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2013 Buyer's Guide To PR Products & Services Plus Crisis Comms.


O'Dwyer's January PR Buyer's Guide & Crisis Communications Magazine O'Dwyer's January PR Buyer's Guide & Crisis Communications Magazine

Jan. '13 PR Buyer's Guide & Crisis Communications Magazine (PDF)

Main Index of Issues

January would not be complete without our annual PR Products & Services Buyer’s Guide and special issue on crisis communications. We examine 2012’s biggest winners and losers as well as the top PR blunders of the past year.

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Firms Specializing in Crisis Communications
 

ABERNATHY MACGREGOR GROUP

501 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10022
212/371-5999
Fax: 212/593-1845
www.abmac.com

James Abernathy, Chairman & CEO

Chuck Burgess, Co-President

Tom Johnson, Co-President

Carina Davidson, Chief Operating Officer

The Abernathy MacGregor Group is a strategic communications firm that operates in six disciplines: crisis communications, corporate restructuring and bankruptcy, investor relations, transaction communications, IPOs and corporate and financial public relations.

The firm’s crisis communications practice assists clients when unplanned circumstances threaten public perception of their organizations and businesses. We offer support to clients in all phases of crisis planning and response by advocating a crisis preparedness discipline that involves identifying areas of vulnerability, establishing procedures, training spokespeople and agreeing to broad principles of crisis conduct.

The firm’s bankruptcy and restructuring practice — which includes restructurings both within and outside of Chapter 11 protection — has advised on some of the largest and most complex restructurings in corporate history. Working with management and external legal and financial advisors, we develop and implement effective communications programs that help stabilize companies during uncertain times. Properly executed, these plans can help maximize the window of time within which management and its advisors can successfully address the issues fundamental to sustained recovery.


ALLISON + PARTNERS

505 Sansome St. 7th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94111
415/217-7500
matthewdc@allisonpr.com

Matthew Della Croce, Managing Director, Corporate Communications

In a 24/7 news cycle in which rumor and online chatter can rapidly become ‘fact’, smart companies prepare for a crisis long before one arises. The Allison+Partners team of skilled senior counselors knows how to engage with consumers, government and NGO officials, employees and communities to anticipate, identify and meet their needs in crisis situations. Our approach reaches vital audiences rapidly, and leverages our skill at using the Internet, social networks and other emerging media to establish a dialogue with customers, partners, suppliers and vendors.

Allison+Partners manages corporate reputation and crisis issues for some of the leading companies in the world.


APCO WORLDWIDE

Worldwide Headquarters
700 12th Street, N.W., Suite 800
Washington, D.C. 20005
www.apcoworldwide.com

APCO Worldwide’s team of crisis and litigation communication professionals come from diverse backgrounds including industry, journalism, law and media. By bringing together best-in-class strategists and forming a global, around-the-clock team committed to client service, APCO helps clients successfully navigate crises and preserve their reputations. Our litigation crisis experts have supported clients involved in some of the most high profile litigation of our times; including currently the MF Global Inc. Liquidation Trustee (the eighth largest bankruptcy in U.S. history).

APCO has also developed a series of proprietary analytical tools and crisis management products, including the APCO Pro Model, to ensure that decision makers have both an understanding of the most critical risks and opportunities in any given situation and the tools required to achieve the best possible outcome.

In addition to our crisis communication expertise, APCO offers clients a full range of communication, stakeholder engagement and business strategy services.


ATOMIC PUBLIC RELATIONS

735 Market Street, 4th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94013
415/593-1400
info@atomicpr.com
www.atomicpr.com

Andy Getsey, Co-Founder & CEO

James Hannon, Co-Founder & CIO

Atomic mixes top flight PR and media relations with social media, events, guerilla programs, video and search engine optimization, enhanced with the sophisticated use of custom communications analytics for strategy building, creative planning and detailed program results measurement. Many Atomic clients achieve increases of 100% or more across numerous measures of PR program impact compared to pre-Atomic baselines, often on lower budgets than before. Atomic PR has powered numerous breakthrough campaigns for progressive consumer, technology and entertainment brands from exciting start-ups like Mint.com, LivingSocial, DropBox, Fusion.io and Smule, to larger brands and leading publicly traded companies including IMAX, SONY, Verizon, Intuit, LinkedIn, Polaroid and Pioneer.

Atomic has offices in San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, London and Munich. Atomic is part of Grayling, a leading global agency with 73 offices in 40 countries across the world. More information: www.atomicpr.com. Follow Atomic on Twitter at www.twitter.com/AtomicPR and like us on Facebook at /AtomicPR.


BRUNSWICK GROUP

140 East 45th Street, 30th Floor
New York, NY 10017
212/333-3810
www.brunswickgroup.com

The Brunswick Group is a corporate relations and communications consultancy. We provide informed advice at a senior level to businesses and other organizations around the world, helping them to address critical communications challenges, including high profile issues, crisis and litigation situations. With specialists in key financial and regulatory centers in the U.S., Europe and Asia, we offer seamless, international support for interacting with global media, investors and regulatory authorities. Brunswick provides strategic communications counsel focused on protecting our clients’ valuation, reputation and ability to achieve their goals.


CONE COMMUNICATIONS

855 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02116
617/227-2111
www.ConeComm.com
Twitter: @Cone
Facebook.com/ConeComm

220 East 42nd Street
Suite 800A
New York, NY 10017
212/894-8320

Cone Communications is a public relations and marketing agency known for igniting brands with high-impact strategies and programs based in deep insights, unique subject matter expertise and innovation. With a particular expertise in crisis prevention and management — the agency helps clients mitigate issues and prepare for crises. In today’s online world where information spreads rapidly, and impacts multiply and accelerate, we are available 24/7 to our clients.

Our deep history in issue and crisis management demonstrates that the most effective crisis management comes through preparedness. Cone offers a variety of critical crisis preparedness services, including risk assessments and scenario planning; issue monitoring, analysis and response support for traditional, online and social media; development of crisis communication plans; desktop crisis drills; spokesperson training; and Internet-based crisis counsel and tools. We have dealt with diverse issues ranging from product recalls to food safety, to labor and employee concerns to environmental and supply chain risks.


