Deirdre Breakenridge

Every week, it seems there is a new PR crisis sweeping across our Twitter streams. Groupon, Airbnb, Kenneth Cole, Esquire, the list goes on and on. Most recently, Netflix has faced backlash for their price hikes and response or lack there of. With all of these instances, it seems that companies still aren’t understanding the [...]

PR professionals are familiar with the crisis drill, because we’re called upon when crisis strikes and we’re prepared with our crisis plans in place. Today, executives realize that crisis takes precedence, as their companies are in the public’s critical eye, their brands are the topic of constant conversations and communication travels more quickly than ever before through social media channels.

In preparation for my presentation last week to the members of the PRSA Alaska Chapter, I created an enhanced version of a Social Media Comment Response Chart.  The updated version includes three areas of comments: (1) Positive Comments, (2) General Brand/Product/Service Comments with various types of responses required based on the different kinds of inquiries [...]

Experience tells us that social media may lead to escalated levels of communication or crisis at any time. Whether a company has contributed to a situation that upsets its customers, information is misunderstood, or there is a malicious attack on the brand, you have to be prepared.

In PR we’re used to preparing executives or company spokespeople for media interviews and press conferences. We’ve also put our crisis plans in place to be ready for unexpected emergencies.  Our position is to prepare and be ready for all types of public reaction to company communications.  And, with social media keeping our constituents actively [...]