Crisis Communications: Managing Reputations It can take a lifetime to build a reputation and just minutes to destroy one.  All PR professionals know this.  Most business owners do as well.  Sadly, too few are as prepared as they should be to deal with that crucial moment … the pending or actual business disruption that can jeopardize a reputation.  Communicating in a crisis is as important as it is sensitive.  What or what not to say, how to say it, when to say it, who should say it, and to whom, where and how often? Vehr Communications’ IPREX partners - PR experts from around the globe contributed to an international and informative book, Crisis Communication: Practical PR strategies for reputation management and company survival.  It was written for a wide management audience, including CEOs, general managers, marketers, HR specialists and PR practitioners. This book takes a comprehensive look at crisis communications with a ‘how-to’ approach and an international view on the subject.  It is set for release in the U.S. on December 8. A crisis can happen to any business at any time, and having an ‘in case of emergency’ plan is a smart decision.  Having the necessary plan in place to avert or address a crisis is essential to maintain an  organization’s reputation. IPREX is a global partnership of nearly 70 PR firms.  It exists to enable global expertise to be applied locally.  This soon-to-be-published book is an excellent resource and a great example of the benefit of shared experiences.  The professionals of Vehr Communications stand ready to be of assistance and can help create, implement and evaluate a crisis communications plan for your company. Our Insights on Crisis Communications Vehr Communications brings nearly 5 decades of experience to strategic communications. Get more familiar with crisis communications strategies and check out our Insights.  We're not trying to answer big questions. We are hoping to connect you to informed ideas and opinions so we can learn together. Vehr Communications Sponsors Global Branding Event Yesterday, Nick Vehr moderated a presentation titled, "Global Branding and Cultural Coding" with Dusseldorf IPREX partner, Ralf Weber, President of ME Brand Communication.  The event was hosted by the European-American Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by Vehr Communications.  It helped to answer key questions, such as "How do we perceive communications?" "How and when are signals and codes transferred into behavior and action?"  And, importantly, "how do signals and codes differ from culture to culture and how do they influence the success or failure of global brands?" Good Reads about Crisis Communications Crisis Communications: Practical PR Strategies for Reputation Management and Company Survival by Peter Anthonissen Crisis Communications: A Casebook Approach by Kat Fearn-Banks What Were They Thinking?: Crisis Communication -- the Good, the Bad, and the Totally Clueless by Steve Adubato PR News, PR Insights This edition of March Forth provides links (on left) to some excellent blog discussions concerning this important topic. As practitioners, we use communications to manage reputations, build relationships and deliver results.  The Internet is changing how we do it, but how we have always done it is just as important. We hope the connections we provide here, and the various additional news outlets and blogs we connect to on the Vehr Communications' Web site, help you to understand this rapidly changing industry as much as they help us.