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. 

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.

Products:

• Rapid Response Teams
• Media Management/Analysis
• Digital Crisis Strategies
• Risk Mapping
• Crisis planning, training and simulations
• Government Relations
• Employee/Investor Communications
• Opposition Research
• Litigation Communications
• Product Recall Strategies