Author Archives: James McKinsey

Communication Through the Wildfire Crisis – What Should and Should Not Be Said

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The wildfires raging just outside of Los Angeles have burned at least 63 square miles, done an estimated $135 billion in property damage and have claimed at least 25 lives. During crises of this magnitude, it is normal for many to express sympathy online and offer support. We have seen countless positive examples recently. Some take the opportunity to call attention to nonprofits and acknowledge first responders. Others keep their message focused on their industry, community or domain of expertise to help their audiences cope.

Kimball Hughes PR has heard from organizations that wanted to comment amid this recent crisis but were also concerned about appearing opportunistic or insensitive. For those who have similar concerns, we offer the following advice:

Keep your audience in mind

While commenting on breaking news is one way to ensure your comments are timely, it has the potential to backfire.

For instance, imagine you run a business that supports the education of children in distressed municipalities. You could share your support for first responders fighting the Los Angeles fires, but your audience likely cares more about children and education. They may express support for your comments, but unless your business is in the Los Angeles area, your post will just be a drop in an ocean of online support. You may fail to distinguish your message or make a meaningful contribution to your audience. Worse, it could look like you are taking advantage of a tragedy.

Instead, consider addressing how the fire will be impacting children in Los Angeles or how the crisis may negatively impact future efforts to support disadvantaged children in the area. Better yet, mobilize your community to do something that supports your cause while also supporting the children impacted by these fires.

Have a call to action

Audiences have moved beyond statements of thoughts and prayers in times of crisis. They want to see action. If you are compelled to comment on major events, ensure there is a call to action that is both socially sensitive and beneficial to those impacted. Post links to non-profits working to end the crisis and encourage your community to donate or offer support.

Beyond being a force for good, there is a communications angle to consider.  There are countless examples of brands and influencers being put on blast for appearing to leverage tragedy for personal gain. Ensure your efforts in such instances contribute rather than distract or merely add to countless other voices. Be sure your comments support a cause or help mobilize support among your audiences.

It’s not about you, unless it is

When keeping your audience in mind, it’s possible to go too far.  We saw this in 2024 after Hurricane Helene decimated Ashville, North Carolina. Political pundits on both sides of the aisle used the storm as a talking point during a hot election season. In some cases, this led to a cycle of cynicism— with each commentor calling out the prior’s biases and accusing them of using the crisis for their own gain. This month, we are seeing more of the same as pundits condemn California’s regulatory environment. Polarizing comments like these only serve to divide communities and distract from helping victims.

But what if you are directly harmed by a crisis? In this instance, it is of course acceptable to talk about yourself and how the crisis is impacting you — within reason. The line between sharing your perspective and getting on a soapbox is thin. It can be easy to forget others affected by a crisis when you are impacted as well.

Crises —especially natural disasters —raise the stakes for all involved or adjacent to the incident, but the fear of backlash should not stop someone from using their platform as a force for good. By keeping your audience in mind, using your voice as a force for good and staying focused on those impacted, you can both add value to the discussion of the crisis as well as be a force helping to end it.

How corporate speak may be hurting your business

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Corporate speak is an unfortunate consequence of attempts to develop relatable messaging that can remain relevant and least likely to offend mass audiences. In a professional setting, people don’t say “I’ll get back to you later.” Instead, they say “Let’s circle back on that ahead of our next call,” as if the idea of walking in an ideological circle is somehow easier to understand. But we all use it, and many business owners have fully embraced corporate speak in their company culture without considering the impact its wanton use could have on their business.

In the end, this language transcends the office environment and can contribute to stakeholders’ and the public’s general perception of your company’s image. And corporate speak that may have once resonated with employees, prospective employees and customers, may no longer be connecting with millennials and Gen Z.

PR Newswire recently listed some of corporate America’s go-to terms of today, as reported by Adweek. They found the use of the word “thrilled” in press releases has increased 61% since 2017, “passion” increased by 54%, “industry-leading” by 98% and “pioneering” by 151% – that’s a lot of new pioneers in a 7-year span. From the outside, it may look like there are more pioneers than new lands to explore.

Those entering the workforce recognize repetitive and often redundant corporate speak as overused and ridiculous. Many are already fluent in the intent behind the general messaging. For example, they know that “Per the above message” in an email thread means “Please actually read my last email.” They are digital natives and speak the language. As Business Insider reports, they are tired of unnecessary and indirect words.

