In an era of floods, wildfires, and greenwashing scandals, how organizations talk about the environment increasingly matters as much as what they do. Each year, Earth Day reminds us to pause and evaluate our relationship with the planet. But for communications professionals, reckoning can’t be limited to a single day or a clever social media […]
Service: Crisis Communications Planning
Federal Investigative Agency
Custom Crisis Response Training for Federal Investigators When representatives of a federal investigative agency need to speak with the press, they face a unique communication challenge. They must demonstrate transparency and authority while respecting legal and operational limitations. Yes& CommCore partnered with the agency to help its spokespeople engage with reporters when under pressure and constrained by what they could […]
It Shouldn’t Take a Bridge Collapse to Update a Crisis Plan
As the Port of Baltimore slowly reopens to commercial traffic and the delicate process of removing the massive steel pieces from what is left of the Francis Scott Key Bridge continues, it’s not too early to find crisis communications lessons from how information about the disaster was disseminated. What Is the Message Box? The importance […]
Apologies “AND” – Don’t just say you’re sorry
The recent uproar about changes to the Delta Airlines Sky Miles program and apologies from CEO Ed Bastian got us thinking yet again about when and how to apologize, with the added emphasis on the word “AND”. AND what are you going to do about it? We don’t know of any Delta flyers who are happy […]
When to Put Your CEO Out Front in a Crisis
Last month, we wrote about when to ask the CEO to serve as lead spokesperson or representative of the brand in a proactive, positive communications situation. What about a crisis or emergency? CEOs that come to mind who made a difference to a brand or organization in crisis: Jim Burke, at Johnson & Johnson during the Tylenol […]
The Crisis Plan You Wish You Didn’t Have to Write
It’s a sad commentary on the current U.S. environment that most schools – from pre-K through high school, and colleges and universities — have plans and have run drills with teachers and students on what to do if an active shooter shows up. For obvious reasons, these plans and drills are primarily about safety and […]
What does a crisis communicator do after SVB?
Now that the dust is settling on the SVB bank failure, it’s a good time to take stock of our own crisis preparedness planning. A recent survey by software marketplace vendor Capterra reveals that only 49% of U.S. businesses have a formal crisis plan, with another 28% reporting they have an “informal” crisis plan. Yet 98% of business leaders […]
How are your New Year’s resolutions going so far?
Now that we’re already in mid-February, how are your New Year’s resolutions holding up? What has dropped off the list? Trips to the gym, fewer cups of coffee? A recent Forbes survey of their Young Entrepreneurs Counsel included these resolutions in a top ten list: hiring a more diverse workforce, prioritizing work-life balance, and building a better growth mindset. […]