BulletProofBlog the blog on crisis communications

In an unprecedented nod to the significant brand damage that negative public perceptions can inflict on even the most successful companies, investment banking giant Goldman Sachs has cited “adverse publicity” as an important “Risk Factor” in its 2010 Annual Report. While the move may not surprise some, especially given the recent criticism Goldman Sachs has endured on issues ranging from executive compensation to the degree to which it played a role in the global financial meltdown, ... READ MORE

This week, Apple Inc. took an aggressive step toward the courtroom when it filed a patent infringement lawsuit with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) and U.S. District Court in Delaware against HTC, a Taiwanese manufacturer of Android smartphones, including Google’s Nexus One. Not surprisingly, the lawsuit made headlines – but for all the wrong reasons. Apple CEO Steve Jobs’ commentary on the matter has painted a contradictory picture of the company that prides itself on ... READ MORE

The results of a Zogby poll released yesterday show that despite mounting criticism of Toyota for its handling of auto recalls, most Americans still believe that the world’s largest car manufacturer is a safe bet. The survey, conducted between February 17th and 19th, found that 85 percent of Toyota owners “believe the brand is more or equally safe as other vehicles.” When the sample size is expanded to include non-Toyota owners as well, that majority ... READ MORE

The results of a Zogby poll released last week show that public confidence in corporations, big banks, and Wall Street remains even lower than the confidence currently reposed in big government. In a survey of 2,525 likely voters conducted in late January and early February, only 38 percent, 33 percent, and 31 percent of respondents reported high to moderate levels of confidence in corporations, national and regional banks, and Wall Street, respectively. To put those numbers ... READ MORE

The CNN tagline said it all – “Tiger Woods: Live and Scripted.” When the global golf phenomenon turned tabloid whipping boy addressed the media today for the first time since a late night car crash sparked explosive accusations of infidelity, there’s no denying that Tiger touched all the right bases. He took responsibility. He apologized profusely to everyone he’s hurt. He spoke of his time in therapy as “the first steps in the right direction.” He ... READ MORE

In tough economic times, corporate social responsibility often takes a back seat to corporate survival. But, as The New York Times reported last week, that is definitely not the case at the global pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline. CEO Andrew Witty has made access to life-saving drugs in the poorest corners of the globe his company’s mission. In the process, he is changing the face of an industry once widely criticized for charging prohibitively high prices while millions ... READ MORE

Back in November, New Jersey law firm Levinson Axelrod filed suit against a former employee who established a website from which to lob reputational attacks against the firm that fired him in 2004. In January, a federal judge shut down the former employee’s www.levinsonaxelrod.net (the firm’s actual URL is www.levisonaxelrod.com) due to violations of the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act, which protects organizations against “gripe sites” that could reasonably be mistaken for a legitimate Web presence. At ... READ MORE

Last week, suspended Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas wrote an open letter published in the Washington Post in which he admitted wrongdoing and promised to do his best to transform his recent missteps into a learning experience for all of Washington D.C.’s youth. “I understand the importance of teaching nonviolence to kids in today's world,” Arenas wrote. “That message of nonviolence will be front and center as I try to rebuild my relationship with young people ... READ MORE

It’s funny because it’s true. While this cliché has been so overused that it’s nearly lost its meaning, there’s no better way to describe a media evolution that is fundamentally changing the way that Americans get their news. Today, a comedic “fake news” program, Comedy Central’s The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, is rivaling the mainstays of television journalism in terms of reach, audience sophistication, and, above all, trust. By April of last year, The Daily Show ... READ MORE

In years past, the World Economic Forum meetings in Davos, Switzerland was a chance for CEOs to hit the slopes and hobnob with movie stars, musicians, and supermodels. Last year, in the midst of the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, that changed. With Congress, investors, and the public at large up in arms over the luxuries that defined excess, many corporate leaders wisely chose to stay home. How soon they forget. While this year’s gathering ... READ MORE