Written by Jill Avery and Richard Edelman, writing for the Harvard Business School. As the COVID-19 virus pandemic began to sweep across the world, Doug McMillon and his team at Walmart watched in horror. Suddenly, they realized, tomorrow would be nothing like “business as usual” and everything in the company’s marketing plan, from retail execution […]
Everyone wants to know when we can begin going back to the lives we had just a month or so ago and when businesses will reopen. Knowing that there’s much misinformation out there, we rarely post anything about this particular portion of the COVID-15 debate, but we saw something written by someone with impeccable credentials, […]
We are living in uncertain and unprecedented times, so it’s important for you to know that we’ve been here since 1989 – and that our top priority is people. From the safety of our home and yours, we’re here for you. We really are. And we won’t just tell you – we’ll show you. And after […]
By Nora Jacobs, Hennes Communications For those of us who make a living helping clients communicate during crises, the last few weeks have been breathtaking as we’ve worked with organizations of all types to grapple with the arrival of COVID-19. We’ve moved from developing plans that anticipate a possible positive test result to creating communications […]
Whether it’s a staff meeting on Teams, a webinar on Zoom, a private conversation on FaceTime or a short training video you record on WebEx, it’s not just what you say, but how you say it. And if it’s an interview with a seasoned reporter, the stakes are even higher. You must be prepared to answer […]
By Bruce Hennes & Stephanie York, Hennes Communications We’ve all been inundated by the media with COVID-19 information, but what can you do to help your employees get through this crisis? The best thing you can do to prepare your team for whatever is about to come is to communicate, communicate and then communicate some […]
After the 2001 anthrax attacks – when white powder in envelopes sparked widespread panic – the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention created a 450-page manual outlining how U.S. leaders should talk to the public during crises. The CDC guidebook, with “Be first. Be right. Be credible.” on the front cover was developed by the […]
Written by Peter Sandman, this was written at the request of the Sunday Times of London for its March 15, 2020 edition – but not published. Nearly every journalist who contacts me about the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic wants to talk about panic. I usually ask the reporter, “Do you know anyone personally who’s panicking?” The […]
By Ed Yong, writing for The Atlantic: Three months ago, no one knew that SARS-CoV-2 existed. Now the virus has spread to almost every country, infecting at least 446,000 people whom we know about, and many more whom we do not. It has crashed economies and broken health-care systems, filled hospitals and emptied public spaces. […]
By Thom Fladung/Hennes Communications The numbers are grim and grow more discouraging by the day. Tens of thousands of people are losing their jobs as businesses re-evaluate, retrench and dig in to adjust to a nationwide coronavirus shutdown. Companies and organizations from General Electric to the National Rifle Association to your favorite restaurant down the […]