Brand Under Fire

09/17/2018

Great recap on an extraordinary example of crisis communications. I give then-CEO, James Burke, a lot of credit in the book for allowing the CBS news program 60 Minutes into the boardroom, creating an unprecedented level of transparency.

08/27/2018

Thank you for inviting me to contribute to “Stan Talks,” a new initiative from The University of Texas at Austin and The Richards Group, which brings real-world lessons from advertising and public relations leaders directly to students around the country. Watch the teaser below and view the current library of videos here 👉 https://www.youtube.com/c/stantalks
Moody College of Communication - UT Austin

08/15/2018

So you know that crisis plan you or your team tossed on a shelf somewhere? Trash it. It’s total garbage. This is your chance to reimagine it.
Please sign in/up now and vote for my idea. Hope to see you at !

The Fukushima nuclear disaster. Penn State after Sandusky & Paterno. An international data breach you know but we can’t legally name. What do all of these things have in common? Business leaders who embraced the digital era to navigate complex crises, and crisis teams led by Jeff Hunt. Join us as ...

05/24/2018

Recently, former cybercrime prosecutor Anand Raj Shah – now a cybersecurity counsel at Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP – and I got a chance to work together in response to a client data breach. Read my latest blog post to learn about some of the best practices we discussed following the data breach to help establish and/or strengthen your legal-comms coordination prior to any type of crisis.

04/20/2018

Last weekend I watched with sadness as an incident fueled by racism at a Philadelphia Starbucks spun out of control. We would all like to think globally diverse and revered institutions like Starbucks are beyond reproach. But I know too well how flawed we are as humans, and how that makes the customer service industry at highest risk for such events.

Read my latest blog post analyzing the brewing racism crisis at Starbucks and the elements of an effective apology:

An Analysis of the Brewing Racism Crisis at Starbucks Posted on April 20, 2018 Posted in Brand Recovery • Case Studies Last weekend I watched with sadness as an incident fueled by racism at a Philadelphia Starbucks spun out of control. We would all like to think globally diverse and revered instit...

04/17/2018

Starbucks’ response shows that corporate entities are capable of sensitivity and compassion, something we need more of in the world, and perhaps Starbucks needs more of in its training and store policies.

Learn more about the customers' arrest and how the CEO of Starbucks responded by reading the The Wall Street Journal CMO Today:

Here's your morning roundup of the biggest marketing, advertising and media industry news and happenings.

04/13/2018

Universities continue to be one of the most issues-rich environments and the digital age has forced university leadership to rethink how they manage a PR crisis.
I was honored to provide my expertise in Times Higher Education on how university leadership can use the five principles for the effective management of crises to better manage campus incidents and minimise the impact on the academic mission of the institution.

The dawn of the digital age means universities must rethink how they respond to negative headlines, according to a new book

04/04/2018

The bombings in Austin have inserted the fear and uncertainty in general public as well as in the crisis management professionals due to the bomber’s randomness and unpredictability. I analyzed the communication cycles following the incident and how the law enforcement agencies of our city filled the information vacuum with the new-found truths to inform and protect their public.

The full article is available here:

From the Frontline of Fear: A Commentary on Austin’s Bombing Crisis Posted on April 4, 2018 Posted in Case Studies • The Five Principles of Crisis Communications In recent weeks, all of us in Austin were gripped by fear and the uncertainty of a random bombing. Even after the bomber detonated him...

03/30/2018

A huge shout out to the talented Jessica Lea Illustrations for creating this wonderful piece of art, commemorating the launch of

03/28/2018

Have you enjoyed reading ? Be the first to leave a on . You'll make my day!

Unlike most books on crisis management, Brand Under Fire focuses on crisis communications in the digital age. It's an updated playbook that shares advanced digital and social media strategies informed by direct experience with some of the most challenging crises in recent years. Jeff Hunt guides ...

03/23/2018

Such a warm welcome last night from the Texas Exes San Francisco Chapter at their first Campfire Chat of 2018. Another great launch event! 🤘

03/19/2018

I was honored to collaborate with Steve Friess and The Atlantic regarding the Michigan State University Crisis. Based on my experience with Penn State University in the aftermath of the Sandusky scandal, I was able to offer an analysis of the similarities and differences between these two higher institutions’ sexual-abuse cases.

To read the full article, visit:

School officials should be following the post-crisis blueprint from Pennsylvania State. Instead, they’re making things worse.