Crisis Communication | Paul Werth

Is the Big Ten Ready for a Name Change?

July 29th, 2010

When Nebraska was added to the Big Ten and people were talking about changing the name, our first thought was: “What about the brand?” Big Ten is much, much more than just a name. It is part of a 100-year-old brand, a tradition, a tone and (in this part of the country) a way of life. To change the name now, in our opinion, would be a mistake.

Here are four reasons why:

(1) Brand equity. The Big Ten Conference is the oldest Division I college athletic conference in the United States. It was founded in 1895, was first nicknamed the Big Ten in 1917 and has used that name consistently since 1949. The Big Ten excels in every aspect of brand equity: awareness, loyalty and perceived quality and the innumerable memories and other associations that generations of Big Ten alumni and fans (football or not) hold precious.

(2) Brand confusion. The Big Ten now has 12 schools, the Big 12 has 10 and the Pac-10 has 12. Nebraska is leaving the Big 12 to join the Big Ten, and the Cornhuskers are not pushing for a name change. Imagine the confusion that would result if the conferences changed their name to reflect the number of teams.

(3) Precedent. Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delaney told Stu Durando of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he assumed the Big Ten would change its name in 1990 when the addition of Penn State brought the number of teams to 11. “I was going on that presumption and found out quickly the Big Ten was a name that carried a lot of meaning to a lot of people,” Delaney said. The fact that the conference has had 11 teams for the past decade is proof that the essence of the Big Ten brand has transcended the number of schools involved.

(4) Better options. The Big Ten opted in 1990 to refresh its brand image but not replace it. Al Grivetti, who was a graduate student at Northern Illinois, incorporated the No. 11 into the logo design. It would be quite easy to refresh the logo again with the numeral 12.

Delaney can be commended for a willingness to hear all sides on the issue, but he will ultimately be swayed by what he already knows to be true: the Big Ten Conference is the most powerful brand in collegiate sports, and there would be far more to lose than gain by changing the name.

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Balancing Legal and Communication Perspectives on Social Media

October 9th, 2009

On October 20, Paul Werth Associates is pleased to partner with the Columbus office of Squire, Sanders & Dempsey on a presentation discussing how social media impacts brand reputation and how important it is for the communications and legal teams to coordinate efforts. This pre-registration only event will take place 3-7 pm close to the OSU campus.

The presenters, including myself; Susan DiMickele, a partner at Squire Sanders; Traci Martinez, an associate at Squire Sanders; and Kim Ratcliff, a vice president at Werth, recently sat down to provide a sneak peak of the insights to be shared during this complimentary workshop.

If you’re interested in registering, click here or please contact Adla Blackwell at (614) 365.2319.

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‘Crisis Communications in the Age of the Internet’ Webinar Stimulates Lively Discussion of Social Media Strategy

August 28th, 2009

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Paul Werth Associates’ August Webinar on social media strategy attracted public relations and marketing professionals from across the country to learn about managing a crisis in the digital era.

Werth crisis communications experts guided an hour-long discussion on social media strategy illustrated by real-world corporate examples of effective – and less-than-effective – crisis management in the digital space.

“Our participants share with us they ‘get it’ after sitting down with Werth to learn what’s happening with social media strategy and digital crisis management,” said Sandra Harbrecht, Werth president and CEO. “Keeping up with social media strategy can be overwhelming. By presenting it in the framework of time-tested crisis communications practices everyone can understand, Werth has been able to engage our clients and other professionals in recognizing the importance of social media as another component of the communications toolkit.”

Webinar participants said they walked away with a greater understanding of the next steps necessary to improve digital crisis preparedness within their organizations.

“Werth’s Webinar provided good, solid advice for any communicator, and a good reminder that we need to be updating our crisis plans on a regular basis,” said Susan Shafer, director of Standard and Poor’s School Evaluation Services.

“Participating in this Webinar provided an important insight into the rapid changes in the world and the need to update our plans accordingly to incorporate the latest in social media,” said Sharron Kornegay, public affairs manager of Abbott Nutrition.

Stay tuned for more Werth Webinar presentations - Werth in November will present a health care crisis communications Webinar and is developing presentations for additional industries to share in the months to come.

About Paul Werth Associates‘
Founded in 1963, Paul Werth Associates is a full-service public relations, marketing and public affairs firm counseling clients throughout the United States. The firm has offices in Columbus, Ohio and Washington, D.C.

Paul Werth Associates has previously received nine Silver Anvils, which is the highest level of recognition in the public relations industry. The Silver Anvil Award recognizes complete programs incorporating sound research, planning, execution and evaluation. They must meet the highest standards of performance in the profession.

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Crisis Communications: Strategic Counsel in Volatile Times

June 9th, 2009

Virtually all business leaders think about the reputation of their organizations at least once a day … with good reason. They are in high-risk situations, guiding the organizations through the economic chaos at the same time that digital media is exploding, making the task of maintaining and enhancing reputation especially difficult.

As reputation management has become the No. 1 communication priority, more top communications officers are reporting directly to the CEO to allow quick reaction to emerging crises. A May 2009 survey by Weber Shandwick found that 58 percent of chief communications officers now report directly to their CEOs, as opposed to 48 percent a year ago.

They are dealing with a new world: Bloggers post rumors as facts. Everyone with a cell phone is a cameraman. A single video posted by a low-level employee can cause vast damage to a company’s reputation.

In this world, chief communicators may already be in a crisis they don’t recognize if they have not completely updated their crisis monitoring and response programs for the digital world.

To help our clients and friends, Werth is offering a complimentary workshop on “Crisis Communications in the Age of the Internet,” scheduled for 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, June 18, at the Longaberger Alumni House, 2200 Olentangy River Road, Columbus. A continental breakfast will be served and there will be opportunity for networking beginning at 8:00 a.m.

We encourage everyone to take this step toward preventing online reputation damage. For more information, call 614.224.8114 or visit www.paulwerth.com/trouble

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