Brands Taking a Stand: Managing Public Opinion During a Crisis

It’s a scenario that keeps communicators and PR pros up at night: The internet has gotten ahold of a statement or a news release, and it has spiraled into a social media maelstrom. This challenge is especially common for communicators where one wrong word can send the socialverse, rumor mills and conspiracy circles spiraling. In this session, spokespeople from brands and elected officials will explain how they maintain consistent communications processes as they work to weather the tumult of public opinion.

  • Prep for the Unexpected: Which frameworks, toolkits and templates can be developed before a misinformation or disinformation crisis arises.
  • Triage Tips: How to evaluate the urgency of the situation when social media chatter around your organization starts to pick up.
  • Case Studies: Real world examples selected from 2024 events and campaigns, and the lessons learned from each.
  • Finding the Words: What to say, when to say it and who needs to be at the mic to protect reputation and credibility when public opinion turns against you.
  • When the Dust Settles: How to draw lessons from difficult times and use them to build a more resilient comms department.

  • Allison Carter
    Executive Editor
    Ragan Communications and PR Daily
  • Eleanor McManus
    Co-founder and Partner
    Trident DMG
  • Scott Radcliffe
    Global Director of Cybersecurity
    FleishmanHillard
  • Michael Ramsey
    Senior Vice President, Communications and Marketing
    Scouting America