Crisis: Respond in 45 minutes or less, or reap the consequences

We received a call early one morning from a company that was in the midst of a serious crisis. News of the incident broke during the prior hour and company executives were being inundated with media calls as they scrambled to determine the best way to respond. We provided the prospective client with some initial counsel, assembled our internal team and began preparations to divide and conquer while waiting for our controller to finalize a work agreement.

Crisis/Issues Management, Public RelationsWhitney ChildersAugust 1, 2020public relations, crisis response, crisis communications messaging, crisis planning, crisis communications

Communications lessons from NY Fraud and Breach Summit

The importance of crisis communications in cybersecurity planning and incident response was cited several times at the Fraud and Breach Prevention Summit in New York in 2017.

Crisis/Issues Management, Public RelationsWhitney ChildersJuly 26, 2020Information Security Media Group, tech communications, security communications, data breach crisis communications, cyber security planning, cyber security communications training, CISO communications

An ounce of prevention is relevant in today's cyber world

The last few years have seen tumult in the cybersphere. WannaCry has made businesses and individuals literally want to cry, while hackers made small Bitcoin fortunes off other’s misery.

Crisis/Issues Management, Public RelationsWhitney ChildersJuly 25, 2020cyber security, cyber crisis, cyber security planning, cyber attack, cyber hacking, proactive crisis planning

The cost of not being united in crisis response

United Airlines's response to a passenger being dragged off a plane in Chicago made headlines with the company experiencing a significant hit to its reputation and stock price. While it’s always easy to second guess crisis response, there are some important lessons organizations can take away from United’s experience.

Crisis/Issues Management, Public RelationsWhitney ChildersJuly 23, 2020public relations, PR, crisis communications, united airlines, United Airlines, internal communications, employee communications, messaging, audience messaging, spokesperson response, brand reputation

Not commenting on pending litigation equals Epic Fail

There is a natural tension between attorneys and public relations professionals. We both are working with different, even conflicting interests in mind.

Crisis/Issues Management, Public RelationsWhitney ChildersJuly 22, 2020public relations, crisis communications, litigation, no comment, proactive crisis planning, proactive PR, crisis response, legal communications

Five 'Must Dos' during the first hours of a crisis

We frequently receive calls from companies both in Utah and around the country that are in crisis. From experience, 90+ percent have no form of crisis planning or preparation. While the lesson learned should be a small investment in crisis planning pays big dividends, what should you do if you find yourself in this position?

Crisis/Issues Management, Public RelationsWhitney ChildersJuly 21, 2020crisis communications, crisis planning, crisis preparation, 5 Must Dos, media relations, media response, media protocol, spokesperson training, internal communications, regulatory communications, proactive crisis planning, crisis expert