Throughout the Utah coal mine disaster, mine owner Robert “Honest Bob” Murray has appeared at “bizarre” news conferences acting hostile toward questioners and reading statements that completely lack direction. To make matters worse, at every press conference he seems to be on the defense from the get-go, a bad situation to be in when you [...]
Archive for the 'Crisis Communication' Category
Utah mine disaster: terrible crisis communication
Published by August 8th, 2007 in Crisis Communication, Mass Media and PR Disasters. 0 CommentsChinese quality issues harm national brand
Published by August 3rd, 2007 in Crisis Communication, Government and PR Disasters. 0 CommentsChildren today will never remember a time when Japanese cars were considered vastly inferior to American brands like General Motors, Ford or Chrysler. They won’t remember when all Korean electronics were cheaply marketed with unheard-of brand names. In the last few months, front-page news stories have told us of the pet food scare that was [...]
Poisoned pet food: Act fast when crisis hits
Published by March 27th, 2007 in Crisis Communication and PR Disasters. 0 CommentsI’ve been disappointed with the PR response from Menu Foods Income Fund, manufacturers of the poisoned pet food that has sickened and killed a number of dogs and cats in the United States. I understand this issue was remarkably complicated, as the company makes pet food for over 90 companies. However, when things are this [...]
What’s next for JetBlue? Customer “Bill of Rights”
Published by February 20th, 2007 in Crisis Communication and PR Disasters. 0 CommentsJetBlue has had some problems since they forced a cramped plane-load of people to sit on the runway for more than 10 hours in a snowstorm last week. There have been cries of “irresponsible,” “incompetent,” and “outrageous.” Any reasonable person would agree. Fortunately, JetBlue’s CEO David Neeleman seems like a very reasonable guy. First, he [...]
Apple responds to iPod “sweatshop” allegations
Published by August 18th, 2006 in Crisis Communication. 0 CommentsEarlier this summer, several newspapers reported poor working conditions at the Chinese factory that manufactures iPods. In response, Apple promised to investigate. Yesterday, Apple released the results of its investigation. Their team did find some less-than-satisfactory working conditions, but overall, the working environment was found to be well-kept and worker compensation was found to be [...]
Why Should I Buy a Sony BMG CD Again?
Published by November 15th, 2005 in Crisis Communication. 0 CommentsSony BMG is in quite a mess. It turns out that a number of CDs released by the company contain dangerous digital rights management (DRM) software that can comprimise computer performance and security. Even better: The software is virtually undetectable to users. A lot of people got understandably upset about this. After word spread, Sony [...]
Minnesota Vikings Struggle To Repair Image
Published by November 5th, 2005 in Crisis Communication and Sports PR. 1 CommentIt’s been a tough year for the Minnesota Vikings. After a slow start to the season, news of a sex scandal involving several members of the team flooded sports radio and news networks. It’s the type of scandal that just won’t go away. You’ve got to feel bad for the Vikings’ new owner, Zygi Wilf, [...]
Abercrombie T-Shirts Inspire “Girlcott”
Published by November 2nd, 2005 in Crisis Communication. 1 CommentTsk tsk, Abercrombie and Fitch! You’d think you’d have learned your lesson after the public took you to task for printing racist t-shirts back in 2002. The outrage over those shirts resulted in a nationwide recall. This time, young women are upset that the clothing chain is selling t-shirts with perceived sexist and "degrading" sayings [...]
“Dell Hell” Situation Teaches Valuable Lessons
Published by August 23rd, 2005 in Crisis Communication, PCs, Public Relations, Web/Internet and Weblogs. 0 CommentsPC juggernaut Dell has recently received a lot of negative attention based primarily on the postings of a single (albeit very well-read) blogger, Jeff Jarvis, who had a very bad experience dealing with Dell’s customer service department. Bloggers, many of whom had their own less-than-satisfactory experiences with Dell’s customer service, began linking to Jarvis’ post [...]
Walt Disney World Appropriately Responds to Child’s Death
Published by June 15th, 2005 in Crisis Communication. 0 CommentsOn Monday, 4-year-old Daudi Bamuwamye died after becoming unconscious while riding Walt Disney World’s "Mission: Space" attraction. This death was not the consequence of mechanical or operator error, however, and thus remains a mystery. An autopsy found "no signs of trauma and no medical issues," according to the local sheriff’s office. The ride also appears [...]