COYNE PUBLIC RELATIONS

5 Wood Hollow Road
Parsippany, NJ 07054
973/588-2000
www.coynepr.com

1065 Avenue of the Americas
28th Floor
New York, NY 10018
212/938-0166

Thomas F. Coyne, CEO

Rich Lukis, President

John Gogarty, Executive Vice President

Coyne Public Relations has established itself as one of the leading independent full-service public relations firms in the country representing an impressive collection of international corporations, top national brands, high-profile events and first-class organizations. No agency possesses a better combination of unbridled creativity, limitless enthusiasm, strategic approach, impeccable integrity and client service than our nationally recognized firm.

Coyne PR’s teams of PR professionals have extensive experience developing, executing and supporting crisis communication plans for clients in the following categories: Health, Restaurant, Toy & Juvenile, Travel, Entertainment, Executive leadership, Food & Nutrition, Electronics and Energy.


THE DILENSCHNEIDER GROUP

MetLife Building
200 Park Avenue, 26th Floor
New York, NY 10166
212/922-0900
Fax: 212/922-0971
jma@dgi-nyc.com
www.thedilenschneidergroup.com

Robert L. Dilenschneider, President and CEO

The Dilenschneider Group, headquartered in New York and Chicago, provides personal service to a limited and select number of clients. The Group has proven links in all major world capitals and in all major U.S. cities.

The firm brings to clients a level of communications counsel and creativity and an exposure to contacts, networks and relationships that are not available elsewhere.
The Dilenschneider Group provides access for clients to the finest communications professionals in the world, with experience in fields ranging from crisis communications to mergers and acquisitions and marketing, government affairs and international media.

Since its founding, the firm has provided timely and thoughtful research on the important issues of the day. Send for a copy of our biannual Trend Report.


DIX & EATON

200 Public Square, Suite 1400
Cleveland, OH 44114
216/241-0405
www.dix-eaton.com

Scott Chaikin, Chairman & CEO
Matt Barkett, Managing Director

The members of Dix & Eaton’s crisis team have successfully developed and executed communications strategies designed to help management teams protect their organization’s reputation and effectively navigate unprecedented corporate events — from fatal mining accidents to airline crashes and class-action litigation.

Our counsel leverages a wide range of industry best practices, and we have exposure to a full spectrum of industry issues and protocols that we consider when delivering senior crisis counsel or creating customized crisis training programs. Plus, our team is backed by seasoned practitioners in investor relations, media relations, employee communications, public affairs and more to bring to bear as situations require.

Selected services include policy/procedure audits, executive training, manual development, preparedness planning and drills, as well as strategies for dealing with community/interest group activism, labor issues, data or ID theft, litigation, environmental issues, product liability matters, intense media scrutiny, reputation management, government / regulatory hearings and investigations and workplace incidents.


Kevin Donahue

Falls Comms. Reputation Management Group Managing Director Kevin Donahue.

FALLS COMMUNICATIONS

Terminal Tower
50 Public Square
Cleveland, OH 44113
216/696-0229
1-855-4-FALLS-24
rfalls@fallscommunications.com
kdonahue@fallscommunications.com

Rob Falls, President & CEO

Kevin J. Donahue, Managing Director, Reputation Management Group

Falls Communications recognizes that, in the digital age, threats to an organization’s hard-earned reputation can come from anywhere and quickly cause damage to its relationships and business that can take years to rebuild. Our Reputation Management Group combines both business and strategic communications expertise to provide clients invaluable insights for navigating the ever-changing waters of managing their reputations and growing their businesses. In today’s environment, that means providing robust real-time online and social media monitoring and strategies as key components of effective Reputation Management programs. Our Digital Team uses sophisticated tools to monitor brand and potential client issues online.

The Firm not only guides an organization through a bet-everything crisis, but also helps identify issues early and effectively manage them before they inflict long-term damage on relationships and the business. When the unavoidable issue or event occurs, organizations can access the Firm’s award-winning, real-time response capability through our 24/7 Crisis & Issues Hotline at 1-855-4-FALLS-24.

The Reputation Management Team includes seasoned executives who collectively represent more than two centuries of crisis and business management experience. We work with many Fortune 500 companies, law firms and other professional service firms, major health care organizations, large non-profit associations, public entities and more. We assist clients facing major corporate events, including restructuring, facility closings, union organizing and other difficult labor issues, high-profile litigation, product recalls, transactions, legislative advocacy, public affairs, executive transition and more.

Our highly experienced and seasoned team is backed by our decades-long global partnership with Public Relations Organisation International (PROI), the world’s oldest and largest independent communications network. Working with partners who we know and trust, we provide local crisis and issues management support around the globe.


FINEMAN PR

330 Townsend St., Ste. 119
San Francisco, CA 94107
415/392-1000
Fax: 415/392-1099
www.finemanpr.com

Michael Fineman, President

Lorna Bush, Vice President

Heidi White, Vice President

Juan Lezama, Director Mosaico PR (Multicultural Division)

Founded in 1988, San Francisco-based Fineman PR is nationally renowned for its expertise and high profile work in crisis communications.

Fineman PR corrected the public’s perception about Avian Influenza for a West Coast poultry producer; managed consequences from the Santa Barbara “Tea Fire” for a college beset by the firestorm; initiated client community relations after a tragic apartment complex explosion in Truckee, Calif.; provided communications and the resolution ending violent protests against a Berkeley, Calif., radio station; put a juice company on firm public footing immediately after an E.coli crisis; set the record straight after media slander of packaged salads; developed the messaging and positioning of a California university after the bombing of its researcher’s home by an animal rights terror group; helped resolve labor relations for a highly prestigious medical group in Southern California; and for so many others in which client names were kept out of the news.

