Oopsies! You said something well-intentioned, but you ended up upsetting a bunch of people. You know what you meant to say. So how did it all go so terribly wrong? Here are…
Tag: the public
Where the Buck Stops
The short answer: At the top. As it should. Sometimes it just takes longer. Pointing fingers at underlings are increasingly passé. Such tactics ring hollow. The public demands that those ultimately responsible…
Lost in Translation
Best way to save image? Consider all the moving parts. You know what you said, and you know what you meant. How can anyone misinterpret it? Easy. Happens all the time. Even…
Fringe & Mainstream
In a crisis, change is fast. Be prepared for the worst. “I aimed at the public’s heart, and … hit it in the stomach.” ~ Upton Sinclair, American socialist and novelist Sinclair…
Gullible
Knowing what sells to the media gives you a fighting chance. Hope springs eternal in the human breast; Man never is, but always to be, blest. ~ Alexander Pope, 18th century English…
No Mistakes & No Escape
Crisis PR in the digital age: No escaping tethers of smartphones & 24/7 news. To Einstein, doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result was the definition…
Never Having to Say You’re Guilty
When the worst happens, you’re on your own. You must define the terms of the debate. The public never really trusted Wall Street. That relationship went from bad to worse in the economic…
It’s Not How Much You Say. It’s How Well.
If you do your job well, no one sees all the work behind the words. One hundred and fifty years ago in the midst of our nation’s Civil War, prominent politician, diplomat,…
More Than a Little. Less Than Too Much.
Taking control doesn’t clear you. But it buys you breathing room. A professional liar and a PR guy walk into a bar. How can you tell the difference? This is fill-in-the-blank humor.…
Comfort of Habit & Fear of Change
“Know, or know not. Do not guess.” Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net There’s a reason beliefs are cherished. They provide comfort. By nature, people prefer stability and resist change. Some beliefs are…