I think everyone should spend time waiting tables. And not at one of those restaurants where the waiters and waitresses show up and ask, “Do you know what you want to drink?” and “Are you ready to order?” And not…
Hate groups co-opted Finland’s brand identity – here’s how the country can reclaim it
Somehow I missed this 2014 Fast Company article about how Finland’s most well known icon, a crowned lion brandishing a sword, was co-opted by an extreme right-wing white nationalist group, despite me being both a Fast Company subscriber, and a…
How the rumor mill works, and how to manage it
Several years ago, a student carrying a rifle and wearing a Fred Flinstone mask at St. John’s University in Queens was subdued by another student and a security officer. The school immediately went on lockdown and text messages were sent to…
The Key to Crisis Management Often is to Get People to Do Nothing
A couple years out of college, while working as an account executive at an Arizona public relations/public affairs firm, I helped spearhead a public relations campaign related to the first proposed and privately built toll road in Arizona (the project…
Why Tiger Woods’ apology was not as good as his golf game
Tiger Woods just finished delivering his apology statement, asking for forgiveness for his infidelities and letting down his family and fans. Generally, the content of the speech was good. He apologized thoroughly and took responsibility for his actions. He admitted…
It’s not my fault! Sound familiar? Probably, but it’s bad crisis management.
An article in today’s New York Times titled “Where the Fingers Are Pointing” opens with this line: “When money managers make good investments, they are happy to take credit for brilliance. When they make bad investments, they would rather the…
Issues Management vs. Crisis Management
A few nights ago, I spoke to a group of executives in commercial banking on the subject of crisis management. There is no shortage of media coverage about how the “banking” industry is in the midst of a huge upheaval as…
When the hero becomes the goat, he has to learn to eat crow
Philadelphia Eagles’ wide receiver Terrell Owens waited a little too long to make an apology to his teammates and fans for fighting and making nasty comments that were detrimental to the team. And the later the apology, the more humbling,…
Advertising is not journalism. But Newark wants you to think it is.
The City of Newark couldn’t seem to get good press for its activities and policies. So it’s buying good coverage for a year from a community newspaper. Most would agree that paid coverage that features a controlled message is considered advertising.…
What Steve Jobs has in common with Spike Lee
When I heard how Apple CEO Steve Jobs called the father of a young man gunned down for his iPod, the first thing I thought of was a piece of dialogue from writer/actor/director Spike Lee’s 1989 hit movie “Do the…