Crisis Leadership Blog
Insights and perspectives on being the lighthouse during a crisis.
Do it for the Algorithm: Embracing Social Media during a Crisis
“OMG, we’re blowing up on social media” I’ve been in a number of crisis management situations where the person responsible for a company’s social media will run into the room, look at their iPhone, utter those fateful words, and then disappear. As a crisis strategist,...
Very Scary Marketing Decisions
Have you ever seen a social media post or TV commercial from a well-known brand and said, “What the hell were they thinking?” Especially if it bordered on or crossed into being perceived as racist or prejudiced? That’s exactly what Bath and Body Works faced when they...
Be Prepared for What Comes after Election Night
It’s almost here. Based on retail stores, you might think “it” is Christmas, but “it” is not. No, “it” is Election Day. Most years, elections just kind of happen. People vote, wait for the results to be announced, celebrate or not, and then go on with their daily...
It’s a Litigious World after All
Are you signed up for Disney+? Well, according to a now-withdrawn lawsuit defense, if you are a subscriber, you’ve signed away your rights to sue the company for anything regardless of what happened and where. Does this make you mad? Or think a little differently...
How Colleges and Universities Can Handle Reputational Risk Better
Higher education is seemingly in an increasingly perilous spot. As the job market shifts — 47 to 54% of jobs will likely be lost to automation by 2030, or roughly 800 million jobs globally, according to McKinsey Global Institute — higher ed also needs to reinvent...
By definition, Kith means a cadre of peers who shape opinions and attitudes while instilling sophisticated habits for action. As a way to live this value, we like to share resources that are building blocks to good crisis management and can help you start the path of protecting your reputation.
More Recent Insights
Control What You Can Control, Including Your Anger
Justin Wilcox is used to winning and losing. For the head football coach of the University of California Golden Bears, wins and losses usually come on the football field, but his latest loss was handed to him by a bunch of college presidents and network executives far, far away from his practice field. “There's no denying the significance of this," Wilcox...
The Cost of Cri$i$
“What does a crisis cost?” I’ve been asked that question a few times. Disappointingly, my answer invariably is, “It depends.” Part of the answer depends on the specific aspects of the crisis and the company going through it, but much more rests on the definition of “cost.” If we’re talking about financial cost, then all we need to do is add together lost...
Trust as a KPI
Fortune magazine has recently launched a newsletter focused entirely on trust. They are framing it as “trust is the new KPI”. Just in case you’ve been living under a corporate rock, KPI stands for Key Performance Indicator. The Trust Factor is a “weekly guide to earning, retaining, and strengthening trust with your employees, business partners, and...
Don’t Become the Woking Dead
Bud Light. Disney. Mars Wrigley. Dilbert. The Super Mario Bros movie. Victoria’s Secret. Utah’s proposed new state flag. BlackRock. The U.S. military. Legos. Jack Daniels. Even Chick-fil-A. Accusations of “wokeness” have been flung far and wide so far in 2023. Is your company next? Are you ready? Defining “woke” is about as easy as folding soup. Its...
There Is Going To Be Another Bud Light. Are You Next?
It’s not often that a brand can anger all sides of the political spectrum and take a financial hit but Bud Light managed to do that last week. And there has been a tremendous amount of analysis of the roots of the controversy as well as the response. Some have called it a failure of marketing. Others have called the situation a failure of leadership both...
Three Lessons from FTX’s Collapse for Crisis Leaders
The dust from the wreckage of FTX’s collapse doesn’t have time to settle before it’s stirred up again. The latest revelation – that one of the world’s most “admired” cryptocurrency exchanges was comically terrible at both IT security (the “crypto” part) and tracking funds (the “currency” part) – should keep the dust billowing for a while. While there are...
Crisis Efficiency
Many organizations seek efficiencies during times of economic uncertainty. For many executives, “efficiency” equates to reducing costs. Two of the most tried and true methods of reducing costs are eliminating headcount and cutting back on support services that do not generate revenue. Frequently, chasing these kinds of efficiencies means that you are also...
Systems Failures May Be Trending in 2023
I was recently asked if I had any prediction for the “next thing” in crisis management for 2023. Without hesitation, I replied, “Systems failures.” 2022 ended with two epic system failures, and they threw a bright light on the potentially devastating impacts of scrimping on IT investment or failing to modernize operational practices and the systems that...
Why It’s Necessary to Include Government Affairs in Crisis Planning
I once heard a tech icon say “I don’t believe in God or government. I believe in the church of Silicon Valley.” That is all well and good until a U.S. Senator or three lettered agency takes notice. Just ask Ticketmaster or Google. While Senators Klobuchar and Lee’s weaving in of Taylor Swift lyrics likely delighted Swifties, and is worth a look, the Live...
Protecting Your Reputation in Uncertain Times
This is a confusing economic time. Layoffs are happening but unemployment is at record lows. We are figuring out what the new normal is. It’s a lot to navigate as a business leader, and some everyday concerns are not getting the attention they deserve. Your reputation is likely one of them. So as your organization is making critical decisions about the...
The Kith Method
Good crisis management comes from a plan. Great crisis management comes from capability – and starts before you even smell smoke. That’s why we developed the Kith Method. We can help build and maintain a flexible capability that works for you.
Your reputation is an investment; time-consuming and costly to build and expensive to repair. Protect it.