This past year, our work included counsel to law schools in class action litigation; for a luxury resort confronting a general contractor over faulty construction practices; nationwide product recalls; activist protests on campus; and high profile litigation for a winery.


FINN PARTNERS

1667 K Street NW, Suite 950
Washington, D.C. 16006
202/974-5045
jessica@finnpartners.com
www.finnpartners.com

1875 Century Park East, Suite 200
Los Angeles, CA 90067
310/552-4142
shelly@finnpartners.com

Jessica Berk Ross, Senior Partner

Shelly Holmes, Senior Partner

The evolving communications landscape continues to present new challenges in crisis management. At Finn Partners our approach to crisis management involves strategic assessment and effective response, as well as a risk management model. Finn Partners takes a holistic approach to crisis communications-considering all audiences and stakeholders-from employees, to customers, to media, to regulators, influencers and the public. Our objectives are always to ensure that we defend and preserve reputation, restore trust and mitigate concerns about the future, whether a crisis is local, national or international in scope.

We help our clients to assess potential threats, prepare for crisis response and manage an array of complex situations. This dramatically improves the process for dealing with threats after they have occurred, allows for faster assessment and response to the situation, and can shorten the timeline of the arc from crisis point to the period of recovery so brand and daily operations can either maintain momentum — or renew/recalibrate faster.


GOURVITZ COMMUNICATIONS

875 Sixth Avenue, Suite 1708
New York, NY 10001
212/730-4807 Ext.11
Fax: 212/730-4811
paul@gourvitzcommunications.com
www.gourvitzcommunications.com

Paul Gourvitz, President

In 2012, Gourvitz introduced Virtual Press Conferences. Editors no longer need to attend your event. Speakers can conduct press conferences directly over the web. Editors can watch the presentation and ask questions. It’s a great new way to get your message out.

In 2012, we produced over 70 Satellite Media Tours (SMT) with amazing talent including: Sofia Vergara, Eva Longoria, and Doug Flutie. Our SMTs include TV, Radio and Internet bookings.

Interactive Media Tours (IMT) continue to impress our clients. We only book big sites like People.com and AP. We have produced 100’s of IMTs with celebs like Amy Smart, Hope Solo, Dale Earnhardt, and Mario Batali.

Co-Op Satellite Media Tours are a great source of video content for TV stations. The key is quality talent and beautiful set design. Our Co-Op talent includes toy expert Elizabeth Werner, “The Savvy Traveler” Rudy Maxa, “The Gizmo Girl” and Jamie Sorcher.


HENNES PAYNTER COMMUNICATIONS

50 Public Square
Cleveland, OH 44113
216/321-7774
hennes@crisiscommunications.com
www.crisiscommunications.com

Bruce Hennes, Managing Partner

Barbara Paynter, APR, Partner

Nora Jacobs, APR, Vice President

Howard Fencl, APR, Vice President

Hennes Paynter Communications is one of the few agencies in the U.S. focused exclusively on crisis communications. Since 1989, the firm has served corporations, educational and health institutions, government agencies and nonprofits “on trial” in the Court of Public Opinion. Services include media training, crisis communication plans, crisis drills and litigation communications.

Bruce Hennes is one of Ohio’s best-known crisis specialists and media trainers. He is an in-demand speaker at law firms, universities, bar and trade associations on the subject of crisis communications. He also frequently trains government, safety and education officials to communicate effectively during extreme crisis situations that threaten public safety.

Barbara Paynter has 20+ years experience helping big-name clients resolve crisis and reputational issues. She heads up the firm’s SWAT Team of battle-tested, seasoned and senior professionals.

Nora Jacobs, a three-time Silver Anvil winner, has decades of experience with consumer and industrial products, healthcare, biotechnology, education, chemicals and plastics. Howard Fencl also has decades of crisis communications and media training experience, with large firm experience plus five years as assistant news director for WKYC-TV, Cleveland’s NBC affiliate.

For three straight years, Hennes Paynter has won the Gold Award from the Public Relations Society of America — Greater Cleveland Chapter for its crisis work and in 2009, Hennes Paynter won PRSA’s coveted “Best of Show” award for its work with another agency on the national peanut butter recall. In 2012, the firm won the Gold Award for its Crisis Comm & Media Relations E-Newsletter.


ICR

761 Main Avenue
Norwalk, CT 06851
Fax: 203/682-8201
www.icrinc.com

Thomas M. Ryan, CEO, Co-Founder

Don Duffy, President

ICR combines in-depth sector knowledge with high-level capital markets, media, and corporate communications experience to help companies communicate with their core audiences. ICR brings deep experience to helping companies assess risks, plan and prepare for all contingencies and, where necessary, manage those crises. Our approach focuses on crisis planning, crisis simulation, and crisis management and support. We assist clients with crisis planning by conducting comprehensive vulnerability assessments to determine potential scenarios and develop contingency plans with complete communications materials for each potentiality. We also help companies establish crisis teams and develop internal processes and protocols. We also work with clients by creating realistic scenarios and responding in turn, to identify the strengths and weaknesses in the internal systems to ensure they are sound when the real crises occur. Our crisis management teams work hand-in-hand with senior management, helping define, develop and deliver the communications that will meet the needs of all key stakeholders. Our competitive strength lies in our professional expertise, integrated approach and commitment to senior-level client service.


Erika Hayes James

Institute for Crisis Management
President Erika Hayes James,
PhD.

THE INSTITUTE FOR CRISIS MANAGEMENT

455 S. Fourth St., Suite 1490
Louisville, KY 40202
502/587-0327
www.crisisconsultant.com
www.ImpactMovie.com/icm

Erika Hayes James, PhD, President

The Institute for Crisis Management is a specialty communications consulting practice helping organizations identify potential business crises and resolve the issue(s) before it becomes public, or when that is not possible, to prepare the organization to minimize the damage through a carefully crafted internal and external communication program.

Public relations cannot “fix” a broken organization. But management that develops an appropriate and effective operational response can make a significant impact on the organization’s recovery by also implementing an appropriate and effective internal and external communication strategy.

