The Polpeo Blog | Polpeo - Crisis Simulations

The biggest brand crises of 2024

January 15, 2025

2024 saw some big crises for brands. Here is our pick of the biggest: Boeing’s bad year It was a(nother) bad year for Boeing. A 737 Max 9 lost a door plug mid-flight, whistleblowers have been speaking out about defects…

Why every crisis team needs a challenger, holding the team to account

November 27, 2024

Kate Hartley

When we run simulation exercises, almost every team says the same thing: “We were too slow to act. Time ran away from us!” They’re right. Time does run away from you during a crisis. There’s a lot of research to…

United Airlines passenger removal scandal – what can leaders learn?

July 30, 2024

Kate Hartley

When Dr David Dao was dragged off a United Airlines flight in 2017, there was international outrage. For anyone who doesn’t know the story, he had been selected to give up his seat (to make way for a United employee…

Tylenol’s 1982 recall and lessons in leadership from Johnson & Johnson

June 11, 2024

Gemma Storey

The first episode of our new Polpeo podcast, ‘What Just Happened?’ explores the so-called ‘Tylenol Murders’ and subsequent mass product recall of Tylenol in the US by owners Johnson & Johnson. The crisis was a masterclass in leadership and has…

Preparing for a crisis: crisis strategy essentials

April 25, 2024

Gemma Storey

Going into a crisis without a crisis strategy is a bit like saying, “I want to be a CEO by age 40”, but having no actual plan to get there. Luck, connections and hard work may be all that some…

What risks are leaders concerned about now?

March 6, 2024

Gemma Storey

In January, we looked at the risks that were top of mind for leaders in the coming year. But what are the reputational risks that comms leaders are worried about right now? Polpeo works with organisations from a range of…

Supporting your teams with crisis simulations

February 28, 2024

Gemma Storey

It seems like every day there’s another crisis in the news. Some are crises the organisation could have prevented by making the right choices, at the right time – others seem to swoop in out of nowhere and create a…

2023: the year in crisis

December 14, 2023

Kate Hartley

It’s been a crisis-packed year for brands. From failure in company culture or leadership, to sophisticated cyber attacks, here is our pick of the year’s crises, and what we can learn from them. Culture is critical (and starts with behaviour) …

Does backlash always mean backdown? No. Here’s why.

July 14, 2023

Gemma Storey

Like every month, June had its fair share of challenges for brands, but three things stood out for me – and they all involved backlashes. Brands backing down in the face of hate-fuelled backlashes Rainbow washing is a term that…

Why brands must be prepared to stand by their inclusive values during Pride and beyond

June 21, 2023

Tamara Littleton

If you’re going to get involved in a Pride campaign, sadly, you have to be prepared for a backlash. But we need those campaigns more than ever before. Homophobic and transphobic attacks are on the rise. Brands are experiencing a…

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