If you were a smoker and your doctor told you to stop or you would die of cancer, would you stop? If you had diabetes and your doctor told you to change your diet so you don’t die, would you change? Amazingly, there are people every day who ignore the advice of an expert and […]
How Do I Get a Seat at the Table? Times of Crisis Management and Crisis Communications Present an Opportunity
October 28, 2014 by · Leave a Comment
Public relations people constantly ask, “How do I get a seat at the table?” The short answer for now is to take advantage of the Ebola hysteria. The seats are not handed out at the table. The seats are taken. During a time of crisis or potential crisis, leadership can be displayed by those who […]
Ebola Crisis Communications, Finding God, and Your Leadership Team
October 24, 2014 by · Leave a Comment
Executives and crisis communications enthusiasts remind me of criminals who find God 15 minutes after then enter prison, then forget God 15 minutes after they are back on the street. Here’s why… True story from this week: The president of an institution wants crisis communications help now! Why? Because a crisis is at their door, […]
Ebola Crisis Communication Plan Update: Ebola Hysteria Requires Communications
October 21, 2014 by · Leave a Comment
Business leaders and public relations professionals should continue to monitor signs of Ebola hysteria. The damage to the reputation and revenue of your organization is real. It can come from a direct Ebola contamination to one of your employees or customers. In the case of public institutions like schools, the institution could face a costly […]
Media Training Tip: Ebola Crisis Communications Interviews
October 16, 2014 by · Leave a Comment
The Ebola crisis has spawn a rash of spokespeople saying things to the media that should have never been said. If you are the public relations person responsible for writing statements and news releases for your hospital, company or spokesperson, this blog is for you. If you are the media trainer preparing the spokespeople, this […]
Ebola Crisis Communications Lesson: Ask for Help
October 14, 2014 by · Leave a Comment
Of all the Power Point presentations by his leadership team members, the CEO only stood and applauded the vice president who showed he was having difficulties in his division, when the other vice presidents showed rainbows and green lights. The company was millions in debt with falling sales and the CEO knew that everyone who […]
5 Ebola Crisis Communications Considerations
October 13, 2014 by · Leave a Comment
By Gerard Braud Your personality type may decide the fate of your crisis communication response if the Ebola crisis touches your company (or the company for your work for.) On one extreme is the personality that says, “It’s too soon. Maybe we should watch it and wait and see.” On the other extreme are those […]
Ebola Crisis Communication Planning and Crisis Management Planning
October 9, 2014 by · Leave a Comment
Is it too soon to talk about your Ebola crisis communications strategies and plan? A New York based public relations professional asked me that question today. I responded by saying, “Why wait? One week ago no one in Dallas gave Ebola crisis communications a second thought. Today, at lease 14 businesses and government entities have […]
Social Media Complicates Ebola Crisis Communications
August 6, 2014 by · Leave a Comment
By Gerard Braud [ If you’ve come to read this crisis communications post via a link by Agnes, please read my full response and rebuttal to her via this blog update. ] A glance at the Emory Healthcare Facebook page magnifies the complexities of crisis communications in the age of social media. I’m not a huge […]
Crisis Communications Management: The Ebola Expert vs. The Social Media Celebrity Alarmist
August 5, 2014 by · Leave a Comment
By Gerard Braud Social media complicates crisis communications, especially when an expert is pitted against alarmists and detractors on social media. Crisis communications and crisis management get more difficult when the social media alarmist is a celebrity. Donald Trump has taken to his Twitter account to say that people with Ebola should not be brought […]
Three Media Training and Crisis Communications Tips for Doctors and Employers
August 4, 2014 by · Leave a Comment
By Gerard Braud The current Ebola crisis has the media calling upon their medical experts to communicate about infected patients being flown to the United States for treatment. Media training for this type of crisis requires you to have a plan for how your doctors and physicians will respond if they are called upon to […]
