BulletProofBlog the blog on crisis communications

When Tiger Woods hits a 300-yard drive on the golf course, it’s hardly big news. But when he takes a 300-yard drive at 2:30 a.m. that ends in a crash at the foot of his neighbor’s driveway, it’s another story altogether. If you’re an avid sports fan like me, chances are you spent some time this weekend glued to ESPNews for the latest information on what was reported to be a “serious” single-car accident involving a ... READ MORE

Each week, Bulletproof Blog features exclusive interviews with thought leaders on issues of critical importance to companies and countries. This week, we interview University of Georgia Assistant Professor Mike Pfarrer, who – along with Tim Pollock of Pennsylvania State University and Violina Rindova of the University of Texas at Austin – just completed a groundbreaking study of how corporate “reputation” and “celebrity” affect investor decisions after positive and negative earnings surprises. A leading expert on issues ... READ MORE

Each week, Bulletproof Blog features exclusive interviews with thought leaders on issues of critical importance to companies and countries. This week, as directors of public companies continue to grapple with emergent issues affecting board scrutiny and accountability, we interview David Leach of ECG, an expert in linking compensation and governance with overall corporate strategy. Given the current state of corporate governance, what should boards of public companies be doing now to demonstrate that they are leading ... READ MORE

As anyone who’s ever worked as a publicist can attest, influencing what a major newspaper chooses to cover isn’t always easy. But as the print journalism business continues to feel the financial squeeze of a media landscape that grows more competitive with each passing day, some companies are using a powerful and influential tool to dictate the news – their advertising dollars. According to a story in Monday’s Wall Street Journal, the print edition of the Detroit ... READ MORE

Each week, Bulletproof Blog features exclusive interviews with thought leaders on issues of critical importance to companies and countries. This week, with online threats to corporate reputation seemingly multiplying every day, we interview Keith Schilling and Simon Smith of Schillings, one of Britain’s top law firms dedicated to safeguarding the reputations of international corporations, brands, celebrities and high-profile business people. Experts on how the Internet has impacted defamation law in the UK and the U.S., Mr. ... READ MORE

When the Washington Post began digging into the Watergate scandal in 1972, President Richard M. Nixon tried to marginalize the newspaper by banning its reporters from the White House. That episode ended in disaster for the President. While it’s unlikely that President Obama’s current war with Fox News will result in similar consequences, his attempts to freeze out the oft-critical cable news network are no less misguided. Since taking office in January, President Obama and his ... READ MORE

Even as the public spotlight begins to dim on the first anniversary of the Lehman Brothers collapse, new headlines resurrecting old events are inevitable as Congressional panels, including the recently designated Financial Crisis Commission, continue their inquiries into the causes of the economic crisis. Inevitably, there will be more finger-pointing with old villains revisited and new ones targeted. For a man like Richard Fuld Jr., Lehman Brothers’ former CEO, the reputational path ahead may seem no less ... READ MORE

Unless you’re a news hound like me, you probably haven’t yet heard much about one of the proposals under consideration as Congress debates how best to pay for a possible overhaul of the American health care system. That’s likely about to change, and – as counterintuitive as it might seem – it’s the companies that would pay the highest price that are seeking to spread the word. Support for a proposed “soda tax,” or the notion ... READ MORE

David Letterman did a bad thing. On his Thursday night program, he admitted to having sex with female staff members who worked with him on his show and that a man had tried to extort $2 million from him to keep that fact a secret. Letterman told his live studio audience that he had admitted to the relationships during testimony earlier that very day before a New York grand jury. He also said that the extortionist ... READ MORE

Over the last 18 months, we've heard quite a bit about the outdated risk/reward structures that permeated the financial services industry in the years leading up to the current economic crisis. For far too long, critics say, the pay that bankers took home simply didn't align with performance. When the consequences of their actions resulted in the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, most escaped relatively unscathed while investors (and eventually taxpayers) were left ... READ MORE