Recruiting is easier when everyone speaks the same language

There are likely hundreds of articles published in the past year discussing the complicated current state of recruiting and attracting talent, both for job seekers and creators.  As businesses seek to attract top talent by positioning their companies as great places to work, words like “family atmosphere” and “work hard, play hard” begin to creep into job descriptions. The overused terms convey a vagueness that can create an atmosphere of distrust. This can actively discourage candidates from applying for or accepting your job offer.

Instead, when recruiting, business leaders should consider a more direct approach   – outside their comfort zone perhaps. Often, the first step is to take a long look in the mirror. Do you really think your company with thousands of employees is a family? Likely not. So instead of positioning your company like a family, share details on how teams are structured, provide insights into how a new hire would function as a part of that team and share how that team supports the company’s goals. By avoiding indirect and flowery language, it is more likely a candidate will approach your job offer with genuine interest and enthusiasm.

Corporate speak may be damaging reputations

The damage of overutilized corporate speak goes beyond recruiting.  It can make its way into external communications and shape customer perceptions of your brand. Think about the last time you were told the price of a good or service was increasing and how that felt. Probably not a great feeling? The first instinct for anyone delivering bad news to their customers is to find a way to soften the blow. They’ll often put together softer language for communications highlighting premium features and promises of a better customer experience.

In practice, this frustrates audiences. At best, it is viewed as a halfhearted attempt to spin bad news into something positive. At worst, it is viewed as dishonest. This can create additional communications challenges a company could have avoided if it had delivered the bad news plainly and clearly.

How do we overcome corporate speak?

While most industries are inundated with corporate speak that will likely never be fully extracted, there is something business leaders can do to overcome some of the problems this jargon creates.

When developing messaging, ask yourself the following questions:

  • Is what I am saying making sense?
  • Do my words convey real and relevant information?
  • Will this message resonate with my audience?
  • Am I avoiding corporate buzz words, like those mentioned above, that audiences have learned to gloss over?
  • Am I talking down to my audience??

Leaders across the company from the c-suite to HR and marcomm may find they do not like the answers to the above questions. This may warrant a change in communications – internal, external, casual and formal. However, by being aware of corporate speak and the damage its overuse can cause, leaders can better position their teams to deliver more effective messages that are not only heard, but more positively received.

Communicating during a cyber crisis – What to do when the network fails

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Two weeks ago, few people had heard of CrowdStrike outside of information technology providers. All it took was one update to be deployed to a live environment on the morning of Friday, July 19 – released before it could be properly tested – for everyone to suddenly learn how pervasive the company’s technology is throughout the world of business. It has been reported by the BBC that over 8.5 million devices were impacted by the global IT outage, including everything from self-check-in kiosks at airports to the cloud networking systems that businesses use to maintain connection with international team members.

The CrowdStrike outage is only the most recent example demonstrating how interconnected the world has become. Nine times out of 10, this interconnectivity works to our benefit in the form of a diverse global economy connected to the best minds and workforces in the world regardless of location. But that one instance when the system fails can lead to panic, business interruption, a chaotic situation and of course, a costly mess.

A massive network disconnection prompts the question, “What do we do now?”

While global outages like this may be largely unavoidable, there are best practices that businesses and individuals can follow so they are prepared for the next time the network goes down.

  • Ensure everyone knows what to do

When Kimball Hughes Public Relations works with businesses to develop communications and crisis communications plans, we prioritize working with our clients to develop steps to take in the event of a cyber-attack or major outage. When digital productivity platforms like Slack or Teams go down, most team members will fall back on another digital platform like email or text messages. But what if those forms of communication have also been disrupted? Do your team members know how to react when they become disconnected?

This is where regular review of communication policies and clear procedures for an emergency come in. These reviews are critical, and communication policies should be accessible to every office member. In addition to procedures, team leads should know who to contact in an emergency and have multiple ways of contacting them via email and telephone. This information should be stored in multiple secure locations, including in an online cloud server and a physical copy should be kept in a secure but accessible location.

  • Create back up plans for your back up plans

Because emergencies are unpredictable by their very nature, it is nearly impossible to predict which systems will go down next time. With the CrowdStrike outage, it was computers running the Windows operating system – but next time it could be Mac, Linux, or maybe even some obscure system the general public has never heard of that manages a major utility. Businesses should have contingencies for every method of communication they use. For example, if email servers go down, teams should be ready to communicate regularly over the phone. If the power goes out, team members should know where to meet in person to remain in sync and decide on next steps.

