Levick Strategic Communications’ Bulletproof Blog, authored by thought leaders from the top crisis firm in America, offers insights and analysis on the most pressing communications issues facing corporations, countries, and interest groups today. From recalls to multinational mergers, and from high-profile litigation to regulatory and congressional investigations, this is your one-stop clearinghouse for the tactics and strategies that protect brand credibility and trust when they matter most.
Posted by: Gene Grabowski | May 8, 2009
When consumer product safety scares create reputational crises for companies, a priority goal is to reach the teachable moment - the point at which the public is satisfied that the crisis has been contained and the company can begin to regain consumer confidence by talking abou what it's doing to prevent similar problems in the future. As we see in the chart below – which utilizes Levick’s own public opinion research to map consumer anxiety over ... Read More
Posted by: Gene Grabowski | May 7, 2009
When an Oprah Winfrey tie-in offered an opportunity for viewers to download free coupons Wednesday, KFC was clearly unprepared for an overwhelming response from consumers wanting to try the Colonel's new grilled chicken. Millions of customers downloaded the coupons and lined up at KFC stores nationwide. But thousands were turned away when many stores around the country ran out of chicken. Within hours, KFC had a PR problem on its hands as customers turned to ... Read More
Posted by: David Bartlett | May 7, 2009
Last month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued an endangerment finding that classifies greenhouse gases as a threat to public health - a move that paves the way for the federal government to regulate the emission of such gases for the first time in American history. While many still question the science behind global warming and how greenhouse gases contribute to it, perception is reality. The widespread belief that greenhouse gas emissions are damaging our ... Read More
Posted by: Richard Levick | May 6, 2009
By the time most corporations have geared up for a class action lawsuit and are ready to do battle, their opponents on the plaintiffs' side have already launched pay-per-click campaigns and sweeps of the general population; penetrated the social media; and implemented organic Search Engine Optimization (SEO) that earns top billing for their websites when information-seekers use their search engines. Even small plaintiffs' firms know how to take advantage of blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and other social ... Read More
Posted by: Larry Smith | May 6, 2009
In this regular feature, Bulletproof Blog interviews top plaintiffs’ attorneys for their perspective on the crises likely to affect businesses in the near future. Today we talk to Russell "Jack" Drake, name partner at Whatley Drake & Kallas in Birmingham, Alabama, one of the powerhouse firms in the Southeast representing clients in a broad range of mass torts and business lawsuits. What factors do you see affecting your practice in the coming months? Jack Drake: Even if ... Read More
Posted by: Michael Robinson | May 5, 2009
In the wake of near-complete financial breakdown, an uptick in the volume of securities lawsuits is hardly surprising. But the numbers are still sobering. In March 2009, for example, Navigant Consulting, Inc. released a ground-breaking report titled “2008: Seeking Relief” that showed a whopping 576 new litigation matters filed in federal courts in 2008 as a direct result of the severe market downturn. The subprime-related issues driving these increases were already in full play before the ... Read More
Insights and analysis of the most pressing issues facing companies, countries and brands today. This is the blog for bulletproofing a reputation when it matters most.
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