Steve Hamilton and Andrew TouhyAfter the tempestuous election, New Balance’s vice president of public affairs, Matthew LeBretton, offered an endorsement to Donald Trump saying, “The Obama administration turned a deaf ear to us and frankly, with President-elect Trump, we feel things are going to move in the right direction.” Though the answer was in response to
Andrew Touhy, Assistant Account ExecutiveWhen certain situations arise, a crisis is inevitable. The New York Times reported Oct. 25 that Canadian authorities alleged Elizabeth Tracey Mae Wettlaufer killed eight elderly patients from 2007-2014. A horrific and shocking story indeed, but one that offers lessons to crisis professionals.In a case like this in which revealing certain
Dennis CullotonAfter Donald Trump's twitter rants and video leaks and Samsung's exploding phones, people tell me, "Hey (that company in trouble) needs you for crisis communications," or they ask "How would you like to be Trump's PR guy?" (no thanks).It makes for fun talk at the tailgate or cocktail party. But to make a real
Steve Hamilton, Digital Media DirectorThe Samsung NOTE 7 has finally been pulled from shelves. Dozens of reports from Note 7 owners claiming that the phones are catching fire have become too much to bear for Samsung. Even after an initial recall of the device, the replacements seem to be having the same problem. They have
Andrew Touhy, Assistant Account ExecutiveThe NFL announced a new policy effective October 12 that will ban teams from streaming and sharing all video-based social media during the games. Additionally, teams cannot shoot video and post it to their own accounts, or make highlight GIFs. In talks with teams, ESPN reports that “league executives want to
Andrew Touhy, Assistant Account ExecutiveAs Hurricane Matthew ripped towards the Florida coast, Disney World closed its doors for only the fourth time in 45 years. Park communications executives delivered clear, concise messages across all platforms that prioritized safety above Disney’s bottom line. Though the staff had to scramble to help cancel travel plans, the decision to
Andrew Touhy Assistant Account Executive and Katie Krall CS InternHe is the baseball player that Red Sox Nation deifies and the one Yankees fans love to hate. But on September 27th, in a letter published in the Players Tribune titled “Thanks for the Memories, New York,” David Ortiz wrote to Yankees fans to show his
Andrew Touhy, Assistant Account ExecutiveSportsCenter host Scott Van Pelt’s recent interview with The Washington Post – following claims that ESPN is sinking - highlights an increasingly important lesson in brand management and reputation management: When countering claims discrediting your company, be honest, transparent and composed. Following a barrage of stories citing ESPN’s decreasing popularity, “layoffs
Here's Josh Donaldson post-game on dust-up with Manager John Gibbons, and his new Tom Ford cologne #bluejays pic.twitter.com/AQcgpKmixi — Faizal Khamisa (@SNFaizalKhamisa) August 17, 2016 The best way to manage a crisis is to avoid one completely. Josh Donaldson just did that. The present day news cycle is rapid. Deprived of a meaty story, the
Steve Hamilton, Digital Media DirectorNow that the dust has finally settled from The Tenor’s Canadian national anthem gaffe, let’s have a look at what happened, how they handled it, and what we can learn from it.For the uninitiated, here’s a brief recap of what went down. During the Canadian national anthem for the hugely popular