Crisis Communications Episodes

After body cam footage emerged showing Mary O’Connor, the Police Chief of Tampa, Florida, trying to get out of a traffic violation by showing her badge and the internal affairs investigation that followed, she was ultimately forced to resign. This episode takes a look at this incident to see what can be learned from a PR perspective, and breaks down three easy choices in ethical leadership that can save your reputation. Hear the entire body cam clip and learn what guilt sounds like, how guilty ...

If you say the wrong thing in front of the press, it could live online for years to come and greatly damage your reputation. This episode takes a look back at a previous podcast episode and webinar with media trainer extraordinaire Warren Weeks, where he broke down the three mistakes that most spokespeople make in media interviews, why these faux pas can be so damaging, and how to avoid them. From not treating an interview like it’s a conversation to identifying and avoiding the traps set by rep...

Please note this episode carries a trigger warning for sexual assault. After a long series of other troubling accusations, including one by a woman sexually assaulted by eight hockey players, and cover-ups, secrecy, and poor leadership, the reputation of Hockey Canada is severely tarnished. This week’s podcast breaks down the three reasons why the crisis has been so deadly for the brand and so devastating for the victims and the stakeholders. This episode sheds light on how long this crisis has...

You can unleash a full-blown PR crisis on social media with one bad move against someone with a social media platform. To handle these situations, companies and brands need a plan. Who didn't prepare for her social media crisis? Bethenny Frankel. The "Real Housewives of New York City" alum has gained popularity on TikTok for her beauty product reviews and sometimes harsh criticism of other celebrities like Meghan Markel. However, when Frankel appeared to silence two creators on TikTok for cri...

This episode of the Indestructible PR Podcast looks at the public relations crisis created by Joy Gendusa, CEO of PostcardMania in Clearwater, Florida, when she claims she underestimated the severity of Hurricane Ian and insisted her staff continue to work through the storm. This podcast unpacks exactly what was communicated in that Zoom meeting when Gendusa addressed her staff before the arrival of Hurricane Ian and the media crisis that resulted, before it delves into Gendusa’s response. We ...

In today's digital age, with the constant posting, sharing, and posts going viral, PR crises can spiral out of control in the blink of an eye. This week’s Indestructible PR Podcast shares some key takeaways from how Adam Levine responded to his PR crisis in the aftermath of the video posted by Instagram model, Sumner Stroh. You’ll learn more about the one big mistake he made, a mistake you never want repeated in a PR crisis. Also discussed are the details released by Sumner and the importance ...

Recently, Rudy Giuliani, formerly known as ‘America's Mayor,' sat down for a media interview with Newsmax, and likely it did not go as intended. One unprepared quote later, and the resulting gaff ended up all over social media. This type of thing can happen to anyone, and this week’s podcast looks at why this interview was such a train wreck. Tuning in, you’ll find out how Giuliani started off on the wrong foot, why the biggest mistake he made was treating a media interview like a conversation,...

Ageism, sexism, bad management, and incredibly poor messaging, today’s PR crisis has it all! This week’s podcast focuses on Bell Media’s ousting of Lisa LaFlamme and her replacement by a younger male, shortly after the beloved CTV Anchor allowed herself to go gray. Let's discuss Lisa’s PR masterpiece of a response video and Bell Media’s well-written but completely inadequate response statement. While a private company has the right to hire and fire whomever they choose, decisions like these af...

Movie actor Ezra Miller recently issued an apology for a series of legal issues and assault and abuse allegations, published as an exclusive in Variety Magazine. With the DC Comics film The Flash opening in theaters next summer, there's a lot riding on this apology. This week’s episode takes a look at Ezra Miller’s apology to evaluate whether the elements of the perfect public apology are present in it. It also includes speculation on how Warner Bros. may be trying to approach the situation and...

Instagram has changed, and not everyone is happy about it. This week on the Indestructible PR Podcast, we look at the video created by Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri in response to this crisis, and analyze the value of using video responses to deal with PR crises. Tuning in, you’ll hear how Instagram has changed, why so many content creators have objected to this change, and how this has led to a crisis. We then break down Adam Mosseri’s video. We talk about the visual components and how they ...

Examining the recent incident at Sesame Place in Philadelphia. In a video that went viral, a performer dressed as the beloved Sesame Street character Rosita appears to snub two Black children after high-fiving other visitors to the park. In this episode, we discuss what happened, how the park responded, why the initial response didn't work, and why they needed a second response to clean it up. We break down Sesame Place’s first official response and explain exactly what was wrong with it and wh...

An inside look at how a PR crisis manager helps a client with disenfranchised customers. In this episode, we explore the triggers that make an unsatisfied customer seek retribution. We discuss the journey from victim to activist, and why campaigns are being branded as calls to action for other victims. Also discussed are the different stages of the victim-to-activist cycle and how companies can restore trust while maintaining their credibility. Key Points From This Episode: Today we will be d...

