Jonathan Hemus is the founder of Insignia Communications - www.insigniacomms.com -a consultancy specialising in corporate reputation management and crisis communication. His experience in crisis management for a range of global corporations and public sector organisations has helped to protect and preserve many reputations. For regular insights into corporate reputation management, log on to Insignia’s blog, www.insigniatalks.com

Many business people are affected by nerves when speaking in front of an audience: especially one which is made up of their colleagues!  This can result in fluffed lines, hesitant body language or a s...

In a crisis, should the chief executive be your media spokesperson? Putting the CEO forward as the face of the organisation should not be a kneejerk reaction: it should be a well considered decision d...

It’s 10.15am, you’re in your office and the phone rings.  You pick up and a voice says: “Hi, this is John Davis from the BBC, we’d like to ask you a few questions….”  By now, your heart is racing and ...

No organisation is immune to crisis.  But it’s wrong to assume crises are always random, unpredictable or simply “acts of God”.  The truth is, there are things you can do to significantly reduce the p...

Many business executives get extremely concerned about the prospect of a media interview.  Others take a more cavalier view, believing that they can blag their way out of any question.  Both groups sh...

When I conduct media training courses, one of the top fears of delegates is failing to get their message across, or losing control and allowing the journalist to dictate the interview agenda.  These a...

It seems like just another day as you saunter from the car park towards the entrance of your office.  The sun is shining and you’re considering the tasks for the day ahead when suddenly, out of nowher...

Crises are rarely responsible for causing harm to a business.  But a company’s response to a crisis can do untold damage.  What really counts is how the organisation is seen to manage the crisis: take...

Successful crisis communication is not just about what we say: words are important of course, but so is the imagery which accompanies them.  Many people spend too little time thinking about this impor...

There are safety concerns about your product.  The neighbours don’t want your phone mast in their back yard.  You need to tell the public what to do about the latest pandemic.  These and many other si...

A strong corporate reputation is recognised as a valuable asset, one which takes years to build, and requires constant nurturing to maintain.  A crisis, whether a product safety scare, an environmenta...

The performance of the corporate spokesperson will affect how the public views your organisation, both in the long term and short term.

Successfully getting through a crisis can be an energy drain for individuals as well companies: it seems to pervade every thought, decision, and action of executives, and their employees.  When the cr...

Internet and other modes of communication is nearly instantaneous today.  Therefore, the need to quickly and actively mitigate a crisis before a significant amount of damage is done is an immediate ne...