Crisis Management

  • No company, institution or industry is immune to crisis – and when the stakes are at their highest, only the most trusted and experienced communications partner will do.  Burson-Marsteller has been that partner for more than a half-century, bringing our clients the state-of-the-art strategies, tools and perspectives needed to protect their operations and defend their reputations. 

  • Burson-Marsteller has continually redefined “best practices” for crisis management, from our pioneering work with Johnson & Johnson on the Tylenol poisonings in the early 1980s to more recent challenges such as “mad cow disease,” product recalls, high-visibility pharmaceutical litigation and the tragic shootings at Virginia Tech. 

  • We take a comprehensive and long-term view of crisis management. We work with our clients to thoroughly prepare them to handle crises and also to execute rapid crisis responses. Once the immediate crisis abates, we deploy a variety of tools to help achieve for our clients a real and sustainable recovery over time.

  • Our Crisis Management Network – comprised of specially certified specialists – operates in every U.S. office (and in every major market around the world), enabling us to mobilize crisis teams virtually anywhere, anytime.

  • Key focuses

    • Civil Litigation and Criminal Prosecution
      Sometimes a litigation battle is won in the court of public opinion even before a jury is picked or a judge reads the verdict. B-M's Crisis Practice has helped clients navigate the media crush involved in high-profile legal battles for decades.
    • Corporate Governance/Shareholder Issues
      Whether dealing with a competitive proxy contest or the fallout
      from an earning restatement, B-M's Corporate Practice has been helping clients cope with these challenges for decades
    • Data Security/Privacy Issues
      As companies and other large organizations find themselves custodians of more and more personal data, the importance of communicating security protocols – and keeping that information safe – increases. B-M's Crisis Practice is fully prepared to help navigate the communications associated to all key stakeholders.
    • Merger/Acquisition/Restructuring/Bankruptcies
      Communications during any type of corporate restructuring can be daunting. Shareholders, employees and regulators are all watching and listening. B-M's Corporate Practice has experience dealing with every restructuring scenario from the start to finish.
    • Pharmaceutical and Regulatory Actions
      B-M's Healthcare Practice has decades of experience helping pharmaceutical clients communicate through each stage of the regulatory and approval process. This includes being ready to operate at the frenetic pace of a sudden regulatory decision.
    • Product Liability and Recalls
      Communications during a consumer product recall can be a matter of saving lives and of protecting a company's reputation. B-M's Crisis Offering has a tradition dating back to the 1980s Tylenol cyanide scare of helping companies and brands deal with such a traumatic event.
    • State and Federal Government Investigations
      A poorly managed communications effort during a state or federal investigation can do lasting damage to an organization. Our Crisis Practice has a team of experts that have helped many clients navigate their way through investigations by a myriad of regulatory agencies.
    • Natural Disaster Response
      Communicating with speed and accuracy before, during and after a natural disaster can save lives. B-M's Crisis Practice is prepared for a rapid response to any disaster.
    • Workplace Violence
      Violence in the workplace has unfortunately become all too common in our society. A rapid and transparent communications effort is needed to assuage all those impacted. B-M's Crisis Practice has worked on incidents involving random acts of violence to help rebuild trust among an organization's stakeholders.

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