I went into Boots to pick up a prescription (nothing serious) and as I was queuing, I spotted a notice about surgical masks. It said they had all been sold out and gave no indication when further stocks would be available. When I asked an assistant if she knew any more, she shrugged her shoulders […]
Why no comment is no option in crisis situations
If your organisation is being accused or criticised, your first instinct may be to offer no response, in the hope that the problem may go away if you don’t fan the flames. In this 24-hour digital world, that is simply not an option. There are two key reasons why no comment is damaging in crisis […]
Richard III: a reputation trashed
If you watch the news or read the newspapers, you can hardly fail to have notice that the remains of King Richard III have been finally reinterred in Leicester Cathedral, after being dug up in a social services carpark in 2012. This has reignited the debate about his reputation, which was comprehensively trashed by the […]
Media interviews: did I talk the talk?
In the past week, I have done two interviews with journalists, both on the issue of press ethics and press regulation. When the email popped into my inbox from Talk Radio Europe and the call came from Al Jazeera America (yes, really), I realised I’d have to do a good job. Now was the time to put my […]
Halo or Horns: the importance of reputation
Halo or Horns? Which does your charity have in the public mind? That was one of the questions posed by a fascinating discussion at CharityComms Brand Breakfast last week. If you have a Halo and you make a mistake or something goes wrong, as Jill McCall, the senior brand manager at Cadbury’s explained, then the public will […]
‘What not to do’ to be regarded as a thought leader
If an organisation wants its views to be taken seriously and to increase its influence over events, then one of the best ways is for its spokespeople to be regarded a thought leader – and be quoted in the press, or interviewed on television or radio as such. Let me give you some examples from […]
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