Communications is an essential piece of the puzzle within every business.  With 24/7 media inquiries, requests for interviews and the looming fear of an unexpected crisis, it is essential that all companies have a communications plan in place. The key to survival in the world of communications may be kept in General Sun Tzu’s famous [...]

With all the technology available today, it becomes even more important to react to a crisis quickly to repair a reputation. Modern communication makes it easy for a crisis to spread through social media, text messages and emails. Take for example, the recent crises experienced by Carnival Cruise Line. Social media has made it even [...]

After the drought we had this summer in the Midwest, my tomato plants that are usually so abundant, yielded very little.  Then, when September rolled around and it was cooler and started to rain, they suddenly produced the entire summer’s worth in two months.  This meant lots of small green tomatoes on my four plants.
I’ve [...]

By: Andy Likes, Practice Area Lead- Crisis Communications
If you’ve ever had a crisis, you know they are tough to plan for, difficult to manage and tricky to eliminate.  Sunday evening on the biggest global stage, the NFL, CBS, the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and Entergy Corporation dealt with a crisis while the world watched live and waited.  [...]

Everyone knows that not all news is good. Every now and then, it’s your job to deliver bad news. It’s always difficult to give someone bad news, so how do you do it effectively? Here are a few tips:
1. Let your own emotions run their course before you share the news with others.
Make sure all [...]

It’s not a matter of “if” a crisis happens but “when” a crisis happens. Crisis Communications can make or break a business, so it’s good practice to have a plan developed. How would you handle a crisis when it surfaces? Whether it’s a fire in an office or a blunder on national television. You get [...]

Coke would never suggest a customer try Pepsi.  Tide would never point someone to Purex.  But something similar is happening at Walgreens these days and it’s costing the store thousands of customers and millions of dollars.  The reason: an ongoing feud between Walgreens and St. Louis-based Express Scripts.  Walgreens stopped filling prescriptions for Express Scripts [...]

Quick decision making can often lead to frustration, disorganization and even controversy. The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation landed in hot water after announcing a landmark decision to pull funding from Planned Parenthood, which used the funds to provide breast exams to underserved and low-income women. The resulting public outcry left the [...]

How much is enough for families who lost loved ones and passengers scarred by the biggest cruise ship accident in recent memory?  Carnival, parent company of Costa Cruises, is finding out.  Today, the cruise ship giant offered passengers a settlement of $14,500 per person, plus full reimbursement for their cruise package and expenses.  It’s a [...]

Last Thursday, MoDOT went a long way toward calming angry drivers who were stuck in hours of traffic because of a mere half-inch of snow. Past storms have dropped much more snow on St. Louis and didn’t cause nearly as many problems. What went wrong this time? MoDOT’s Director Kevin Keith told the [...]