PR Disasters

McCusker on IABC issues simulation panel

Gerry — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 01:05:49 +0000

Tomorrow, lunchtime Melbourne, it’s an IABC crisis management hypothetical with loads of emphasis on Web2.0. Designed to be fun and educational…look fwd to seeing summa you there. Mantra on Russell 12.30pm.

http://www.iabcvic.com.au/home/news/iabcnews/1900386294/Article.aspx

Prevent PR disasters by monitoring social media

Gerry — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 01:01:13 +0000

Comes the familiar chant from Social Media advocate Dave Knox, citing Motrin as a ‘how not to do this stuff’ example.

http://www.brazencareerist.com/2008/11/17/why-every-brand-needs-to-understand-social-media

Ignorance aint bliss in Social Media

Gerry — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 05:28:30 +0000

I can’t keep it in any longer!! Speaking at a conference fairly recently, I was asked a question from the floor that near left me speechless…in a room full of PR professionals, someone basically challenged the validity of my assertion that Social Media would become/is becoming increasingly influential in issues and crisis management campaigns. The person said (and I precis) “How is a blog different from a website and why would anyone in business or an organisation bother with one?” I think I bristled and sounded irked when responding. But how can modern comms practitioners not know the whats, whys and hows of the blogosphere????

I welcome any other pearls of wisdom you blogtypes may have heard of late…?

Online monitoring key to avoiding Facebook PR disasters

Gerry — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 01:26:26 +0000

Employees undermining the corporate brands (via Facebook) of British Airways and Virgin Atlantic; that’s the subject of the above article from The Economist. http://www.economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12566818

As the publication reports: “On October 31st Virgin fired 13 of its cabin crew who had posted derogatory comments about safety standards and passengers on Facebook. On November 3rd, BA began investigating the behaviour of several employees who had described some passengers as “smelly” and “annoying” in Facebook postings. From a Reputation Management viewpoint (a topic I discussed at a Crisis Summit in Sydney this week), it raises three important issues: 1) Today’s corporations need a rigorous Social Media engagement policy. 2) All organisations must regularly educate staff about acceptable use of the internet. 3) Effective online monitoring systems must be engaged to alert orgs as to the conversations taking place about them, in the online space.

BBC PR disaster as PR Week flames inept crisis management

Gerry — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 05:01:57 +0000

Over at The Guardian, the editor of PR Week is giving the BBC’s PR team a sound thrashing, by jove.

Gerry McCusker delivers keynote at crisis conference

Gerry — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 23:15:37 +0000

http://www.frocomm.com.au/cc2008/program.php

Wednesday next week, I’m delighted to be giving the opening keynote address at an Issues and Crisis Summit in Sydney. I’ve also be invited as a panelist for a highly-interactive Q&A session. The focus of my keynote will be the new rules of reputation management and exploring the impact of Web2.0 and Social Media on issues and crisis management. Glen Frost has put together another sterling program, and I’m looking forward to hopefully seeing some of you up in Sydney.