Crisis & Reputation

Keep a problem from becoming a headline

In a crisis, the numbers and the message move together. A lender reads the news, employees watch how the lender reacts and customers watch both. Brand value can drop in an instance. We help owners and CEOs quickly gather the facts and generate the best messaging, and rollout sequence, ASAP. We’ve seen crises from both sides: outside doing investigative business journalism, and inside leading crisis-related media responses for OptumHealth.

When to Call

●Cash is running short, a loan covenant is at risk or a payment is about to be missed
●A lender, regulator or lawsuit is putting the company under pressure
●An ownership dispute or family conflict could spill into the business
●A cyberattack, data breach, accident or product problem has happened
●A key leader is leaving suddenly, has died or is facing allegations
●A layoff, closure or restructuring is coming and needs to be announced
●A reporter is asking questions, or soon will be
●The company’s or CEO’s reputation has already taken a hit
●Nothing is wrong yet, but you want a plan in place before something is

What We Do

—Build a crisis plan in advance: who decides, who speaks and what each group hears first
—Get the facts straight before anyone says anything
—Plan who hears what, in what order: board, lenders, employees, customers, media
—Write the messages and prepare leaders to deliver them
—Coordinate with your attorney on anything with legal exposure
—Rebuild trust once the immediate crisis has passed

Result

A CEO who owned half of a family business faced a control fight with his brother, who owned the other half. We advised him on what to say to customers, employees and family members, so the dispute didn’t damage the business while it was being resolved.

Result

Talk confidentially