communicators to assess his performance nonetheless.

My answer: Disastrous (but it’s not all his fault!). Read More »

If two weeks ago you didn’t know about the American Red Cross’s social media use, you do now. The Red Cross’s innovative fundraising efforts for Haiti relief show that a little social media can go a long way in rallying global support for a common cause.

Given this success, it’s ironic that the Red Cross’s social media manager, Wendy Harman, was initially hired 4 years ago to “make the internet stop.” Red Cross executives were concerned about the volume of negative comments about the organization after Hurricane Katrina, and they wanted to somehow make the criticism go away. (Now, all good communicators out there realize that this is impossible, but can certainly relate to the sentiment.) Instead of staying in combat mode, however, Wendy saw an opportunity to enable advocates to rally around the Red Cross cause. Her journey from “make it stop” to empowering supporters took a few rogue experiments, some excellent listening skills, and the know-how to rein in overzealous business partners.

We’re thrilled to have Wendy share her story at a CEC webinar next Tuesday (February 9 at 11 EST). CEC members can register now for this event; if you’re reading this after the fact, you can check out the event replay here.

Now, let’s hear from you. What did you notice about social media’s role in fundraising for Haiti? What takeaways do you find transferable to the corporate setting?

Admittedly I’ve had a bit of an obsession with the Tiger Woods scandal.  He was (or is— I’m not really sure anymore) my favorite athlete and the whole reason I took up golf.  Having followed the minutia of his swing changes for 10 years, I think I’m entitled to listen to a few 911 tapes or double click on the latest Elin sighting.  Usually such pursuits are driven by a healthy dose of schadenfreude, but in this case, it’s utter amazement that a US$1 billion enterprise could nearly fold in a few short weeks.

That amazement quickly gave way to a rather predictable scene: experts using Tiger’s failed response to re-iterate well-known Communications truisms that call for a full public mea culpa.  I don’t know if a trip to Oprah’s couch would really affect the decisions of his sponsors, but I think there’s a more interesting subject at hand: what can corporate communicators—the guardians of valuable brands—learn from the implosion of Tiger Inc.?  I’d argue that the real lessons lie not in the response but in the prevention of crisis. Read More »