A spectacular fail. From The Washington Post: South Dakota is on meth — at least, that’s the message behind a new anti-drug ad campaign so widely mocked that one marketing expert could only laugh before calling it “a colossal blunder.” The “Meth. We’re On It.” awareness initiative was unveiled Monday by South Dakota Gov. Kristi L. Noem […]
[By Nora Jacobs, Hennes Communications] We are often asked how we interact with a client’s legal team when a crisis strikes an organization. While the traditional view assumes that communications and legal work in constant conflict in the crisis war room, in our experience, these two disciplines can actually complement each other and build […]
By Bruce Hennes, Hennes Communications Hennes Communications was founded in 1989 as a full-service public relations firm. In 2001, after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, we became one of the few firms in North America focused exclusively on crisis management and crisis communications. Since then, we frequently work with attorneys, who tend to be the “first […]
From our esteemed colleague, attorney David Wolowitz: What makes an independent school succeed or fail when crisis strikes? More often than not, the difference hinges on whether the administration and board work collaboratively. The greater the crisis, the greater the stressors on the relationship between the two. Advance planning is critical. A crisis is no […]
By Nora Jacobs, Hennes Communications Those who know me know that I’m a travel junkie. Time and budget prevent me from taking all the trips I’d like to take, so I do a fair amount of armchair travel. That includes skimming the daily email feed I get from Conde Nast Traveler – a publication I’ve […]
From Michael J. Socolow, Associate Professor, Communication and Journalism, University of Maine, writing for The Conversation: First, it happened on Fox News. Chris Wallace asked White House adviser Stephen Miller about the president’s decision to use private lawyers “to get information from the Ukrainian government rather than go through … agencies of his government.” Miller’s response began, […]
By Peter Donolo, writing for the Globe and Mail: As Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau has been uncommonly apologetic. His apologies for a litany of Canada’s historical wrongs even prompted the venerable BBC to ask “does Justin Trudeau apologize too much?” That’s one reason his almost defiant decision – to which he’s holding firm – not to […]
By Nora Jacobs, Hennes Communications On September 5, the U.S. Department of Education announced it was fining Michigan State University $4.5 million for “a systemic failure to protect students from sexual abuse.” The fine is the latest fallout from the Larry Nassar scandal, which has embroiled MSU in lawsuits, a succession of high-profile firings, resignations […]
There were strong rumors he was going to get traded anyhow, but the deal was probably sealed the moment Cleveland Indians pitcher Trevor Bauer threw a ball over the center field wall in an act of frustration. As we’ve often counseled those who’ve committed sins both venal and mortal, apologies must be authentic, honest, heartfelt […]
By Nora Jacobs, Hennes Communications The recent employee protest at home-goods retailer Wayfair involving furniture sales to a company that will outfit a new migrant detention center in Texas has generated national media attention. It also prompted a discussion with one of our clients who is about to embark on a vulnerability audit with us […]