“The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word “crisis.” One brush stroke stands for danger; the other for opportunity. In a crisis, be aware of the danger, but recognize the opportunity.” – President John F. Kennedy. Even though toy-manufacturing giant Hasbro hadn’t been forced to issue a single recall related to 2007’s lead-paint scare, the company heeded this sage advice to make the most of what could have been a disastrous situation. Hasbro knew that when a crisis ... Read More

With the presidential race in the rearview mirror and an aura of reconciliation in the air, three political figures that took major media lashings over the last two election cycles are hitting the road for an image makeover. Last week, Mark Foley, John Edwards, and Sarah Palin all made headlines – and while their chances at redemption vary quite a bit, it’s clear that all three are looking to take advantage of a post-election period ... Read More

In case you were still waiting for concrete evidence that social media buzz really matters to the business world, it’s here. What started as a single weekend Twitter post on Motrin’s latest ad campaign for the over-the-counter pain reliever evolved into a full-blown crisis for Motrin manufacturer Johnson & Johnson. By Monday morning, the campaign was abandoned and J&J was forced to issue an apology. It started on a Friday night, when blogger Jessica Gottlieb got ... Read More

The New York Times Magazine recently published a story about Humane Society President Wayne Pacelle that any corporate communications professional facing pressure from interest groups should read. The piece opens at the abandoned grounds of the Westland/Hallmark Meat Company in Chino California and recounts how a Humane Society undercover investigator surreptitiously taped so-called “downer” cattle wobbling and flopping on their way to the slaughterhouse. The ghoulish video was quickly posted on YouTube and Internet blogs around ... Read More

I know what you're thinking. You've conquered the blogosphere. You've "friended" colleagues to build your Facebook social network and you are LinkedIn up to your eyeballs. You have embraced the power of the Internet and effectively demonstrated your social media savvy. And now, just as you are about to pat yourself on the back for being ahead of the curve, the next new media craze becomes the talk of the office. At first, you convince yourself that you misunderstood the water cooler conversation. Your colleagues must ... Read More

In a high-anxiety environment – such as the one created by the current financial crisis – wild rumors all too often carry the weight of fact. When a company’s stakeholders hear troublesome news, they don’t have the luxury of waiting around for confirmation. They’ll opt for the knee-jerk reaction almost every time. Just ask Apple investors whose stock lost ten percent of its value in ten minutes after false reports that CEO Steve Jobs had ... Read More