Messaging. Critical to your business success, it’s the way you communicate the appeal and the impact of your business, product or service to your target audience. A clearly stated message tells consumers why they should do business with you rather than your competitors. Over time, these messages help to build your brand image whether for a product, service, company or even a person, like a politician or sports superstar. They must be...

As Warren Buffet quipped, “it can take 20 years to build a reputation and only five minutes to ruin it.” Of course, everyone wants a good reputation. But how do you get one – and more importantly, keep it? A good number of clients come to us for a crisis plan or issue management. Others know they need to be ready for a “problem,” but don’t believe it’s “that much of a concern right now.” When clients talk about building...

As most know, BP mercifully announced their runaway Macondo well is permanently sealed, thus resulting in a lost summer along the Gulf Coast. The Deepwater Horizon saga played out for 153 days and released approximately 4.1 to 4.4 million barrels of oil (nearly 172 to 185 million gallons) into the Gulf of Mexico. It claimed 11 oil workers’ lives, ravaged local economies and coated wetlands and beaches with oil and dispersants. As a...

The last time I offered an opinion on this blog was to say that everyone should quit trying to assign blame for the Gulf oil spill and worry about fixing the leak. Obviously, nobody took my advice because the blame game was in full play throughout. With the clean up well underway and the leak apparently stopped, I think it is fair to say that BP has taken the brunt of the blame and perhaps more than its share. There are a myriad of others...

I read an article from the Atlanta Business Chronicle yesterday about local BP stations feeling the pinch of a consumer boycott. It got me thinking about just how important PR is in today’s world, and especially in a sticky situation like the one in which these gas station owners find themselves. Personally, I can’t see myself pulling up to a BP pump for quite some time (if ever). It’s been 20 years since the Valdez mess and I still...