Rahm Emanuel, the former mayor of Chicago and White House chief of staff to President Barack Obama, once famously said, “Never let a good crisis go to waste.” We couldn’t agree more with the sentiment, and thankfully 2019 provided plenty of headline-grabbing crises, which, if used correctly, can be gifts. By examining an array of front-page issues, from the massive data breach at Capital One to the “Operation Varsity Blues” college admissions scandal, 2019 was stuffed with headline-grabbing crises that impacted the reputations, financial health and futures of the organizations and individuals involved.
For lawyers who are tasked with mitigating their clients’ risk and the communications professionals who work alongside them, the more well-known corporate crises of 2019 provide a valuable opportunity. By examining both the good and bad responses to crises, we can learn from the mistakes and successes to respond more thoughtfully in the years to come.