ICM has been helping corporate, government and not-for-profit clients for more than 20 years. Our staff of Senior Consultants include specialists in PR/litigation, education, manufacturing, community affairs, public relations, healthcare, religion and not-for-profit organizations, as well as media/ spokesperson training and coaching.


JOELE FRANK, WILKINSON BRIMMER KATCHER

622 Third Avenue, 36th Floor
New York, NY 10017
212/355-4449
www.joelefrank.com
info@joelefrank.com

Joele Frank, Managing Partner

When an unexpected, out-of-the-ordinary event threatens a company’s operations or reputation, a fast and intensive response is essential to prevent or mitigate serious damage. We have extensive experience in delivering unique solutions for unique situations, including earnings surprises; short attacks; accounting irregularities; regulatory actions and government investigations; management changes; facility closures and workforce reductions; labor disputes; facility disasters and workplace violence; data security breaches; consumer boycotts, and product recalls.

We are immediately available to our clients during all phases of crisis planning and response. And when a client is in the spotlight, we help determine how best to control the dialogue, take the initiative, fix what’s broken and gather support. We give our clients the training and tools necessary to hit the ground running when a crisis strikes.


KEKST AND COMPANY

437 Madison Avenue, 37th Floor
New York, NY 10022
www.kekst.com
212/521-4800

Gershon Kekst, Founder & Chairman Emeritus

Lawrence Rand, Executive Chairman

James Fingeroth, President and Chief Executive Officer

Founded in 1970, Kekst and Company is one of the world’s leading strategic communications advisors. Headquartered in New York City with an office in San Francisco, Kekst has approximately 60 employees.

The firm has long been the ‘go to’ advisor to senior managements and boards of directors of publicly-traded companies and private institutions on their most serious communications issues. This has resulted in a strategic communications consultancy whose clients benefit from the individual and cumulative experience of its professionals.

Over the years, the firm has gained experience in virtually every facet of corporate communications and investor relations. Today, Kekst is a leader in advising on: corporate positioning, crisis communications, mergers & acquisitions, bankruptcies and restructurings, litigation support, media relations, and corporate governance, among other areas of specialty.

The firm has been awarded Strategic Agency of the Year and Financial Agency of the Year multiple times and is proud to have been named Financial Agency of the Decade. In the U.S., Kekst and Company is ranked #1 by Mergermarkets, in terms of advising on the most transactions. The firm’s global client list is strictly private.


KELLEN COMMUNICATIONS

355 Lexington Avenue, 15th Floor
New York, NY 10017
212/297-2100
www.kellencommmunications.com

750 National Press Building
529 14th Street N.W.
Washington, DC 20045
202/591-2439

1100 Johnson Ferry Rd. Suite 300
Atlanta, GA 30342
404/836-5050

Joan Cear, Vice President

Francie Israeli, Vice President

Debra Berliner, Vice President

Crisis communications and issues management are core strengths of Kellen Communications, a public relations, public affairs and digital media agency. We skillfully guide clients through critical issues, from high profile crises that threaten a company or even an entire industry to implementing compelling public affairs campaigns to influence policy makers.

Kellen’s strategic approach uses the full range of digital, social and traditional media tactics to communicate with stakeholders, “truth squad” messaging and manage reputation. Our clients include consumer products, corporate entities, not-for-profit organizations, coalitions and trade associations.

We work closely with journalists, bloggers, industry influencers, academia and regulatory agencies. In addition to professionals in communications, government relations, public affairs and digital media, our staff includes regulatory code specialists; Ph.Ds in engineering, microbiology, toxicology, and biological/biomedical science; nutritionists, registered dietitians and food technologists/scientists.

Founded in 1945 as Sumner Rider & Associates, Kellen Communications is a division of Kellen Company, an employee-owned company with offices in New York, Washington D.C., Chicago, Atlanta, Brussels and Beijing.


L.C. WILLIAMS & ASSOCIATES

150 N. Michigan Ave., Ste. 3800
Chicago, IL 60601
312/565-3900
Fax: 312/565-1770
info@lcwa.com
www.lcwa.com

Kim Blazek Dahlborn, President and CEO

Gary Goodfriend, Executive Vice President

Crisis communications requires speed, sensitivity and strategy.

L.C. Williams & Associates (LCWA) has successfully guided clients — from Fortune 500 companies to non-profit organizations — through some of their worst-case scenarios, including product recalls, lawsuits, Chapter 11 bankruptcies, government regulations, restructuring and reorganization initiatives, employee and labor relations challenges, workplace accidents, natural disasters, environmental crises and more.

A new area of concern for companies is how and when to respond to extremely negative chatter and vitriol expressed by bloggers and those on social media networks. LCWA counsels clients on how to best minimize the impact of such online criticism.

Our trained crisis communications professionals are available 24/7 to help prepare executives and manage communications to targeted audiences and media. We train appropriate spokespeople to handle a variety of crisis situations. We also work with clients to anticipate potential crises — a practice we call “prefense” planning — and prepare them for media interviews.


LUCKIE STRATEGIC PR

600 Luckie Drive, Suite 150
Birmingham, AL 35223
205/877-9870
brian.pia@luckie.com
www.luckie.com

Brian Pia, SVP & Director

Luckie PR is the No. 1 ranked ad agency–owned PR operation in the United States, according to odwyerpr.com. The firm creates brand marketing, brand alliance and brand protection programs for national consumer brands with exceptional results in the fast-paced digital age. In 2012, we created a crisis management plan for a national urgent care provider.

Luckie PR team members have also helped national companies through several major crises by minimizing damage or turning bad situations into positive ones:
Spearheaded crisis communications for a popular dietary supplement during its settlement of a class action lawsuit and FTC ruling over older advertising and labeling.
Helped a fire hydrant manufacturer through a national recall.

Helped a national manufacturer through an employee and retiree protest that resulted from changes in health care benefits.

Helped a national restaurant chain through a health scare.


