Posts tagged with crisis+management

Today, the internet was set abuzz over tweet from clothing designer Kenneth Cole that sent the web into an uproar. In a failed attempt to use current events to push his clothing line, Cole tweeted, “Millions are in uproar in #Cairo. Rumor is they heard our new spring collection is now available online at http://bit.ly/KCairo -KC." Not only is the tweet extremely insensitive to the currently crisis in Egypt, but to use the #Cairo hashtag that protesters in Egypt are using to spread awareness about the events there? That has been panned as a crass way to get some buzz behind your message.

You can’t wait until you see a herd of elephants charging at you before you decide how to react. By keeping your ear to the ground and listening carefully to the movements in your environment, you’ll be in control when the stampede hits and you won’t get run over.

There was an interesting story from the San Jose Mercury News yesterday about Ryan Coonerty, a moderately controversial mayor of Santa Cruz, California who has a much-contested Wikipedia article: "Young, highly educated and very popular with voters, or a politician who plies his trade by cashing in on resentment toward the homeless in Santa Cruz. If you get your information online, your view of Councilman Ryan Coonerty may depend on who last edited his Wikipedia page."

When faced with a crisis, especially in the political world, gut instinct can tell those in the firing line to hunker down and shut up.  But if you genuinely think you've got an explanation or exonerating details to offer and you're getting hammered by the media (or are about to be), consider a large-scale drive to communicate.