Crisis Chronicles

The Crisis Chronicles examines reputation-defining moments — what went wrong, what went really wrong, and what leaders must learn for the next time. Featuring Brad Chase, a 20+ year crisis communications veteran.

Bad Messaging Brad Chase Bad Messaging Brad Chase

Bad Political Messaging: AFP Quotes Brad Chase

Now that Democratic Socialists are infiltrating the party, calling someone a “communist” is a leading line of attack for Republicans. The only problem is that the 80 year-old is no longer taking counsel with professionals. When Laura Loomer and her type of extremist, uncouth, soft-brained loyalist are calling the shots, there’s no real strategy on audience, channel and message.

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Hard Facts Brad Chase Hard Facts Brad Chase

Three Stats on Reputation

There are three stats about comms that the smartest CEOs know well:

  • 63 percent of a company's market value comes from its overall reputation (Source: Weber Shandwick)

  • Nearly 70 percent of leaders report facing a true crisis in the past five years (Source: PwC)

  • Only 1-in-3 have a crisis management plan in place (Source: PwC)

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Crisis Management 101 Brad Chase Crisis Management 101 Brad Chase

Never Ever Say “No Comment”

No comment. It’s one of the absolute worst possible responses you can give when faced with a question from a reporter. We’ve all seen it on TV when the lawyer walking outside the courtroom says “no comment” on behalf of their client. This amps up the dramatic stakes and tension for the viewer — but it’s never ever ever ever a good thing.

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News Breakdown Brad Chase News Breakdown Brad Chase

Four Paws Down for NBC News

NBC is an awesome and very reliable legacy news outlet — not as great as it used to be, but still a beacon of truth in this horrible age of misinformation. But this story gets four paws down for sensationalist garbage reporting.

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Case Study Moa Crucchiola Case Study Moa Crucchiola

Aligning Company Action with Core Values

Levi Strauss & Co.'s partnership with Lalaland.ai in March 2023 to use AI for creating diverse models sparked significant backlash and viral attention, critiquing the move as a step away from genuine diversity and inclusivity. This reaction from the internet and coverage by major news outlets highlighted the communications challenges and potential risks to LS&Co's reputation, sales and investments.

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On Journalism Brad Chase On Journalism Brad Chase

The Beat(s) Go On

It wasn’t long ago that I had to fight CEOs to open their mouth to talk about anything outside of OPEX, ARPU, profit margins, and M&A. Everyone talks about the need for thought leadership, but when push came to shove, the CEOs refused to say anything on the safest of topics.

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