MARX LAYNE & COMPANY

31420 Northwestern Hwy., #100
Farmington Hills, MI 48334
248/855-6777 Ext. 105
mlayne@marxlayne.com
www.marxlayne.com

Michael Layne, Managing Partner

Marx Layne professionals have years of experience handling crisis communications issues. We are frequently retained by leading national law firms to help them guide their clients through the media frenzy that often erupts during a company’s most trying times.

Critical issues from industrial accidents, death on the premises, food-borne illness and environmental pollution, to boycotts, strikes and corporate fraud have all been expertly handled by our senior executives.

During crisis events, Marx Layne crisis counselors are on-call 24/7/365. Our team members are experienced in working with legal advisors, police departments and municipalities while keeping company executives apprised at all times of the crisis situation as it unfolds.

We also train company spokespersons in the development of key speaking points and delivery of messaging. Using the latest media technology, our executives tap into the power of social media to monitor sentiment and provide direction on how to protect and manage the client’s brand. Additionally, we understand how to leverage social media tools as part of an arsenal to respond rapidly, whether the crisis occurs in Detroit or in any other region of the nation.

From privately held entities to Fortune 500 companies, Marx Layne has a twenty-year history of successfully developing proactive, comprehensive crisis communications plans that are in place before, during and after a crisis.


MCS HEALTHCARE PUBLIC RELATIONS

1420 State Hwy. 206, Suite 100
Bedminster, NJ 07921
908/234-9900
www.mcspr.com

Joe Boyd, CEO

Jeff Hoyak, President

Todd Forte, Executive Vice President

Brian Thompson, Senior Vice President

For more than 25 years, MCS Healthcare Public Relations has prepared our healthcare industry clients to effectively communicate during a crisis. Now with the emergence of social media, events can go global in seconds as amateur reporters begin to shape the story. The timely dissemination of critical information is more vital than ever to securing the trust and confidence of regulatory authorities and all other stakeholders who can influence the future of your product and your company.

MCS has developed corporate and product crisis communication plans to support large pharmaceutical companies, biotechs and other healthcare organizations in managing a range of issues, including product recalls, manufacturing and labor issues, lawsuits, trial data controversies, management changes and corporate restructuring.
Our experts can help ensure that your company follows the new 3 Rs of crisis communication: Rapid Response Required.

For more information go to www.mcspr.com.


MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGIES

1020 19th Street, NW, Suite 200
Washington, D.C. 20036
202/449-9801
Cell: 301/793-1480
ssobel@macstrategies.com
www.macstrategies.com

Scott Sobel, President

Media & Communications Strategies counsel takes into consideration the client’s business and reputation during and after a crisis — we are holistic in our approach and provide Critical Relations™ that gets compelling results for clients. We tell the best and most persuasive story for clients in the B2B to legal markets, and many more. Preparing clients through our media and communications training is crucial.

We are a founding member of the Public Relations Boutiques International (prboutiques.com) network, for constant and far-reaching support in the U.S. and internationally. High profile crisis communications is one niche talent, reputation management is our core expertise and client satisfaction is the predictable outcome.
Some client comments about MAC Strategies: “They reversed negative press and reshaped image” — “Handled most sensitive legal issues before Congress and other governmental bodies” — “I’d like to tell you about my friends at MAC Strategies.”


MORGAN & MYERS

N16 W23233 Stone Ridge Dr., #200
Waukesha, WI 53188
262/650-7260
Fax: 262/650-7261
toliver@morganmyers.com
www.morganmyers.com

1005 Stratford Ave.
Waterloo, IA 50701
319/233-0502
Fax: 319/233-8077
jwhipps@morganmyers.com

Tim Oliver, President

Linda Wenck, Dir. of Corp. Affairs & Social Responsibility

Max Wenck, Dir. of Agriculture & Pasture-to-Plate Practices

Janine Whipps, Director, Iowa Operations

Morgan&Myers specializes in farm-to-food communications, building brands, relationships and reputations for clients all along the food chain. With an eye on today’s consumers and tomorrow’s trends, we translate technical, complex concepts into simple soundbites that resonate. Our unique 360-degree perspective uncovers insights that inspire ideas. Offerings include strategic communications counsel, planning and executing public relations, new media, social media and digital services, advertising, research and integrated marketing communications. Expect fresh ideas and engaging customer experiences that will move your brands forward.

Client list: American Farm Bureau Federation, American Farm Bureau Inc., Case IH, CNH Global, CNH Parts & Service, Foremost Farms USA, General Mills, Illinois Agriculture Coalition, Illinois Corn Growers Assn., Illinois Pork Producers Assn., Illinois Soybean Assn., Kraft Foods, McDonald’s, Midwest Dairy Assn., National Milk Producers Federation, Oscar Mayer, Pfizer Animal Health, Philip Morris International, Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin, Progressive Agriculture Foundation, Rural Health Initiative and Silver Spring Foods.


MWW

One Meadowlands Plaza
East Rutherford, NJ 07073
201/507-9500
Fax: 201/507-0092
www.mww.com

Michael Kempner, President and Chief Executive Officer

Carreen Winters, Executive Vice President, Corporate Communications

Richard Tauberman, Executive Vice President

When trouble hits, in just hours, or even minutes, reputations can be made or broken. During this critical time, a company can protect or even enhance its standing with its customers and stakeholders, or sustain damage that is widespread and long-lasting. Counselors at MWW possess an exceptional range and depth of crisis communications expertise across industries. We help clients with vulnerability assessments, crisis plan development/updating, crisis simulation training, communications counsel and on-site support for clients in the midst of incidents, to managing the aftermath of crises and the restoration of trust and reputations. We approach all crisis engagements with a blend of traditional reputation management best practices, total stakeholder engagement and digital media savvy. Using MWW’s proprietary Crisis Action Protocol, we thoroughly and meticulously prepare for any potential crisis, regardless of the magnitude. Our planning carefully considers the impact on all audiences including customers, employees, vendors, shareholders, government officials, NGO’s, community leaders and media / social media. Consequently, when a crisis hits, we can react immediately with a multi-channel and multi-discipline approach that addresses the diverse needs of each of these critical constituencies.


NICOLAZZO & ASSOCIATES

101 Federal Street, Suite 710
Boston, MA 02110
617/951-0000
Fax: 617-439-9980
rnicolazzo@nicolazzo.com
www.nicolazzo.com

Richard E. Nicolazzo, Managing Partner

Joe M. Grillo, Partner

Richard Adler, Kathleen Buckley, Lisa-Marie Cashman, Elizabeth Hailer, Robert Hughes, Ruth Maron, Craig Orsi, Victor Emmanuel, Consultants

Nicolazzo & Associates is a nationally-known, award-winning strategic communications management firm that provides high-level professional counsel and services to a diverse, national, and international client base. A boutique organization founded more than three decades ago by Richard E. Nicolazzo, the firm practices a proprietary counseling model designed to leverage an organization’s core strengths to enhance brand and enterprise value. Services include crisis communications management, strategic planning and communications, investor relations, media relations and training, management consulting, merger and acquisitions communications, corporate restructurings, issues management, litigation support, labor/employee relations, community relations, market research, executive speechwriting, and branding.


Peter Hirsch

Peter Hirsch, Executive Vice
President and Director of Reputation Risk at Ogilvy.

OGILVY PUBLIC RELATIONS

636 11th Avenue
New York, NY 10036
212/880-5280
rachel.ufer@ogilvy.com
www.ogilvypr.com

Rachel Ufer, Senior Vice President, Business Development & External Relations

Ogilvy Public Relations is an integrated communications leader operating more than 85 offices across six continents. Over the past 30 years, branding — along with building and protecting reputations and our dedication to client service — has been at the heart of everything we do. We blend proven PR methodologies with cutting edge digital innovations to craft strategic programs that give clients winning and measurable results, whether in marketing, public education, issues management or crisis communications. We provide strategic public relations counsel to a variety of clients across seven core practices: social marketing, public affairs, healthcare, consumer marketing, corporate, technology and our new behavior change practice, OgilvyEngage. Ogilvy & Mather also launched Social@Ogilvy, a worldwide practice connecting all of the agency’s social media experts to deliver solutions across all areas of business, from marketing to communications, CRM, sales enablement, shopper marketing and more. This depth and breadth of experience has meant that we continue to be trusted partners to global clients, including IBM, Ford, National Institutes of Health and DuPont.


PADILLA SPEER BEARDSLEY

1101 West River Pkwy., #400
Minneapolis, MN 55415
612/455-1700
www.padillaspeer.com

Bob McNaney, VP

Matt Kucharski, EVP

Padilla Speer Beardsley — an employee-owned integrated communications firm — has a dedicated team of highly experienced crisis and critical issues experts. Our first piece of advice: Start managing your risk today. We can help you build a comprehensive crisis preparedness plan.

We also handle the unexpected. And we do it 24/7 through our PR Crisis Line at 1-877-PR-ER-911.

Padilla’s team also offers a Social Media Crisis Simulator, designed to test-drive your team’s crisis response plan through a secure, customized and authentic-feeling social media crisis simulation tool.

While we keep our crisis client list confidential, our experience includes product recalls, sexual abuse allegations, attorneys general investigations, former-employee lawsuits, worker injury or death, insider trading and securities fraud, sexual harassment and discrimination complaints, high-profile medical malpractice lawsuits and e-coli contamination.


PORTER NOVELLI

7 World Trade Center
250 Greenwich Street, 36th Floor
New York, NY 10007
212/601-8000
Fax: 212/601-8101
www.porternovelli.com

Karen van Bergen, CEO

The world is an unpredictable place, but hard-won reputation need not be the first casualty of fortune. With proper preparation and expert guidance, your good name can be protected and even enhanced in times of crisis.

At Porter Novelli, we think the best way to manage a crisis is to prevent it from ever happening in the first place. Our crisis planning and response teams bring deep knowledge and best-practices insight across every sector. We develop comprehensive, custom-tailored issues and crisis management programs that use the optimal mix of communications tools and techniques to get people to change their attitudes and beliefs about your brand in a crisis.

We are also highly skilled in helping clients manage crises and competitive threats in the era of social media. Our Real-time Reputation Specialty within our crisis communications practice is an end-to-end offering that includes everything from preemptive communications to programs that restore corporate reputation after an incident. We work with senior corporate communicators to plan for adverse events and move rapidly — within minutes — to manage these events both on-line and off, employing both conventional and digital means to mitigate possible damage to corporate reputation. We use our proprietary Porter Novelli Radar service — a made-for-speed hub that tracks broadcast coverage and social and online conversations as they happen — to facilitate issues tracking, strategic counsel and reputation management in real time.

Our experience includes global product recalls and safety issues; environmental disasters; data security breaches; workplace accidents; government investigations; litigation; and unanticipated executive transitions. Whatever the situation, our response teams are with you 24/7, every step of the way.


PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS INC.

One East Wacker Drive, Ste. 2450
Chicago, IL 60601
312/558-1770
Fax: 312/558-5425
www.pcipr.com

Dorothy Oliver Pirovano, CEO
Jill Allread, President

Protesters are attracting media crews outside your gates, your board chair has been accused of sexual harassment, a new study trashes your miracle drug. Each situation could be your organization’s undoing.

For all of our 51 years, PCI has been helping clients manage crises. The core principles remain the same. Assess the situation. Communicate clearly and honestly. And do it quickly. Those first few hours can make the difference between a crisis that is contained and soon forgotten, and one that becomes part of your media boilerplate. We continuously adapt these tried and true principles to a world in which good news and bad, fact and rumor, travel at lightning speed, disseminated by anyone with a laptop, cell phone, blog or Twitter account.

We are always on call to counsel clients in crisis. And, when it’s calm, we help our clients avoid, anticipate and prepare, so that if a crisis does strike, it becomes the type that is soon forgotten.


REVIVEHEALTH

209 10th Avenue South, Suite 404
Nashville, TN 37203
615/742-7242
www.thinkrevivehealth.com
learnmore@thinkrevivehealth.com

915 Saint Vincent Avenue
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
805/617-2832
Fax: 805/617-2850

The ReviveHealth team.

Brandon Edwards, Founder & Chief Operating Officer

Joanne Thornton, Founder & Chief Accounts Officer

Kriste Goad, Chief Marketing Officer

Robert Berra, Chief Strategy Officer

Phil Stone, Chief Operating Officer

Issues can become crises in the blink of an eye. When health care organizations face an issue or a full-blown crisis, there's no time for your agency to have a learning curve. The complex health care legal and regulatory landscape, combined with a labyrinth of business relationships not found in any other industry, demands deep industry expertise and issues management experience. ReviveHealth has unparalleled crisis experience serving health services companies, hospitals and health systems, physician organizations, specialty providers, and health technology companies. We get it.

ReviveHealth is the 11th largest health care PR firm in the U.S., and has been recognized by the industry for workplace culture, growth and overall reputation — New Agency of the Year in 2009, Best Agency to Work For 2009-2012, and Fastest Growing Agency in America for 2010. Beyond the legion of crisis situations the firm has managed across industries, ReviveHealth provides litigation support and issues management expertise for small companies and large organizations alike. The firm has developed a special expertise in managing "life events" for specialty providers and health systems dealing with union organizing and strikes, mergers & acquisitions, and payor/provider contract issues. With a specialized focus and expertise, ReviveHealth tackles the convergence of health care and wellness by working with clients who provide solutions to the issues that face providers, employers, and consumers.


RUDER FINN INC.

301 East 57th Street
New York, NY 10022
212/593-6400
www.ruderfinn.com

Kathy Bloomgarden, CEO

Louise Harris, Chief Global Strategist

Rachel Spielman, Global Head of Corporate Communications

Ruder Finn, a leading independent global communications agency, has vast experience navigating high-profile public crises for some of the world’s biggest institutions and organizations. Our dedicated team of experts have been rapidly deployed on a global basis to manage crises and issues in the areas of litigation, regulatory, service and quality, employee safety, executive pay scrutiny, privacy, product recalls, public health, restructuring and change management.

Ruder Finn’s expertise lies in helping clients anticipate, prepare for and respond to crises and shape stakeholders’ opinions at critical times. The agency takes a systematic and comprehensive approach to planning and managing crises including risk mapping, influencer and community engagement, global media relations, public policy, materials development, advocacy engagement, and internal communications tactics. The crisis and issues team also works closely with Ruder Finn’s award-winning digital practice, RFI Studios, to design and deploy innovative online and social media communications strategies and tools to monitor and respond to online conversations, and to keep ahead of the rapid spread of information to protect reputation.


SARD VERBINNEN & CO.

630 Third Avenue, 9th Floor
New York, NY 10017
212/687-8080
www.sardverb.com

George Sard, Chairman & CEO

Paul Verbinnen, President

Sard Verbinnen & Co is a leading strategic corporate and financial communications firm with offices in New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles. We provide communications counsel and services to clients including multinational corporations, smaller public and private companies, investment firms, financial and professional service firms, and high-profile individuals.

The firm’s highly experienced senior professionals provide sound, objective advice and execution support to clients across a broad spectrum of industries. Our work encompasses corporate positioning, media relations and investor relations, transaction communications, litigation support, crisis communications, and other special situations.

We are regularly cited as one of the top M&A and crisis communications advisors in North America.

Founded in 1992, our firm is recognized for delivering candid and thoughtful strategic advice, excellent written product and tactical execution, and tireless advocacy on behalf of our clients.

Our senior professionals are actively engaged in both counsel and implementation. Their diverse backgrounds and expertise, unparalleled relationships and credibility with the media, and deep understanding of the investment community drive the firm’s ability to help our clients manage complex situations and communicate to multiple constituencies successfully.


SCHNEIDER ASSOCIATES

Member of the Worldcom Public Relations Group
2 Oliver Street, Suite 901
Boston, MA 02109
617/536-3300
Fax: 617/536-3180
launch@schneiderpr.com
www.schneiderpr.com

Joan Schneider, President & Creative Director

Phil Pennellatore, Chief Operating Officer/Partner

Julie Hall, Executive Vice President/Partner

A staple of Schneider Associates’ 31-year history is our ability to counsel companies and individuals during a crisis situation. While we hope you never face one, we want you to know we stand ready when a major issue threatens your company’s growth or reputation. SA has been called in to handle everything from white collar crime, product recalls, fires, accidental on-the-job deaths, securities fraud, sexual harassment, legal issues and other business situations requiring a prompt response. Through the years, we have been successful in averting crises through preparation and creating solid, actionable plans before a crisis occurs. Schneider Associates is a full-service public relations and integrated marketing firm specializing in Launch Public Relations®, a proprietary method of launching products, services, companies and communities. Learn more at www.schneiderpr.com.


SITRICK AND COMPANY

1840 Century Park East, 8th flr.
Los Angeles, CA 90067
310/788-2850
Fax: 310/788-2855
www.sitrick.com

7 Times Square, #2600
New York, NY 10036-6524
212/573-6100
Fax: 212/573-6165

San Francisco office
415/369-8470
Fax: 415/644-0241

Denver office
720/904-8578

Baltimore/Washington D.C. Office
443/977-7215

Michael S. Sitrick, Chairman & CEO

Tom Becker, Mng. Partner, New York

Lance Ignon, Wendy Tanaka, Co-Directors

Aaron Curtiss, In-House Digital

Lt. Gen. H. Steven Blum (USA Ret.), Managing Director and Practice Lead

Sitrick's practice has a narrow focus. They concentrate in corporate, financial, transactional and crisis communications. Although they are best known for their work in sensitive situations, they have an extensive and successful practice in each of the foregoing areas. Clients include and have included both large and small companies - publicly and privately held - as well as universities and colleges, a number of government agencies and high-profile individuals. A list of current and former clients for which our work has been public, as well as more information on the firm, is available on its website (www.sitrick.com).