  • Trust in teams

When teams are armed with the information they need and prepared with clear goals, a business has a better chance of ensuring resiliency during and after crisis periods.

Consider the actions of the airlines during the most recent outage. While flights were grounded and passengers were left in an information blackout, some airline teams deployed lower tech solutions. For example, some moved to writing gate and flight information on whiteboards to keep information moving and calm travelers. While this was not an ideal situation, the team was able to work with the resources they had on hand and in real time, rather than being paralyzed by the outage. This is why regular communications training can be incredibly important. Team members who know what to do with the minimal amount of guidance during an emergency have the best chance of remaining effective until the crisis passes.

When the network goes down, communication channels are usually the first to collapse. By following the above tips, businesses can be sure their teams know how to remain in contact when technology fails.

I Hate to Tell You This: The Dos and Don’ts of Breaking Bad News

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In business, we can’t escape bad news. Whether the topic is layoffs, poor earnings, a deal that fell through or any number of business or workplace challenges, communicating a negative outcome is sometimes as difficult as living with the outcome itself. There is no silver bullet to best communicate bad news, but it is the responsibility of business owners and spokespeople to manage the impact of that bad news on stakeholders and the business.

Communicating internally

When communicating bad news to your team, it is important to remember that for some, the news can be upsetting. Keep the following in mind when communicating bad news within your business.

Do: Be clear

A bad news announcement is stressful under the best of circumstances. A confusing announcement only makes the problem worse. When communicating, take extra steps to avoid generalities and include whatever specifics can be shared to ensure the news cannot be misinterpreted. For example, rather than saying “layoffs are expected,” consider “Due to economic conditions, we are planning to reduce the number of staff in our New York office by 15% by year end. The specific roles impacted by this decision are still being considered, and we expect to know and share more details by the end of the quarter.”

Do: Provide resources

After bad news breaks, team members will have questions. Consider putting together a FAQ or other fact sheet that managers and team members can turn to for more information. Also, consider giving your team members access to leaders who may be able to best answer common questions.

Don’t: Sugarcoat the news

Don’t belittle the intelligence and maturity of your team members by utilizing flowery language. The first instinct to soften the blow of bad news can be useful, and compassion has a part to play in delivering bad news. However, being overly sweet can come off as disingenuous.

Working with partners

Bad news will usually impact more than just your business. It often impacts the businesses and clients with which you work. For example, downsizing can reduce your capabilities, leading to partner concerns about being underserviced. When planning for bad news, consider the following as it relates to your partners.

Do: Be proactive

The people and businesses that work with your company expect they will be kept in the loop about news that impacts them. If a staff reduction is planned, they should hear it from your business first — not from news headlines or via the gossip mill.

Do: Plan

Communicating with partners involves more than just messaging. It involves timing. When preparing partner-related messaging, ensure all materials are developed before an announcement. Depending on the nature of the news, it may be beneficial to communicate with partners before sharing with the public. However, the time between the two announcements should not exceed 24 hours. Any longer risks a leak and losing control of the message.

Don’t: Overshare

While being proactive is important, it does not mean a business should share every detail of a bad news announcement. Businesses need to tailor partner messaging to only include information that pertains to the partner. If a partner has questions, schedule a time to speak with them one-on-one after the news breaks.

Talking to the public

Sharing bad news with the world can create opportunities for error, misinterpretation and even crisis if not handled correctly, especially in today’s world of instant digital communication. That said, when sharing bad news businesses should work through a medium like the news media or their website. When working with these mediums, keep the following in mind.

Do: Be Transparent

Generalities and vague comments create doubt. At worst such vagary provides opportunities for bad actors to take bad news and make it sound far worse than the reality. While being open about bad news can be painful, it is far better to keep control of the facts and remain transparent.

Do: Be Responsive

Public response to a bad news announcement could include anything from a reporter on a deadline or a social media post. Regardless of the source, responsiveness is critical for managing a negative announcement. Just like transparency can help reduce the chance of misinformation about a negative announcement, responsiveness can ensure facts and truth remain at the center of the conversation.

Don’t: Lie

You will be caught. It may not be immediately, but it will happen. Misstating facts and hiding critical information are sure ways to not only lose the trust of the public but create new problems as well. This goes for guessing or speculation, too. When announcing bad news, stick to the facts.

While these tips will help to better manage the impact of bad news on a business, they are all focused on mitigating the potential damage to the business and its reputation. There is no way to fully negate the impact of bad news. However, by following the above tips businesses can better survive delivering bad news, and work to grow in the long term.

