Helping clients lead through risk


Crisis & reputation defense

Crisis and issues response often has greater reputational impact than the situation itself; we help clients prepare for, navigate and lead through these situations.

How an organization responds to a crisis or issue may have a more substantial impact on stakeholders’ perceptions than the situation itself.  

 

Our multi-disciplinary, global team of crisis communications experts advises clients at the intersection of business, public policy, geopolitical risk and cultural transformation. 

 

We help clients mitigate vulnerabilities, develop and validate communications strategies, and provide real-time counsel to help them navigate risk and reward in a complex and ever-changing world.   

 

Informed by AI-driven technology and human analysis, we make sense of millions of signals and narratives to provide context and perspective, predict trends, and deliver incisive strategic recommendations.   

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What we're known for

Brand Safety: We work with creatives to enable bold thinking while refining campaigns to prepare for and mitigate risks.

Crisis Analytics & Issues Forecasting: Using data intelligence platforms and proprietary tools, we identify key issues and emerging threats. We help clients build protective plans, proactively address cultural issues and effectively manage any issues.

Culture: We dig deep with executives to lead their organizations through an increasingly risk-fraught terrain, helping to strengthen their cultures through change programs, DEI initiatives and values articulation.

Crisis Simulation Drills: Through Firebell, Weber Shandwick’s proprietary, award-winning crisis simulation platform and training offering, we test organizations' ability to respond to a crisis. Participants actively engage in managing the communications around a real-time online attack of their brand or organization – all in a secure, controlled environment.

Cyber/Data Security: We advise clients on incidents across the spectrum from phishing and malware to ransomware and denial of service, developing preparedness strategies and using proprietary tools to anticipate, manage and recover from cyberattacks.

Labor Relations: We bring deep insights and cross-sector experience to help clients navigate today’s resurgent labor movement that is operating at the intersection of grassroots organizing, social media and public policy.

Litigation: Led by a team of former attorneys, our team has successfully protected our clients’ finances, operations and reputations by working seamlessly with counsel on high-stakes litigation, from patent disputes, class action whistleblower suits and product recalls to labor negotiations and regulatory investigations and more.

Misinformation Defense: Boosted by an exclusive partnership with Blackbird.AI, our team identifies narrative threats and signals, designs advanced campaigns to build and protect reputation, and evolves preparedness efforts for the threat of misinformation.

Planning & Preparedness: We develop structures and plans that create issues and crisis resilience, predict and manage risk, and protect reputation.

Social Issues Navigation: We lead the C-Suite through an increasingly partisan, risk-fraught terrain so their hard-earned reputations stay intact with the stakeholders that matter.

Highlights of our work

01

Successfully guided company through ransomware uncertainty

Counseled and supported a photo and printing services company through a ransomware attack mounted by a state-sponsored threat actor resulting in system outages and potentially impacted data, minimizing the coverage cycle and reputation damage among stakeholders.

02

Defended access to vital children's health care

Battled threats of violence, protests and unprecedented and deeply harmful misinformation being spread by bad actors about lifesaving health care a long-time hospital system was providing gender-diverse children.

03

Kept multinational corporation from becoming PFAS poster child

Minimized reputation damage to the company’s brand by acting in a transparent and responsible manner in the local community and stressing a long-standing commitment to solving the problem and proactively addressing stakeholder concerns.​

04

Blunted impact of major settlement

Successfully prepared a blockchain payment processing company for multiple possible scenarios related to an impending U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control settlement, enabling it to place the ultimate announcement in the appropriate context and minimize media coverage and stakeholder reactions.

05

Navigated Geopolitical Risk with AI

We uncovered an organized global disinformation campaign against a multi-national corporation designed to damage reputation and business interests through manipulated social media. Utilizing proprietary AI, our teams identified threat actors and their bot networks, determined their manipulated narrative, and helped the company balance risk to their business vs. risk to their reputation.

06

Advised Florida-based university through deadly bridge collapse

When a pedestrian bridge linking a well-known university to the community collapsed onto an active roadway resulting in multiple fatalities, our team jumped into action to help the institution navigate the tragedy with grace. The multi-stakeholder response helped the community cope, leading to a quick and effective resumption of operations. We also supported the institution in managing communications around the ensuing NTSB investigation and litigation.

07

Repositioned vodka brand as champion of consensual sex

The spirits industry is often mum on alcohol’s role in rape, sexual assault and consensual sex. We helped a high-profile vodka brand launch a groundbreaking campaign in partnership with RAINN, protecting their brand and CEO at every stage.

Cybersecurity Unplugged

Earlier this month our President, Global Crisis and Issues Peter Duda attended Black Hat USA 2023 with IPG’s CISO, Troy Wilkinson. Black Hat USA is one of the premier cybersecurity events in the world and provides the perfect launch episode for our Cybersecurity Unplugged video podcast series. The first episode covers key cyber trends from the conference.

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