Tesla Bounces Back After Recent Car Fire
After a Tesla Model S caught fire in early October, the company’s stock prices momentarily fell as the public became wary of the Tesla brand. Numerous blog posts and websites depicted the all-electric Model S engulfed in flames on a busy highway. The incident occurred after a piece of metal punctured the high-tech armor plating […]
Communications Lessons From the Shutdown
I have a friend who, in college, used to play a game that involved the following: While driving, approach a red light at speed while bluffing to his passengers, “I’m not going to stop! I’m not going to stop!” In the nick of time we always stopped, of course, but each time it felt like […]
What’s News and What’s Rumor?
A little over two weeks ago my little sister, a student at University of Colorado at Boulder, sent me a link to a video of a river roaring through what is usually the calm creek near the campus. She then told me about the dramatic changes that had occurred to the city of Boulder due […]
The Power of a Blog in a Crisis
Communications professionals (including the Communiqué team) often tout corporate blogs as a way for businesses to create a voice, connect with their audience, drive thought leadership and increase website traffic. While this is all true, corporate blogs can become especially handy when a company has a crisis on its hands – especially if the company […]
How to Apologize Effectively
To err is to be human. But how one handles the mistake can make or break a relationship. Businesses, particularly in this era of social media, are in a more difficult predicament when mistakes are made. Rumors spread quickly in the social stratosphere and can lead to negative consequences for a brand’s image. However, when […]
“Nacho” Best Move: Lessons From Taco Bell’s Taco-Licking Disaster
In case you haven’t heard (sorry to any fast-food lovers for bearing the bad news), Taco Bell recently came under heat for a particularly unappetizing photo posted by one of its employees. The photo featured the employee licking a tall stack of empty taco shells on the job and went viral, creating a backlash of […]
How the CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch Failed: Takeaway PR Lessons
I remember the need to fit in when I was a teenager—the need to be liked and look the part. I would beg my mom to buy me tops from Abercrombie & Fitch. I would proudly display the “beautiful people” shopping bags on my bedroom wall, showcasing bodies that neither I nor 99 percent of […]
In a PR Crisis, Be Authentic and Transparent
Rome may or may not have been built in a day, but brands certainly can be built – or destroyed – that quickly, thanks to the Internet and social media. Rumors spread like wildfire and can ultimately make or break a brand as a result. That raises the question: how can companies wrangle and control […]
Media Training 2.0
We recently facilitated a media training course for a client who has offices in two cities and more than a handful of executives who could be called on to speak to the media. Over two days, we conducted a seminar on interviewing techniques and then conducted one-on-one mock reporter interview scenarios with eight company executives. […]
Five Crisis Communication Tips for Businesses: Lessons from Carnival Triumph
By now, you’ve likely heard about the Carnival Triumph debacle: In early February, the Carnival Triumph cruise ship was on day three of a four-day outing when a fire broke out in the engine room and the ship lost power, leaving passengers and crew members stranded on the stalled ship in the Gulf of Mexico. […]