Crisis & Issues Management
Today’s news cycle is measured in seconds, and nothing accelerates that timeline, while also threatening a business and its leadership, quite like a bona fide crisis.
Defining Crisis Management
Whether it’s a labor issue, an executive-related scandal, a ransomware hack or something much worse, such as a customer death or an active shooter, your response is a defining moment for your company. While you can’t prepare for every specific situation, you can be prepared for the situations that keep you up at night.
Manage The Narrative
The combination of uncontrollable social media chatter and aggressive media means that it is harder than ever to control the story and reassure employees, customers and shareholders that you stand for something positive, and your words – and actions – reflect that. We have the experience needed to walk through every contingency with you calmly, helping you remain in control.
Solution
Our team of more than 20 crisis and issues management experts is made up of former journalists and others who have worked inside FORTUNE 100 companies. We specialize in highly charged issues and are available 24/7 to discreetly develop and execute strategies that increase positive news coverage, mitigate negative coverage, change prevalent public narratives and/or rebuild reputations.
We work in collaboration with your executives and general counsel to develop integrated response plans and help you rebuild once the dust has settled. This often includes managing your online reputation management and search engine optimization programs, monitoring online chatter and utilizing our in-house production studio to quickly media train executives.
Recent Reputation Management & Crisis Experience
- Media investigations
- Data breaches/ransomware
- HIPAA violations/notifications
- Social media attacks
- Executive malfeasance
- C-level terminations
- Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Issues
- On-the-job injuries/death
- COVID-19 support
- Collective bargaining/union issues
- Ballot initiatives
- Workplace violence
- School and workplace shootings
The Online War Room
Preparation and practice are two of the keys to successfully managing any crisis or issue, particularly when they happen online. That’s why we developed our proprietary Online War Room™ – a safe, simulated online environment that allows companies to practice how to effectively respond to online attacks.
There is no harder playing field for a crisis than on social media platforms such as X, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. They provide critics with a powerful soapbox and allow them to mobilize opposition quickly. The results can be overwhelming.
We’ve used our Online War Room to simulate the speed, intensity and hostility of an attack that starts or spreads online in a way that allows you and your executives to test your game plan of how to respond – as a stand-alone exercise or part of a larger crisis planning initiative. And the closed platform means no one ever sees it but you.
Our Online War Room has helped clients and organizations that:
- Face known issues on the horizon
- Want to test and refine their crisis response plan
- Want senior executives to understand the intensity and speed of a crisis and the ability for the communications team to respond effectively
- Want to train new members on their social media team
- Range from local nonprofits to national franchises to international technology giants – all of whom benefitted from the customized approach to tackling an issue they are likely to face