BulletProofBlog the blog on crisis communications

Late yesterday, reports surfaced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York is conducting a criminal investigation into whether Goldman Sachs or its employees committed securities fraud while trading in the mortgage market. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) referred the matter to the Justice Department, according to reports. The extent to which this news ratchets up the pressure on Goldman Sachs is hard to overstate. As the Wall Street Journal noted, ... READ MORE

Last week, when it seemed that the environmental impacts of an oil rig explosion off Louisiana’s coast were on their way to being contained, I wrote in this space about the need for British Petroleum (BP) to aggressively communicate the steps it had taken, and would continue to take, to protect the people and wildlife of the Gulf Coast region. Since then, the situation has deteriorated – both in the Gulf and in the media, ... READ MORE

Bulletproof’s Weekly Web Wrap-Up offers a compilation of key discussions regarding social media’s increasing relevance to business. While it may be the most prominent example of the past week, Facebook is not the only social media platform broadening its reach via integration on sites throughout the Web. This growing trend provides companies with unique opportunities for to collect detailed intelligence about their website visitors and social media fans – including customer interests, visitor feedback, and insights ... READ MORE

When ash from an erupting Icelandic volcano disrupted air travel across Europe earlier this month, more than five million passengers found themselves in the same boat – booking hotel rooms and buying meals that would make their extended stays just a little more bearable. But when it came time to pay for these basic necessities, some travelers had expenses covered by their airlines, while others were forced to fend for themselves. That’s because laws governing passengers’ ... READ MORE

As part of a continuing series of Bulletproof Blog™ video interviews with thought leaders across multiple disciplines and industry sectors, I sat down with Ginny Grenham, the founder of Grenham Networks, Senior Advisor to America’s leading weight loss and fitness website, SparkPeople, and the featured speaker at the March meeting of the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association’s Mid-Atlantic Health Leaders Breakfast Series. With more than 20 years experience at the crossroads of the Internet and public affairs, Ms. ... READ MORE

Do you know where to find the world’s fastest mobile Internet network? It isn’t in Beijing, London, Tokyo, or Paris. Here in the U.S., Sprint (which just this morning posted its first sequential increase in net operating and wireless service revenues in three years) has developed a system that transfers video, voice, and data to mobile devices ten times faster than previous commercial networks – but that isn’t the fastest either. As it turns out, it’s ... READ MORE

In this regular feature, Bulletproof interviews top plaintiffs' attorneys for their perspective on the crises likely to affect businesses in the near future. Today we talk to Steve Berk of Berk Law PLLC in Washington, DC. Mr. Berk is currently litigating four cases on behalf of clients allegedly defrauded in Ponzi schemes facilitated by leading banks. Such events are now being called “mini-Madoffs.” Three of the cases are against Bank of America. The fourth is Benson ... READ MORE

The top six social media tips to know before you leave the office. With more than three-fourths of traditional journalists now regularly monitoring blogs for story ideas, bloggers are driving the public discussion surrounding companies and brands like never before.  As such, companies that don’t want to be left out of the conversation are adopting blogs as critical tools for communicating with supporters, detractors, and potential customers – and for good reason. Today, the blogosphere presents ... READ MORE

Today, Goldman Sachs executives will appear before the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations under the absolute toughest of circumstances. The investment banking giant is certainly no stranger to controversy, having taken more than its share of reputational lumps in the past.  But since the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed civil charges alleging that the bank hid details from clients investing in mortgage-backed securities, and then bet against those same clients, the public’s vitriol – ... READ MORE

Each week, Bulletproof Blog™ features exclusive interviews with thought leaders on issues of critical importance to companies and countries. This week, with the enactment of the UK Bribery Act 2010 just days ago, we interview Jonathan Armstrong, a Partner in UK office of Duane Morris LLP, about what is being called the “toughest enforcement standard in the world” when it comes to matters of corruption. Mr. Armstrong counsels multinational companies across Europe on matters of risk ... READ MORE