Category Archives: Risk Communication

Global Boiling? Really? Words matter when you manage an issue

Posted on September 20, 2023 by managingoutcomes

Naming an issue is a crucial strategic decision. But how you define the issue must be credible. That was the problem when United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres boldly declared: “The era of global warming has ended; the era of global … Continue reading →

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How a big brand can be a reputational liability.

Posted on September 4, 2023 by managingoutcomes

Combine a high-profile brand and lazy journalism and the result can be disproportionate reputational damage to a global product. When WHO recently declared aspartame to be a possible human carcinogen, thousands of products which use the artificial sweetener were potentially … Continue reading →

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Can scare tactics succeed when you manage an issue?

Posted on August 15, 2023 by managingoutcomes

The issue strategy by the Pharmacy Guild of Australia to oppose making medicines cheaper may have been doomed from the start. And it tested whether a scare campaign can be effective. Starting in about two weeks, more than 300 medications … Continue reading →

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The Titan disaster: Whose job is it to tell the CEO they’re wrong?

Posted on July 4, 2023 by managingoutcomes

The tragic loss of the deep-sea submersible Titan is increasingly being presented as a crisis which didn’t have to happen. While investigations are already under way to determine the exact cause of the loss – with lawsuits likely to follow – the focus … Continue reading →

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How persistent bad numbers help drive major public issues

Posted on June 20, 2023 by managingoutcomes

Australia’s decision to ban all non-prescription vapes highlights how lobbyists and activists sometimes misuse data in an attempt to influence major public issues. While the government announced in May it will limit e-cigarettes to smokers who genuinely want to quit, the … Continue reading →

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Lessons in leadership and communication from a city flood crisis

Posted on May 2, 2023 by managingoutcomes

A damning report has been released into the response to devastating floods which struck Auckland in January. It exposes a shocking litany of failed leadership, faulty communication, and inadequate crisis preparedness in New Zealand’s largest city. The flood – caused … Continue reading →

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How an avoidable mistake derailed a crisis response

Posted on March 1, 2023 by managingoutcomes

When a 50-car freight train carrying toxic chemicals derailed and caught fire near the small town of East Palestine in rural Ohio in February, it was always going to be a corporate crisis and a state-wide disaster. It has now … Continue reading →

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Lessons from two baby size food recalls

Posted on January 18, 2023 by managingoutcomes

Food recalls have become so common they hardly create a ripple in the news cycle, and only rarely come close to creating anything like a reputational crisis. But two cases in December which broke through into public awareness – albeit … Continue reading →

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Disclosing big crisis numbers: Lessons from Optus and Medibank

Posted on November 15, 2022 by managingoutcomes

The contrast between how Optus and Medibank positioned their recent massive data breaches has exposed a fundamental challenge for crisis managers and communicators – how best to convey critical big numbers in a crisis. The initial advice to customers from … Continue reading →

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School tragedy shows issues can be just as contagious as Omicron

Posted on January 6, 2022 by managingoutcomes

When a wind gust lifted a jumping castle in the air in December and six children fell to their death, it triggered a chain-reaction of events. Other suppliers of such inflatable equipment to special events immediately shut down, and the … Continue reading →

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