The Public Relations Blog

This post discusses Axia Public Relations’ CEO’s presentation to Loyola University students. In the presentation, Jason Mudd shared some of his experiences as a PR expert, Axia’s team values and ideals, as well as how the pandemic has affected the PR industry.

Smart corporation communications executives know that all it takes is a single public relations crisis to bring down even the biggest enterprises in the industry. How the general public perceives your company directly correlates to how much they trust you. 

The moment there's a reputation crisis, you can expect your company to suffer greatly. The brand and image you carefully constructed and protected over time will inevitably be damaged. It will take an immense public relations initiative to reconstruct the public's perception of the company. Considering how easy it is to find something on the internet, it can take a lot of effort to make the online masses forget.

Cyberattacks cost the global economy close to 1 trillion dollars in 2020, a number projected to rise to $10.5 trillion by 2025. According to the FBI Cyber Division, they received close to 4,000 cyberattack complaints daily at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, a number likely associated with the fact that 71% of Americans were working from home at the time.

With such dire cyberattack statistics, what can an organization do? Although such attacks are typically the purview of IT departments and cybersecurity divisions, as a critical department in any organization, public relations (PR) has a vital role to play.

Responding to a negative news story and its consequences

Gaining news coverage for your company, yourself, or a member of your executive team is a key aspect of public relations. However, what happens when a news article is published and your company or an executive is presented in a less-than-favorable light? What is your company’s best response to the situation? Do you respond or let it be? And why? 

A news article was published about your company, which included misleading information, factual errors, innuendos, and even half-truths. This leads to a crisis for your company, especially in the court of public opinion. 

Your company has several options to handle this crisis: ignore it, create some FAQs to correct the errors, hold a news conference, or issue a video statement during a crisis. 

Handling that first negative online article 

As much as you believe your company won’t be affected by negative articles and reviews ranking in an online search, at some point, it will happen – and it can have a serious impact on your company. 

There are many places where consumers can leave negative reviews that can rank on page one when a prospective consumer uses Google to search for your company. That first negative review or even a new negative review can leave you and your company reeling and unsure of your next steps. It is important to understand how your company’s online reputation can change with a negative review. 

Reporters write and report on stories about people and companies every day. While most articles are neutral, some articles portray an individual or company positively, and some cast the company and/or its executives in a negative light. When a negative article surfaces, at what point might you decide to file a lawsuit against a news outlet or reporter?

Libel and slander are two terms often used interchangeably to express journalism that is harmful to an individual or organization. However, they are not the same. In some instances, statements made against you or your company could be considered libel or slander. What’s the difference? 

Ready to find out how Mall of America, as a major retail destination consistently providing first-class experiences, while dealing with different COVID-19 challenges?

Guest:

Dan Jasper has served as the director of public relations at Mall of America for 17 years and has more than 20 years of PR and communications experience prior to that. Dan leads public relations, community relations, social media, storytelling, tourism, and the advanced service portal at the Mall of America. He is a key national spokesperson for the mall and also manages crisis communications and government affairs.

Some companies are under fire for failing to keep their promises to uphold racial equality and diversity

A year ago, the world burned with protests and cries over the gruesome murder of George Floyd by police officers in broad daylight. Corporate America made quite a spectacle by pledging to support black businesses with grants, improve diversity in their companies, donate to Black nonprofits, and more.

However, one year later, it appears that the flame of corporate commitments to social justice died just as quickly as it started.

Company responses to cyberattacks dictate public perception.

With Colonial Pipeline recovering from a cyberattack organized by a cybercriminal gang, the encounter has left the industry a number of lessons regarding cybersecurity. Here are some tips for crisis communication management in the event of a cyberattack: