GOVERNMENT BANKRUPTCY
LP&A worked closely with the CEO and staff at a large municipal government, providing strategic changes to its post-bankruptcy restructuring plan and drafting a powerful speech for the CEO in support of the plan. Although early indications were that the decision-making body was split on the proposal, following the speech, it received unanimous approval.
SENSATIONAL MEDIA
LP&A worked quickly with local media to correct sensational misreporting of a fatal stabbing that occurred at a major new shopping mall at the start of the pivotal holiday shopping season. We then worked with local police to convince the media how safe our client’s mall – and all of the area’s malls – are, making the cash registers ring.
HOSTILE TAKEOVER
Shortly after a scandal rocked a large retail water district, a private water company petitioned LAFCO to approve a buyout of the district. LP&A’s strategy turned the scandal into a positive message for the need to maintain local control, and our direct mailers hitting on the higher costs charged by private water companies brought big crowds to the public hearing, leading to a LAFCO decision against the takeover.
RUMOR CONTROL
When a dismissed restaurant employee spread the story that he was let go because he was wearing a “Livestrong” cancer-support bracelet, a media swarm ensued and local store sales plummeted. We quickly learned that the restaurant chain is a long-time supporter of various cancer-related causes, so our strategy called for the chain’s owner to meet personally with the former employee and his family and make a donation to the cancer charity they endorsed. The resulting favorable publicity quickly brought sales back.
LANDSLIDE
The media had a great story when shifting hillside soils forced the evacuation of some apartment buildings during the holidays – with the complex’s management company as the whipping boy. When two more units started sliding, LP&A was called in. We focused the media on the science of shifting soils, and gave special care to the tenants, communicating safety issues and the relocation process, staffing an on-site info center, and even helping load boxes. The media loved it and the coverage turned completely around.
NITRATE SCARE
A combination of unforeseen circumstances left a Southern California water district’s water supply with dangerously high nitrate levels. LP&A quickly met with the media, sent mailers, scripted an automated call to customers and organized bottled water stations – helping the district get through the crisis without lasting effect.
WATER SHORTAGE
LP&A had only three days to spread the word when the pipeline delivering the majority of a major water district’s supply had to be shut off. Our outreach and aggressive media push resulted in a 60 percent reduction in water use among the district’s customers during the week-long summertime interruption.
Get me though a crisis situation.
An aggressive reporter. An attorney after a big reward. Even an honest error by a good employee. All can cause a crisis that can hurt the bottom-line and tarnish good will.
Your safety net is having Laer Pearce’s fire-tested crisis expertise in your corner, so you can:
STOP IT BEFORE IT STARTS - PLAN & ANTICIPATE. Many crises can be avoided if you find your vulnerabilities and correct them.
TRAIN DEEP, TRAIN OFTEN - Go beyond training spokespeople on messages. Drill on gathering info, taking calls & adjusting.
ASSEMBLE YOUR BEST TEAM.* Yes, spokespeople and communicators, but also engineers, operators, lawyers and experts.
YESTERDAY MATTERS. SO DOES TOMORROW. Review yesterday’s coverage and plan for where the focus will be tomorrow.
CENTER ON CONSISTENT MESSAGES. A few good messages, updated daily, help keep public perception where you want it.
ADMIT WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW. Never fake or fudge. Be forthright, and if you don’t know, promise an answer soon.
LEARN FROM EXPERIENCE. As a crisis unfolds, learning opportunities abound. Pay attention and discuss as a team.
MANAGE YOUR BRAND’S RECOVERY. From Day One on, actively, strategically work to rebuild your brand’s reputation.
is to rely on the messaging expertise
and crisis experience of Laer Pearce.
It’s part of assembling your best team,
LP&A values discretion, so we’ve kept names and clients confidential from these case histories.
- “Your campaign was well conceived, well executed and instrumental to our success. You did a great job of reading the community and our leadership was pleased the efforts came in under budget.”
- Lyle Overby, Shapell Industries
