European banks operating in Russia have to decide between two unappealing options — either make a hurried and probably costly exit that leaves international clients stranded, or stay put and deal with the complexities of international sanctions as well as the risk of a backlash at home.

Over the past two weeks, we have seen an unprecedented brand exodus from Russia. International brands that have been present in the country for many years have made the decision to pull out of their operations, as a direct consequence of president Putin’s own decision to invade Ukraine. 

Naomi Osaka’s decision to withdraw from the French Open due to anxiety-inducing media appearances has ignited a national discussion about expectations from athletes when it comes to public speaking engagements.

Per the tournament’s code of conduct, media interviews are mandatory for athletes. But for Osaka, the Q&As caused "huge waves of anxiety," so she stepped away from the competition to focus on self-care, she explained in a lengthy statement on social media.

Barbara Laidlaw, Partner, global reputation risk and public affairs, Allison+Partners

While every crisis is different, I subscribe to the belief that the best prevention is preemption. Most crises spiral out of control when an issue like a product recall, data breach or high-profile lawsuit coincides with ill-equipped communications to manage a reputationally impactful incident. Contrary to popular opinion, most PR nightmares do not just spring up overnight. They are a product of a number of factors that limit a brand’s ability to mitigate the fallout. By focusing on what we can control in a crisis, you will succeed in reducing its impact.

The usual roundup of crisis stories from the past year—something of a tradition at PR Daily—feels a bit superfluous this year. The COVID-19 crisis, the social justice movement in the wake of the George Floyd murder and the presidential election pretty much sum up the year.

Instead, let’s take a look at the lessons to be drawn from the events of 2020. After all, everything has changed and crisis communicators must adapt—or else.

Here are the lessons industry leaders say we should take from the never-ending crisis cycle we now find ourselves in, and what that means for the future of the industry.

Welcome to our new series here on the Cision blog: Take 5. It's five quick questions on PR, the state of the industry, and how it interconnects with everything else (like the evolving COVID-19 communications crisis), all with the brightest minds around. 

This time we're talking to Matthew Della Croce, Global President + Partner at Allison+Partners. 

As Beijing invests billions of dollars to rebuild its post-outbreak image, we ask one PR chief if the world will be persuaded by its campaign.China is not one to be in most countries’ good books, and this sentiment has intensified in the last few months. Especially in the West, backlash against the republic has amplified as the coronavirus continues to ravage much of Europe and the US. Whether it’s criticism against China’s alleged withdrawal of information around the initial stages of the coronavirus outbreak, or a lack of trust in China’s official tally, the country is buckling on the world stage and in need of a cleaner, more trustworthy image altogether.