Following this week’s news has been an exercise in covering apology tours, corporate image issues and international PR scandals. With a variety of mistakes and misdeeds causing poor public perception of these organizations and individuals, damage-control public relations is being done. From jokes to lies to crime, here are some of this week’s image crises, and how those caught in the middle of them are trying to lessen the damage.
Former NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams has been a mainstay of American news and gossip since allegations arose that he embellished and fabricated some of his experiences while reporting. Looking to rebound and repair his image both within NBC and with his former viewers, Williams’ has launched into an apology tour that exemplifies image rehabilitation.
Toyota’s senior executive, Julie Hamp, was arrested this week in Japan on allegations of smuggling drugs into the country. Now, Toyota is running crisis PR to defend – of all people – their head public relations officer.
FIFA’s ongoing and highly publicized bribery scandal has thrown the organization and international soccer as a whole into chaos. FIFA Director of Communications and Public Affairs Walter de Gregorio has certainly been busy. On a recent television show in Switzerland, he joked about how if the highest-ranking members of FIFA were in a car together, it would be driven by the police. That joke cost de Gregorio his job.
What do you think these embattled individuals and brands should do to salvage their image and reputation? Let us know in the comments below!
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Seamus Roddy is a summer intern at WordWrite Communications. You can find him on Twitter @SeamusRoddy
