reputation management

The CRF plant in Pasco, Washington was closed late in April, then the layoffs began, ultimately leaving 300 employees without work. The good news according to local papers, the plant will be opening again soon, bringing work back to many local families and recovery for the owners and investors of the company. However, even though CRF had to recall hundreds of products including dozens of brands once Listeria monocytogenes were found in frozen corn and peas from the company making people sick in at least three states – the cause for the Listeria has yet to be found. Crisis PR... Read More >

[caption id="attachment_82614" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Image courtesy of NY Daily News[/caption] With incidents of mass murders on the rise, Americans are more conscious of security issues than ever. Horrific acts of violence continue to take place at movie theaters, schools, airports, and nightclubs. But this isn’t the only time security issues come to the surface. After the controversial arrest of a Genele Laird outside the East Towne Mall in Madison, WI the issue of security arose again. The company that owns the mall refuses requests to put up security cameras at common areas on the property. At this point, not even... Read More >

19 Gold Lions For PR Awarded in Cannes This Year There were 19 Gold Lions, 30 Silver Lions, and 34 Bronze Lions awarded for public relations this year at Cannes. Weber Shandwick’s Prime Sweden office won three – one of each color – representing two campaigns – The House of Clicks for Hemnet, a property search website, and one for a Don’t Drink and Drive effort for Trygg-Hansa, an insurance firm.  Edelman received a bronze and their sister company, Zeno Group (Chicago office) also won a bronze. Beyond that, most of the Lions ended up in the hands of marketing,... Read More >

Pharmaceutical companies face a difficult year, in the wake of rising costs of medication. But Pfizer, more than others, has experienced especially low ratings. This year, the company ranked lowest out of 14 top pharmaceutical companies. Some speculate that part of the problem rests in Pfizer’s recent attempt to elude U.S. taxes. To make a comeback, the company changed tactics. Rather than continue the trend of bombarding customers with direct ads showing the superiority of their products, the company decided to build a line of communication between the experts and the public. To do this, it told stories about how... Read More >

MMPRC, the national tourism office of Maldives is seeking a PR firm for the Australia region.  MMPRC is responsible for carrying out promotional activities to become the most preferred island destination of the world under the slogan of Maldives . . . the sunny side of life; whilst adhering to its mission to promote quality and sustainable growth in the local tourism industry to deliver long term economic, social and cultural benefits to the country. Tourism has been described as the driving force of the Maldives economy. If both its direct and indirect impacts are combined, it is responsible for... Read More >

It’s every parent’s nightmare and a horrific news story that has dropped like a bomb in the “happiest place on earth.” Last week a toddler was killed at the Grand Floridian, one of Disney World Orlando’s premier resort hotels. The child’s family was relaxing by a lake near the hotel when the toddler was grabbed by an alligator and dragged under the water. The boy’s father tried to reach him but was unable to pull the child away from the giant reptile. Suddenly, a Nebraska family’s dream vacation was destroyed, and their family was left scarred forever. Disney CEO Bob... Read More >

Crises are an inescapable reality that organizations must be prepared to face and experts agree they can happen to any company regardless of size. Corporate executives understand that crises can make or break companies. They can inspire major changes to how organizations operate as they face difficult challenges and reinvent operations. When it comes to the needs of stakeholders, the decision-making process requires careful consideration. Millions can be spent by entities for crisis management services. Businesses Need Crisis PR to Combat Negative Press Business news headlines often highlight the effect a single organization's crisis can have on others. In some... Read More >

Taking a look at the collapse of Chase Bank Kenya in early April offers information to those wanting to learn about PR crisis management in social media. A team of people at Odipo Dev used their Dive Analytics tool to study what happened on Twitter preceding the fall of a bank who served their community for 20 years. Here’s what they found. In the first three days, the number of tweets was not high, but all mentioned problems with the bank at some level, though many were jovial rather than worried. The banks (Chase Bank Kenya, Chase Bank, and the... Read More >

It can be assumed that most PR people and publicists have only a limited amount of influence over what is said in the press about their clients. But when you start looking at those representing a long list of superstar clients as does Leslee Dart of 42 West (previously known as the Dart Group) founded in 2004 when she left PMK– it can be a different story entirely. At the time she left, she was one of the three top people at PMK, long considered one of the top talent and entertainment PR and publicist talent companies. When she left... Read More >

According to Greenwire, approximately two dozen entities have been lobbying during the first quarter of 2016 regarding the Flint drinking water crisis. These groups include environmental organizations, law firms, unions, children’s health advocates, and infrastructure groups. Their efforts center around legislation on Capitol Hill providing aid to residents of the city and repairing the water infrastructure for Flint. An initial attempt for help included a Flint package in the comprehensive energy bill going through the Senate, but the Flint portion was removed while still in committee. Instead, $220 million of relief for Flint is in the Senate’s Water Resources Development... Read More >