Posted on August 27th, 2007
Atlanta Falcon quarterback Michael Vick says he’s sorry. He’s sorry he lied to National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell. He’s sorry he deceived Falcon team owner Arthur Blank. He’s sorry he let down his teammates, fans and even kids who might view him as a role model. And he’s sorry he used bad judgment. All of these sentiments were expressed in a four and one-half minute news conference on the day Vick formally plead guilty in federal court to his role in a well publicized dog-fighting scandal. He did not take questions from reporters.
While most executives and business owners may rightly feel they will never be accused of anything as heinous as the crimes Michael Vick has pleaded guilty to, the Vick case does offer lessons to businesses and executives who find themselves guilty of poor behavior. Michael Vick the brand has been badly if not fatally broken. Michael Vick the business consists of a 10 year contract with the Falcons for $130-million. He also had millions in other endorsements including a deal with Nike that has since been nixed. A lot of businesses would love to have that sort of earning power. Michael Vick, like any business with a damaged reputation, must take some very carefully considered steps in order to recover even a portion of past glory. (more…)
Posted on August 7th, 2007
What a performance it was!
Destined to become must-see-viewing in every crisis communication consultant’s training seminar.
Bob Murray is the owner-operator of the Crandall Canyon Mine in Utah where six miners have been trapped 1500 feet underground since the mine collapsed before dawn on Monday morning.
Murray violated every canon of crisis communications during a televised news conference Tuesday morning. In the course of the extended appearance on live national television Murray:
· Spent precious little time expressing concern for the trapped miners and their families.
· Spent comparatively little time explaining what was being done to reach the trapped miners.
· Devoted most of the news conference to arguing the disaster was the result of an earthquake, not a collapse of the mine itself.
· In the process of making his argument for earthquake versus structural failure of the mine, Murray contradicted scientists from the University of Utah and the National Earthquake Information Center who have suggested that seismograph readings registered at the moment of the collapse are more consistent with the failure of a mine than an earthquake that caused a mine collapse.
· Murray attacked the former head of the U.S. Mine Safety Administration, Davitt McAteer and another former federal mine safety official, Tony Oppegard, calling them “lackeys for the United Mine Workers” union.
· And Murray criticized the news media, singling out and the morning news on the Fox network and Seth Borenstein, a reporter for the Associated Press, for quoting the likes of McAteer and Oppegard who raised questions about mining practices at the Crandall Canyon Mine.
(more…)
