reputation management

The Australian government is offering its most sincere “sorry, mate” to Save the Children Australia for a completely erroneous report that claimed the charity was “inciting asylum seekers to self-harm.” The government offered to settle with an undisclosed cash payment for damages incurred to the charity. There have been a series of terrible events surrounding refugees in Australia in recent years. Some have sewn their mouths shut, others drank washing powder and, recently, there have been reports of at least two self-immolations. Following some of these incidents, Australia’s former immigration minister Scott Morrison accused Save the Children Australia’s staff of... Read More >

In the last several years Cleveland Metroparks and its CEO, Brian Zimmerman, have enlisted the help of Crisis PR specialists, Hennes Communications (formerly known as Hennes-Paynter Communications), spending less than $25K over those years for the service. Hennes currently charges $400 per hour for their base fee and more for weekend or emergency reaction times. Some reporters are calling foul play for Metroparks calling in the experts, but even from their own reports, on The Scene and  Cleveland.com, the list of times Hennes has been brought in are the type of reasons any conscientious organization – corporation, not-for-profit or government... Read More >

He came. He saw … and he lost. Then he just didn’t want to talk about it. Now, months after the Super Bowl, Cam Newton is still paying PR consequences for his less than mature behavior after being whipped by Peyton Manning in Super Bowl 50. In some cases, how an athlete reacts at a news conference, particularly if he doesn’t say much of anything, won’t make the news. But those rules change when you’re Cam Newton. Everyone realizes this, just as they know it’s not fair. But folks, public relations is not fair. Often, it’s a blood sport, where... Read More >

At some point, someone in the US will find a way to get some traction on renewable energy. It’s only a matter of time. But that “time” may not be Any Time Soon. The industry took a relatively big PR hit recently when SunEdison Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The company has been on a roll, acquiring this and that, hoping to make bigger and bigger splashes into the market. But those debt-based acquisitions caught up with them. There is some light at the end of the tunnel for the company and the industry. According to various media... Read More >

When it comes to public relations, there’s often a line between what IS okay and what SHOULD BE okay. Depending on the issue, that line could be wide, with plenty of gray area open to interpretation. But that’s not always the case, so it’s incumbent on a public figure to know where the line is on different issues – or to have a strong PR team ready to go to bat for you when you cross the line. Take a lesson from former MLB star Curt Schilling. Even during his stellar baseball career, Schilling made a name for himself as... Read More >

Verizon employees began their strike early in April protesting to the company’s plans to outsource jobs and transfer some work to other areas of the country. Leaving the company to face the largest strike in their history. But it turns out, at least to this point, the strike is having only a minimal effect on customers. That is primarily due to Verizon’s forward thinking and preparation. A few years ago, Verizon began implementing more automated and “self-serve” options for customers both calling in and online. According to Tami Erwin, Sr. VP, in 2014, about 20 percent of customer service interactions... Read More >

For the past several years the poster child for bad ideas in automotive PR has been General Motors. The ignition switch debacle hurt the company in myriad ways. Thanks to stupid moves by VW and other automakers, the GM story has fallen off the front page, but it’s not been forgotten. That’s why a recent decision by GM was so important to the revitalization of that top American-made brand. GM is recalling more than a million Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups due to a malfunctioning seatbelt. According to the reports, a steel cable connecting the belts could wear and... Read More >

The Chicago Police Department is still reeling after a task force announced findings that included “decades” of systematic discrimination among law enforcement. Now, officials at the city are faced with a must-decide scenario. “Doing Nothing” is really not an option at this point. Especially since that’s been the tactic used before … and it’s described in the current document. According to the Associated Press, Chicago Alderman Anthony Beale said: "Either we act now and do the right thing, or the Department of Justice is going to mandate that we turn and do the right thing." Beale was talking both about... Read More >

In November 2011, the University of California, Davis’ police handling of a student protest attracted an onslaught of bad publicity. This affected not just the school, but the officers involved, and Chancellor Linda Katehi. The incident involved pepper-spraying students during a peaceful protest related to tuition hikes at the school. Other related incidents at the time involved photographs of police beating some of the students, alongside video footage of two students dragged by their hair. For years afterward, the incident cast a dark shadow on the university. Lawmakers and students alike called for the school to handle it by the... Read More >

Poland seeks Global PR firm to enhance reputation As reported by the Financial Times, Warsaw has contacted several PR firms based in London for help with crisis communication to improve their reputation that has been trending downward recently. That is after the U.S, the U.K., Germany, and the European Commission have started investigating the rule of law in Poland. They are looking for help as the new administration is dealing with criticism from international allies, mass public protests, and foreign investors who are getting nervous. Almost a year ago, the Venice Commission, a human rights advisory body of the Council... Read More >