When there are victims involved in a crisis, they need to be shown compassion and assured that there will be no more victims. In this episode of the Indestructible PR Podcast we discuss the good, the bad, and the ‘even worse’ of how Daily Harvest handled their food poisoning crisis. Influencers took to TikTok to post about the gastrointestinal issues she experienced after consuming one of Daily Harvest’s products, the world of social media went up in arms and more victims came out of the woodw...

There is more to you than your worst moment. This week we are joined by educator, speaker, and consultant Dan Farkas to discuss Bill Simmons’ Jalen Green blunder on his podcast, the Ringer Podcast. Tuning in, you will hear exactly what happened during the incident and what Dan thought of it. We also discuss how Bill and Jalen handled it and Dan’s opinion of Bill’s response. Next, we discuss the successful crisis management framework Bill followed and how that led to them both coming out on top....

In any crisis, the first 48 hours are make-or-break. Things can quickly spiral out of control if you don't have a solid plan in place. Police Chief Pedro Arredondo's failure to respond to the CNN crew when they stopped unannounced looked bad for the school district's chief of police. It was even worse when he dodged legitimate questions. The patterns that lead to a crisis are discussed this week on the podcast. Listen + Subscribe on Apple Podcasts Join Molly on Patreon for even deeper dives i...

In our digital age, it’s hard to hide from the ugly side of life. Social media has allowed us all to bear witness to some of the most tragic moments in human history. From videos of natural disasters to intimate updates from people in the midst of personal crises, we are constantly barraged with images and stories that are hard to stomach. Amidst this onslaught of sadness and suffering, it can be hard to know how to cope with our own grief. How do we balance our need for solace with our desire...

The unfortunate circumstance of a social media storm is part of modern life on the internet. We have all seen the high-profile cases of cancellations and controversy that occur as a result of tweets and videos, and these may even extend to people we know more closely. So what can you do if you encounter such a problem, especially in light of old tweets and content, and the way the connected world has the potential to remember everything you have ever done? In today's episode, we consider this su...

When a brand is dealing with a crisis of their own making, one aspect of the response must be absolute - the apology. An apology that is heartfelt can quickly reduce a crisis, while an apology that is unclear and half-hearted can create an entirely new one. This week we examine two recent apologies from Whoopi Goldberg and Joe Rogan for actions that caused ABC News and Spotify executives to issue official statements. How did Goldberg and Rogan's comments help or harm their respective brands? ...

The news of Jeff Zucker resigning as the president of CNN after admitting not disclosing a romantic relationship with another senior executive at the network was certainly a bombshell. It was also a story with similarities to many of the crises we hear about that land on the front page. This episode features an interesting element about Zucker's departure that points to a significant shift in crisis management. What is one red flag you need to be on the lookout for that indicates a potential cr...

Do you work for a brand, company or organization that has been attacked online? Social media has made bullying easier than ever before. In this episode of the Indestructible PR Podcast, we’ll discuss how social media bullies attack brands online and how you can turn their attacks into a net positive for your brand. You will learn how the cyberbully attacks, why it is important to respond quickly when attacked, and some strategies that work well in turning negative attention into positive resul...

A public relations crisis and a public relations issue are two very different things. Many in senior leadership are unaware of this distinction, preventing their communication teams from planning properly. In this episode, we define a public relations crisis. To help plan for any event, issue, incident, or crisis, you need to know the differences between them. Listen + Subscribe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts © Molly McPherson 2022 Join Molly on Patreon for even deeper dives into celebrity PR ...

When a business faces a crisis, it can use a variety of crisis communication tactics, but changing its name may not be the best option. On today's episode, we'll examine if changing a business name will help if that name has become too much of a reputational liability. Plus, examples of successful company name changes following crises, as well as examples of where the name change may not have worked as expected. Mentioned in this episode: Facebook Changes Name to Meta: Mark Zuckerberg announce...

The key to managing a digital crisis is to unlock the cause of the crisis in the first place. Critical data and information can be found in conversations and traffic on social media and websites. Zack Condry, President of Everest Communications, knows how to interpret this information and strategize how to use it to manage the situation. He specializes in developing and executing digital communications strategies to help organizations tackle critical public affairs issues, major crises, regulat...

The story of Alec Baldwin in the aftermath of the tragic shooting death of Halyana Hutchins on the set of the film "Rust" is worth following if you follow public relations and crisis communication. From the first news stories from the Albequeque filmset to the "pop-up" press conference Baldwin held on a busy road in Vermont, we have been following Baldwin's media interactions over his involvement in the tragedy. Baldwin's latest public relations strategies were revealed in his sitdown intervie...