[By Nora Jacobs, Hennes Communications] The first car I ever owned was a ’57 Volkswagen that I bought for $100. Its most memorable features were a cloth sunroof and turn signals that flipped out of the side pillars like miniature wings. It was almost as fanciful as the Morris Minor I learned to drive on, […]
[By Thom Fladung, Hennes Communications] Saying “I’m sorry” can pay off – psychologically, because it’s the right thing to do, and literally, because it may get you or your business out of a tough spot while saving money and your reputation. Last month, I wrote about how an organization’s apologies also say a lot about […]
[By Howard Fencl, APR] In the ongoing story of the Duggar family sex abuse scandal, the TLC cable television network on Thursday, July 16 announced that “after thoughtful consideration, TLC and the Duggar family have decided to not move forward with 19 Kids and Counting. The show will no longer appear on the air.” The […]
[By Bruce Hennes] Restaurant workers putting disgusting substances in customer’s food. Politicians seeking and accepting favors. Employees on disability doing yard work. Police officers committing crimes. Every day, a new shocking story on Twitter, another Facebook “caught on tape,” a “you won’t believe what the camera saw” on YouTube. Everyone you know now carries a […]
[By Bruce Hennes] Some months ago, I had lunch with an editor from a major metropolitan newspaper. At the end of the meal, after swapping childhood and industry stories and a few opinions, she asked me if there was anything she could do to help me. When an editor asks that question, you better have […]
[by Bruce Hennes] Bill Cosby has repeatedly refused to talk about decades-old allegations of sexual misconduct. Meanwhile, his legal team has launched an aggressive, organized and expensive effort to quash accusations by attacking the accusers’ characters and motives, according to The New York Times. Sure, it’s possible that Cosby is not guilty of any of […]
[by Nora Jacobs] Over the years, we’ve spoken to countless clients about the crisis threats their organizations might face. Many willingly accept that their business might be struck by an act of God — tornados, floods and fires most often come to mind. But a surprisingly large number of clients seem to feel immune to […]
[by Bruce Hennes] According to Reputation Dividend, a company that helps quantify the economic value of reputation for publicly held businesses, few CEOs would argue that their corporate reputation isn’t one of their company’s most precious assets. Giving thought to the difference between ‘brand’ and ‘reputation,’ Sandra Macleod writes, “The value and importance of a […]
[by Bruce Hennes] Put aside for the moment IF the band director for Ohio State University’s storied marching band should have been fired. Certainly, one can make the argument that under university policy, the university administration had a strict and legal “duty to act.” And under the Civil Rights Act, provisions in Title IX prohibiting […]
[by Bruce Hennes] According to this week’s New York Times, ”It was nearly five years ago that any doubts were laid to rest among engineers at General Motors about a dangerous and faulty ignition switch. At a meeting on May 15, 2009, they learned that data in the black boxes of Chevrolet Cobalts confirmed a […]