BulletProofBlog the blog on crisis communications

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

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

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

Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of speaking at the CEO Forum in Colorado Springs. At this gathering of top CEOs form across the country, I focused my remarks on one question: Why do crisis situations make the reputations of some countries and companies and break the reputations of others? From Beijing to Wall Street, we have found that there are three reasons why some companies fail in a crisis: The first is fear, which overwhelms ... READ MORE

More often than not, the most successful responses to business crises are about more than just the company at the center of controversy. Think of Johnson & Johnson’s response to the Tylenol tampering of the early 1980s or El Al’s handling of hijackings in the 1970s. Those companies leveraged their own problems into solutions that ultimately changed entire industries for the better. That’s the foremost goal of any crisis communications engagement – and it’s precisely ... READ MORE

In the months since he safely landed U.S. Airways flight 1549 on the Hudson River after a collision with birds took out both engines, the word “miracle” has been used time and again to describe Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger’s heroic crisis response. But with the more we learn about the man who saved 155 lives on that faithful day, the more we see that this was no miracle at all. Sully was the right man, ... READ MORE

More often than not, effective crisis management hinges on what a company has done to prepare for the worst. Whether it’s a bankruptcy filing, a high-profile recall, or a sudden C-Suite resignation, the speed with which issues impact stakeholder perceptions in the Digital Age presents a simple choice for companies in crisis: Either be ready to respond in near real time, or cede control of your story to others. As I said in an interview with PRNews ... READ MORE

In times of adversity, there is nothing more important than surrounding yourself with the right people. Effective crisis management always starts with an abundance mentality - a desire to first understand as many different perspectives as time will allow before seeking to be understood by the myriad stakeholders that are awaiting your next move. That's how strong leaders find the win-win in any situation, how they turn adversaries into partners, and how they identify opportunity ... READ MORE

When emergency situations arise in highly-populated areas such as college campuses or large office buildings, those responsible for getting vital information to those that need it are put to the test. Anyone in harm's way must know what to do to remain safe and secure. Students, employees, their families, the surrounding community, and the media all need to be kept informed of developments as they occur and misinformation must be corrected in near real-time. To ... 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