BulletProofBlog the blog on crisis communications

The top six social media tips to know before you leave the office. While the number of print publications worldwide is measured in the tens of thousands, the number of blogs is measured in the tens of millions. On average, nearly 1 million blog posts are published every 24 hours and the top blogs attract more eyes than leading newspapers such as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post. Simply put, there’s ... READ MORE

In just the last week, Serena Williams, Kanye West, and Congressman Joe Wilson have all led us to wonder what to do once you've made a very public gaffe. As critical commentary about their high-profile outbursts led the news and made front page headlines, there's little doubt that each - given the benefit of hindsight - would likely have chosen a different way to voice their opinions. In today's hyper-connected world, there is no putting the cat ... READ MORE

Last week, I read an article in the Wall Street Journal that crystallizes the preeminent challenge of crisis communications in the Information Age. The piece is entitled "The Ten Year Century" - and in it, Tom Hayes and Michael Malone chronicle modern society's dizzying pace of change and what it means to each and every one of us. Hayes and Malone point to a decade that has seen massive technological growth (and an even larger expansion ... READ MORE

Conversations about products and brands used to be held around the dinner table, over the backyard fence, or in the aisles of the local supermarket. Now, they're taking place on the blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and countless other social media platforms - and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is taking notice. With an increasing number of consumers turning to the Web for what they believe to be disinterested and unbiased product reviews, concerns about the potential for ... READ MORE

Today, it seems that CEOs are blogging, tweeting, and friending at a pace once reserved only for teenagers, professional athletes, and pop stars - and why not? With digital and social media overtaking television, print, and radio in terms of relevance and reliability, if you're not sharing messages online, then you're not being heard in the venues that most audiences migrated to long ago. Before making their first foray into the blogosphere, CEOs must understand that ... READ MORE

In today's e-commerce environment, data loss and theft represents many organizations' worst nightmare. Each time consumers use a credit card or submit other forms of personal information to a company - either online or off - they have a reasonable expectation that the information will be kept safe. It's about trust. When that trust is compromised, companies are instantly thrust into a reputational crisis of epic proportions. I recently spoke with Chris Hayes - who authors ... READ MORE

The recent death of Walter Cronkite reminded me of one of his favorite sayings that I learned as a young reporter: The role of a journalist is to afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted. But today, too many journalists have become celebrities in their own right, far too comfortable in their elite status, socializing and courting acceptance with the very actors, politicians, and public figures they write about. Is it a coincidence that as so ... READ MORE

Each week, Bulletproof Blog features exclusive interviews with thought leaders on issues of critical importance to companies and countries. This week, as a follow-up to our conversation with Paul Levy on CEO blogging, we interview the woman behind what may be the best-known corporate blog on the Web - Southwest Airlines' Linda Rutherford. As Vice President for Communications and Strategic Outreach at Southwest, Ms. Rutherford was one of the creative forces behind "Nuts About Southwest" - ... READ MORE

From the outset, companies that file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection fight an uphill battle. They must overcome the fact that bankruptcy proceedings highlight what the media loves most - bad news. They must build a compelling, forward-looking narrative while critics focus on past mistakes. They must evoke sympathy from a public while having little to offer except promises. And they must define angles of interest that enable the conversation to rise above procedural detail. Just ... READ MORE

While most companies have demonstrated a mastery of the blogosphere, Facebook, Twitter, and myriad other social media platforms when it comes to marketing their products and brands, most remain a full Internet-generation behind when it comes to bringing these tools to bear in crisis. As United Airlines, Apple Computers, Amazon.com, Domino's Pizza, and countless others have learned in just the last year, the Internet has fundamentally changed crisis management. The days when companies could wait 24 ... READ MORE