Public Relate

It's a universal habit. A company or agency will spend tens of thousands of dollars working with a consultant on a crisis communications plan. And once it's done, once it arrives in the mail in its glossy cover, the crisis communications plan takes its place on a shelf and is rarely looked at again. Today on Public Relate, what you should do with a crisis communications plan before a crisis emerges.

A look at the troubled messaging strategies being deployed by Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s supporters.

Investigative journalists in Canada accuse the ticket sales behemoth of violating its own practices when it comes to scalpers. The company’s parent put out a statement that misses the mark. Find out why in this QUICK TAKE.

Few things are more complicated than how our relationship with members of the media -- both traditional media (newspapers, TV, radio) and new media (podcasters, bloggers, social media influencers) -- should work. You're not quite friends, you're not quite enemies, you're not quite frenemies. So what works? Here are five secrets toward making your connection with the media fruitful. 

On this first edition of Quick Take, I take a look at what you should do when during a crisis situation you are confronted with a petition.

It's 2018, and in stunning fashion, an American President called on his fellow citizens to join a boycott of an iconic American brand. But Harley Davidson's response teaches us a lot about handling a crisis, including why restraint may be the best tactic.

All eyes on you. During a crisis communications situation, you as the public relations representative are charged with not only informing the public and the media about what's happening, but to also be a source of calm. How do you do that? I have five suggestions.

I can hardly believe in 2018 we're talking about whether truth should remain a valuable part of anybody's public relations/crisis communications plans. But here we are. I have four reassuring reasons why truth should always be part of your strategy no matter who the President of the United States is or what he/she does.

The easy path is to talk about what you or the agency and company you represent are against. Far better to focus your talking points and soundbytes on what you stand for. This includes a real world example involving trains and hazardous materials.

Hard to believe in this time of the daily outrage or controversy, but empathy serves more than ever as a public relations strategy. Why? Here are five commonsense reasons.