Social media have created a participation culture. We no longer merely watch and consume culture. We create, share and interact with it. Social media has forced openness and transparency in businesses that was not possible before. The power has shifted to the customer who can – if dissatisfied with the business – impact the business: [...]

Apologizing has become one of the standard practices of crisis communication and reputation management. The problem is, they are all starting to sound alike. Johnson & Johnson, already under fire for a string of product recalls, had another public relations issue on its hands after its o.b. tampons temporarily disappeared from stores and little was [...]

Social media has forced openness and transparency in businesses that was not possible before. The power has shifted to the customer who can, if dissatisfied with the business, impact the business and brand very publically. According to new research by Sage 22% of UK consumers would  complain to a company using social media when they [...]

There have been countless examples of businesses not understanding the power and speed that social media can turn something from minor irritation into full scale PR disaster. Here’s an excellent example of the importance of responding to a social media crisis before it is too late. A YouTube user uploaded a video of a FedEx [...]