SLOANE & COMPANY

7 Times Square, 17th Floor
New York, NY 10036
212/486-9500
www.sloanepr.com

Elliot Sloane, CEO

Sloane & Company is a specialist public relations firm that focuses principally on corporate and financial media relations, investor relations, crisis communications, transaction support, business to business public relations, and public affairs. We provide both strategic counsel and tactical support to leading public and private companies, both domestically and around the world.

Our clients represent a wide array of industries — healthcare, financial services, technology, telecom, media and travel to name a few. Unlike many smaller firms, we have not built practice specialties limited to one or two industries. Because we enjoy a broad worldview and are students of our profession, we can share different approaches and best practices across our client base.

We believe in building partnerships with our clients. We work quickly and immerse ourselves fully to understand a client’s operations, culture, storylines, opportunities and issues. We then build thoughtful communications programs that deliver the right messages to the right constituencies using the right vehicles.


SOLOMON MCCOWN & COMPANY

177 Milk Street, Suite 610
Boston, MA 02109
617/695-9555
Direct: 617/933-5012
Fax: 617/695-9505
amccown@solomonmccown.com
www.solomonmccown.com
Twitter: @CrisisBostonPR

Helene Solomon, CEO

E. Ashley McCown, President

Based in Boston, Solomon McCown & Company provides strategic communications and crisis management services to mission-focused businesses and organizations. We leverage all of our assets — our strategic thinking, considerable experience, successful alliance building and commitment to results — to help clients achieve the recognition, definition and protection they need to meet their goals. We believe that at the core of advancing an organization’s mission is protecting it. Crisis management is a defining strength of our organization. Our nationally-recognized senior team of crisis managers comes from journalism and politics. We have developed crisis plans for corporations, institutions, and mission-focused organizations, and have played a key role in many sensitive and complex issues including those involving public agencies and non-profits, public health issues, labor negotiations and strikes, bankruptcies and business failures, accusations of sexual harassment and abuse, state and federal investigations, and workplace violence. We excel at working with in-house and outside legal counsel and corporate communications teams to devise communications strategies to dovetail with the legal strategy.


Vandiver Group Crisis Team

The Vandiver Group Crisis Team: Ashley Elder, Donna Vandiver, George Csolak, Andy Likes and Claire Eckelkamp.

THE VANDIVER GROUP, INC.

510 Maryville Centre Dr., Ste. 320
St. Louis, MO 63141
314/991-4641
Fax: 314/991-4651
www.vandivergroup.com
vandivergroup.com/threat_assessment
TVG@vandivergroup.com
Twitter: @VandiverGroup

At some point, every organization faces a crisis. A fire, recall, or accident can put your business squarely in the public and media spotlight. There is no point in building a reputation that you are ill-prepared to defend. TVG anticipates trends and helps you uncover potential hazards before they occur. Our experienced team will help you plan for the unexpected, train your employees to deal with business and personal challenges and prepare you to manage a crisis effectively. When a crisis does occur, TVG works with your team to ensure the proper messages get to the right people, correct protocol is followed, and the stream of information is timely, factual and helps mitigate the effect of the crisis in the short and long term.


WALEK & ASSOCIATES

317 Madison Avenue, Suite 2300
New York, NY 10017
212/889-4113
Fax: 212/889-7174
www.walek.com

1260 Yellow Pine Avenue
Boulder, CO 80304
720/470-3653

31/F, Entertainment Building
30 Queen’s Road
Central, Hong Kong
852/2273-5102
Fax: 852/3103-1011

Thomas Walek, President

Armel Leslie and Mary Beth Kissane, Principals

Walek & Associates is a global, independent financial and corporate public relations firm specializing in ongoing and crisis communications. With offices in New York, Hong Kong, and Boulder, Walek manages media and investor relations for clients in capital markets, traditional and alternative asset management, professional and financial technology, and public companies. Whether it is litigation, restructuring, activist shareholder support, earnings or performance shortfalls, management succession, or regulatory and enforcement actions, Walek manages crisis situations with an eye toward preserving and, ultimately, strengthening client brand and franchise. In 2011, the Walek global crisis team advised clients in some of the biggest breaking news stories as well as clients rebuilding brand and market position. In crisis communications, relationships matter.


WEBER SHANDWICK

919 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10022
212/445-8000
www.webershandwick.com

Micho Spring, Chair, Global Corporate practice and President, New England
617/520-7075
mspring@webershandwick.com

Peter Duda, Executive Vice President
212/445-8213
pduda@webershandwick.com

Lance Morgan, Chief Communications Strategist
202/585-2785
lmorgan@webershandwick.com

Rod Clayton, Executive Vice President
+44-20-7067-0431
rclayton@webershandwick.com

Weber Shandwick helps clients promote, preserve and protect reputation and brand.

Our global crisis practice encompasses a team of senior professionals who possess an unparalleled set of experiences in the media, government, law and corporate management. Working in partnership with our clients, we understand that preserving corporate and brand reputations are the highest priorities. We ensure that all constituencies that have a stake in the outcome are addressed, and are expert in managing traditional as well as social and digital media. As such, Weber Shandwick offers the full cycle of issues and crisis management.

Our crisis practice has provided counsel to many Fortune 500 companies and we meet their needs with expertise and insight. We have successfully managed crises in a wide number of areas including environmental and safety issues, litigation, activist campaigns, political pressure at the local, regional and state level, regulatory actions, operational crises, and negative press. We have managed acts of terrorism, environmental disasters and product recalls, proxy battles, federal investigations, investigative media reports and board disputes.

In addition to strategic counsel, Weber Shandwick offers tools and training to prepare clients for a potential crisis. FireBell, our proprietary social crisis simulator, creates an authentic, real-time experience of being under attack on social media channels. Additionally, Digital Defense, a proactive approach to protect a company’s reputation online and offline, also provides tools to minimize damage and to promote reputational recovery.

 
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