Crisis lessons from the BBC Consumer Unit
When I’m talking to clients about how to handle a crisis, and how to handle crisis interviews, I draw on my experience working in the BBCs Consumer Unit. This unit produced exemplary investigations into consumer issues, which held businesses to account on behalf of people who had been scammed or ripped off. When I worked […]
Crisis questions to expect
This morning I ran a quick and dirty crisis interview training session for a client. In it, we discussed the kind of questions which are almost always going to crop up, and which, therefore, you should always prepare how to respond. Here are a few of them – crowdsourced from the Rough House team. […]
How to avoid a disastrous doorstep interview
Doorstep interviews are one of the most stressful types to deal with: you normally give them when you’re under negative scrutiny, you’re caught on the hop & you may be surrounded by a media scrum ready to pounce – and if you don’t know how to handle a doorstep interview, the results could make a […]
Seven top tips for handling a crisis
Barely a day goes by without a business or organisation hitting the headlines for the wrong reasons. And nine times out of 10, they don’t handle the exposure well. Here are seven top tips on how to handle a crisis, from PR & Marketing strategist, Rhian Williams of the PR company Be Better Known. Here […]
15 top crisis management tips
Warren Weeks is a Toronto-based media and crisis training coach whose posts on social media are always wise, practical and on-point. He’s been advising companies on how to deal with crisis for three decades and here we are sharing his 15 favourite tips for better crisis management. 1. Always lead with empathy. Fight or flight […]
Why you should avoid “No Comment” in media interviews
When we’re running media and crisis training, we always advise our clients to avoid saying “no comment”. Here, the experienced tech journalist and media consultant Nick Huber explains why. When your company says “no comment” to the media it can be more revealing than you think – and not in a good way. Based on my […]
Four crisis communication mistakes by Yorkshire CC
Over the past few weeks, Yorkshire County Cricket Club have been engulfed in allegations of racism – with the issue spreading across cricket in the UK and plunging the game into an existential crisis. Few can fail to be shocked and moved at the testimony of both Azeem Rafiq and former Yorkshire academy players Irfan […]
Infographic: Five ways to protect your reputation in a crisis
There are five steps you can take to protect your reputation in a crisis … do the right thing, keep communicating, know the facts, keep your messages aligned have a plan Our infographic gives you more detail about each of these: Our Crisis Media Training teaches how to deliver your crisis statement effectively under media pressure. […]
Dealing with the media after a death in service
“Have you ever done any preemptive planning to deal with/address/respond to potential loss (death) of members/workers within an organisation? If so, or if you have any resources you can direct me to it would be appreciated.” That was the question posed to me by a relative who works for a public service in Canada. And […]
Coronavirus crisis: How to keep your good name
Here are our top tips for managing your reputation through the coronavirus crisis: Do the right thing: show that you care about your staff, your clients and the wider public. Witness the backlash against Britannia Hotels for treating their staff badly and Sports Direct for defying the lock-down. Keep communicating: don’t let there be a […]
Crisis, what crisis? Near perfect response to Coronavirus
When you’re hit by something as potentially harmful as coronavirus, you need to keep calm, come up with a plan (if you haven’t got one already) and communicate that simply and clearly to your staff and customers. As well as wanting to know you’re on top of things, people will also want to feel you’re […]
Handling a crisis: getting the comms right
We often focus on things that go wrong, but here is an example of a company handling a crisis well. So, credit where it is due. The gas supplier Cadent and the local authority responded quickly and sympathetically to an emergency that affected over 2,000 homes. It started when a water main burst in a […]
Crisis management: a deeper dive
One of the most crucial – yet most neglected – areas of business planning is to know how you’re going to protect your reputation if an emergency or crisis unfolds. We often find that crisis management is low down on the list of priorities for a PR department – until the worst happens and they […]
Reputation management – ‘Beliebers’-style
What should you do when you make a big mistake – own up and apologise or try to cover it up and pretend it never happened? The Canadian pop star Justin Bieber has decided on the former – a classic tactic of reputation management – and by all accounts it’s winning over doubters and the […]
Crisis statement: case study analysis
It is with regret that a fire at the xxxxxxx has caused extensive roof damage. The cause is as yet unknown but maintenance was being carried out on the roof by external contractors. Fortunately due to the efforts of the emergency services the damage was largely contained to the spa and we are extremely grateful. […]