BulletProofBlog the blog on crisis communications

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

Last month, a largely unnoticed wrinkle emerged in the executive compensation debate that promises to take on added significance in the coming months. Soon, it won’t just be C-Suite pay practices that are under the microscope; the board members who decide executive compensation policy will be in the spotlight as well – though not for the reason many might think. In a story published by Reuters last December, directors at Nabors Industries were scrutinized not because ... READ MORE

The news that Gilbert Arenas has reached a plea agreement related to felony gun possession in the District of Columbia comes as little surprise. Since news first broke that guns were involved in a locker room confrontation between Arenas and teammate Javaris Crittendon, legal consequences have been all but a foregone conclusion. Of course, there’s been a hefty reputational price to pay as well – and thus far, Agent Zero has done little to stop ... READ MORE

Lost amid the recent media frenzy surrounding Tiger Woods and Gilbert Arenas is the story of Mary Anne Catalano – who, according to anonymous sources cited by The New York Times, has told the F.B.I. and other investigating agencies that her boss, Dr. Anthony Galea of Toronto, provided professional athletes in the United States with human growth hormone (HGH) and other purported performance enhancers. While Catalano’s tale might not be as sensational as reports of extra-marital ... READ MORE

As the dust settles on the Tiger Woods drama, all eyes are turning to the disgraced golfer’s long list of lucrative product endorsements. Some have dropped Tiger while others are staying the course. None appear to be willing to ignore his notorious fall from grace. It’s just the latest example of risks you take when you wrap your brand around a celebrity. When the going is good everyone wins. When something suddenly goes wrong, the brand ... READ MORE

With the so-called “climate-gate” controversy putting global warming back in the news, companies with big carbon footprints might be tempted to revive the argument that global warming simply isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be. They should think twice. For those who still doubt that global warming is a man made phenomenon, those e-mail messages leaked by a hacker who broke into some climate researcher’s computers make for great reading. But for big business to try ... READ MORE