Leading corporations around the United States and around the world look to Edelman’s Crisis & Issues Management practice for counsel and 24/7 support in times of crisis to effectively address critical business issues. Whether it’s an internal program affecting employees or an external effort to protect or defend a company’s reputation, Edelman brings a strong strategic perspective founded on international experience, understanding and insight.
Headquartered in London, Chicago and Hong Kong, Edelman’s Global Crisis & Issues Management practice helps organizations anticipate, assess, respond to and manage an array of complex situations ranging from litigation to product recalls to environmental. Edelman has counseled Fortune 500 corporations, mid-sized companies and not-for-profit organizations on how to respond to a range of communications and business challenges including:
- Product recalls and product failures
- Litigation communications and support
- Labor actions, including corporate campaigns
- Natural disasters and workplace accidents
- Chapter 11 bankruptcies, restructurings and reduction-in-force initiatives
- Environmental crises and issues
- Challenges presented by NGO’s and activist groups
- Sexual and racial discrimination allegations
- Strategic planning for crisis management and response planning, training and simulations
- Company or product boycotts
- Trademark disputes and patent infringement
Edelman also works in concert with leading law firms and their clients to develop communications strategies for high-profile litigation and sensitive issues requiring discreet investigations and counseling.
Edelman's Approach
To help organizations properly manage issues before they emerge or escalate into critical problems, we first conduct a risk assessment to identify and prioritize the areas of greatest vulnerability. Public perception, emerging trends and business practices with the potential to affect the organization are studied. We develop management and communications plans to anticipate likely issues; optimize management actions; craft core messages and materials; establish third-party alliances; conduct crisis media trainings and simulations; and put in place monitoring systems to track emerging issues and escalations. Once a crisis has passed, we work with organizations to restore confidence in their reputation and begin the rehabilitative process for companies, brands or management teams.
Should a crisis occur, rapid response is vital. Edelman’s crisis and issues counselors are on call 24/7 to work with a client’s senior management team throughout the crisis arc to provide guidance, to develop strategic plans, to defend reputation and to implement recovery initiatives. We partner with our clients to develop the most effective responses to crises using our international network of strategic counselors, quickly assessing the situation and charting a course to minimize the reputational and business damage to the client, its brands and its operations.
The Edelman Difference
Our Crisis & Issues Management practice is comprised of senior management and communications counselors, attorneys, political strategists and former journalists, all dedicated to helping organizations plan for and respond to complex issues and crises. Edelman has a unique understanding of the intricacies of litigation, negotiation, business, regulatory matters and politics, and brings them to bear on each client engagement.
The diverse backgrounds within our practice provide an understanding of a full range of audiences, as well as familiarity in dealing with political leaders, regulatory agencies, government officials, community leaders and advocacy organizations. Our team also has solid experience in strategic planning, message development, crisis media relations and stakeholder communications.
We're the company that…
- Pioneered the practice of litigation communications representing CBS in the historic Westmoreland v. 60 Minutes case (1983)
- Introduced StarKist Dolphin-Safe Tuna to transform Heinz from an ecological pariah to an environmental leader (1991)
- First used the Internet as a crisis response tool in the Odwalla E. coli outbreak (1996)
- Directed all key stakeholder communications for two of the largest food recalls in the history of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (2002)
- Provided rapid response and crisis communications counseling following the SARS outbreak of 2003 to a number of companies and countries, including Canada and Thailand
Engaging the Team
Edelman crisis counselors are on call 24 hours-a-day, 365 days-a-year. Should you be faced with an impending crisis or emerging issue, contact Edelman’s Crisis Response Team at the following numbers:
Asia Pacific: Charles Lankester, Director, Crisis & Issues Management practice, based in Hong Kong at + 852-2837-4729 (charles.lankester@edelman.com).
Europe: Mike Seymour, International Director, Crisis & Issues Management practice, based in London at + 44-203-047-2053 (mike.seymour@edelman.com).
Latin America: Allan McCrea Steele, Director, Latin America Crisis & Issues Management practice, based in Buenos Aires at + 54-11-4315-4020 (allan.mccrea@edelman.com).
United States: Frank Kauffman, General Manager, Litigation & Crisis Management, based in Washington, D.C. at
202-326-1731 (frank.kauffman@edelman.com) and Steven Behm, Senior Vice President, Crisis and Issues Management, based in Atlanta at
404-832-6344 (steven.behm@edelman.com).
24/7 Crisis Hotline: 1-866-EDEL 911