Speaking From the Show Floor – tips for interviewing at events 

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Events are finally back. After years of virtual events and remote gatherings, the opportunities for in-person networking and media interviews at major conferences are on the rise. While this is great news, especially for those tired of being interviewed by journalists from behind a computer screen, interviewing at live events can pose challenges. Here are three tips for making sure you are interviewing at your best while at events: 

  1. Preparation remains key 

The most valuable tip is likely the most predictable – but no less important – is preparation. More unknowns surround in-person interviews at industry events than with virtual interviews popularized during the pandemic. Interview locations and times may change, big news could break, and even the reporter with whom you are to speak could change at the last minute. While it is impossible to be prepared for every outcome, a solid set of talking points and a few practice runs with a colleague before the cameras are on will help you interview your best. 

  • Appearances matter 

The return to in-person interviews means extra attention needs to be paid to not only looking presentable, but to looking good for an interview. This means keeping the medium in mind. If you are going to be on camera, avoid large flashy or distracting jewelry, green clothing that could confuse green screen editing and tight plaid patterns. If you are being recorded for a podcast, then clothing that clicks or jingles should also be avoided, as the audio editors will already be working to reduce the background noise of the event. 

  • Remain flexible 

All interviews should be scheduled in advance of the conference if possible, and most of the time, this will be enough to ensure a smooth interview process. However, plans change, flights are missed, locations move and any of a dozen other things can happen to disrupt an otherwise well-planned interview. With more logistical issues involved, changes like these are more likely at an in-person event. As a result, it is important to stay in contact with the journalists involved before and immediately preceding the interview. Also, consider carrying a portable battery and charging cable, just in case you need to quickly coordinate a change of plans on a low phone battery. 

Of course, in addition to the tips above, what many interviewees find invaluable in coordinating and conducting interviews at conferences is a good public relations agency as a partner. A good PR team can coordinate everything ahead of time, assist in navigating the process, prepare talking points, provide media training, assist with the in-person logistics and any last-minute chances and, of course, quickly step in if anything should go wrong.

The return to in-person events means a return to event interviews. These can often be some of the most impactful pieces of media produced each year for your organization. By remaining prepared, flexible and knowledgeable of the challenges of in-person interviews, you will put yourself in the best possible position for successful, positive coverage. 

Is it mine? How to share your PR win

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You’re famous! Well, somewhat famous. You were included in a great article in a highly regarded, well-read industry publication, and your thought leadership or interview made the front page. The next steps usually involve raising awareness of the story and sharing it among your colleagues, clients and peers. But can you do more? What if your quote would fit perfectly in an upcoming presentation or marketing material? They’re your words, aren’t they?

The short answer is – it’s complicated.

While they may be your thoughts on the page, an article is usually owned by the publication that published the article. This applies to thought leadership as well. Even if you are the bylined author, most publications own the rights to the submitted content they publish. So, what are the dos and don’ts of sharing content?

The Dos

First, most publications encourage authors and sources to share content they contribute through social media, as long as the post links back to either the original story or the publisher’s social media post about the content. Tagging the article and the publication are considered good practice and drawing attention to a story is a great way to deepen relationships with the media.

When it comes to your website, include a link to the article in your press page. This usually involves posting the title of the piece, the author, and the date it was published along with a hyperlink to the original piece. Generally, as long as you are linking to the content on the publication’s website and not copying content, you are not violating any rules related to intellectual property or copyright.

For marketing purposes, it is also acceptable to include mention of the article and is preferable to the publishers if your mention provides details on where to find the original article. For example, if a brochure discusses how a subject matter expert discussed a topic in a recent Forbes article, that is fair game and preferable to all parties if that mention includes the date that article was published.

The Don’ts

The general rule is once content is submitted to a publication, they own it – even if they are your own words. While linking to the original article is not different than any other social media post, taking written content and posting it without a link or credit is generally a violation of the publication’s intellectual property. At the very least, it is a great way to burn a bridge with a valued media contact and their publication.

This applies to more than just website content. Marketing materials and other communications should not include unattributed quotes, segments or articles. A bylined article should also be considered the property of the publication once it has been submitted for publishing. Many publications will have language to this effect in the legal notices on their website or even request that you sign an author’s agreement before publication.

A Rule of Thumb

Many publications may be interested in giving special permission to use their content as long as they are given the proper credit. There can be a grey area here, but as a rule of thumb, when it comes to who owns the content, regardless of who wrote it, assume it belongs to the publication.