The Next Solutions Group

May God bless our fallen military on this Memorial Day and may God Bless America!

The Next Solutions Group is thrilled to be recognized on The Observer’s list of The Top PR Firms for Crisis & Reputation Management in 2024! This achievement is a testament to our team's dedication and hard work. We're excited to continue delivering exceptional results for our clients  #PRPowerList #CrisisManagement #ReputationManagement

How The “10-Year-Olds at Sephora” Conversation Can Advance Corporate Reputation The phrase “10-year-olds at Sephora” is lighting up the Internet, sparking conversations about whether the beauty industry and social media are pushing unnecessary and potentially harmful products on young girls. Scroll through Tik Tok and you’ll see tweens giving make-up tutorials. Or visit stores like Sephora and you’ll likely see baby-faced girls sampling an array of make-up and skincare products. Dermatologists warn that some of these items, such as retinols, can be damaging to young skin and should only be used under a doctor’s supervision. There is also growing concern about the mental health impact of being exposed to unrealistic beauty standards at younger ages.   While many stores sell beauty products, Sephora has been singled out by a trending phrase. When any company finds itself at the center of a controversy like this, it needs to carefully assess how to best protect and advance its corporate reputation. The actions it takes should first and foremost be guided by the company’s core values.   Even if the situation is not company sponsored, but rather community or influencer driven, the company has an opportunity to lean into the controversary and play a leading role to address it.   For example, Sephora should acknowledge the “10-year-olds at Sephora” conversation and consider the following steps:   1. Recognize that young girls are visiting their stores and potentially using products that are not formulated for them. The company could acknowledge the allure of the beauty industry to people of all ages but stress the importance of age-appropriate skincare. 2. Work with trusted experts to educate parents about which products are suitable for children and the ingredients, like retinol, to look out for. 3. Educate young people through TikTok and other social media channels using young brand ambassadors and influencers. Tweens can learn which skincare products are helpful to them, such as sunblock, and why some products are unnecessary or even damaging at their age. 4. Consider developing or selling a line of products specially formulated for young people. This could draw more tweens into the stores, reassure parents that they’re buying appropriate products for their kids and encourage brand loyalty from a wider range of customers.   Not engaging in situations that hit at the heart of your company or industry can harm your corporate reputation. Instead, companies can view these flashpoint moments as opportunities to elevate their reputation, improve their business and show their customers and communities that they are listening to their concerns and they care. #corporatereputation #brandambassadors #tweenmakeup #tweenskinscareproducts #tenyearoldsatsephora Raymond F. Kerins Jr., Lauren Pearle, Dan Childs, Justin Blum, Justin McCormick, Madeline B, Hannah R. Hughes

Fake Biden Robocall Illustrates Risks Companies Face   A robocall that appeared to be an AI-generated voice imitating President Joe Biden should serve as a fresh reminder to corporate executives of the peril they could face from deepfakes. The bogus Biden robocalls went to New Hampshire voters, urging them not to vote in the state’s primary, and instead to save their votes for the general election. The voice sounded like Biden’s and even employed words that he’s known to use, such as “malarkey.” Biden’s campaign said the voice was a fraud and asked the New Hampshire attorney general to investigate. Artificial intelligence allows computers to learn voices—which is particularly easy when there are online clips of someone giving speeches, interviews and other commentary. That technology is now readily available to anyone who wants to spread misinformation and disinformation. And that’s why companies need to take note. Businesses should have plans if someone creates a fake audio or video mimicking the CEO or other top executives making comments that could potentially damage the company and individuals’ reputations. Those plans should include a full-court press to counter the deepfake. Depending on the content of the impersonation, that could include a company statement, a statement from the executive in question—and a recitation of any past statements that contradict what the fake says. Companies should also familiarize themselves with the process for getting online platforms to remove fakes. They should have email addresses and templated requests for removal ready to go. And if the fake message is especially damaging, businesses should consider a long-term reputation campaign. #artificialintelligence #deepfake #reputationmanagement Raymond F. Kerins Jr., Dan Childs, Justin Blum, Lauren Pearle, Madeline B, Justin McCormick, Hannah R. Hughes

Dog Food Rumors Show Corporate Reputation Risk   Companies face increasing peril to their reputations – and sales -- as online rumors and misinformation proliferate. Take the example of Purina, the pet food maker. Complaints that its food has caused illnesses in pets have proliferated online in recent weeks. Those assertions took off on a Facebook group called Saving Pets One Pet @ A Time. The group administrator posted that she had received many reports of dogs or cats growing ill or dying after eating Purina Pro Plan. Posts on TikTok followed. Purina says there are no problems with its food. The online chatter caught the attention of NBC News, which wrote about the issue and quoted the Facebook group administrator claiming she has received 969 reports of dogs or cats growing ill after eating Purina food. The company told NBC the Facebook group hasn’t provided Purina with details about the complaints it received, and a company spokeswoman was quoted saying that a veterinarian who partners with another dog food brand is one of the Facebook group’s administrators. The veterinarian told NBC that she recommends multiple brands of pet food and that she isn’t trying to make money off of the Purina assertions. In such situations, companies need to respond aggressively and transparently on the platforms where the misinformation is spreading – with as many facts as they can muster to prove the allegations false. Unfounded allegations can spread so rapidly that responding quickly is essential. Additionally, there are usually a small group of people responsible for spreading rumors and misinformation. Companies need to identify them, determine their motivation, and address them directly. In this case, Purina could consider having samples of its food tested by a third party and posting the results online. Purina also could hire third-party investigators to examine its factories and make the findings public. And the company could consider responding online to all of those propagating the assertions, pressing for details that would allow it to investigate. Consumers need to see that companies are taking their concerns seriously and being forthcoming with their findings. #corporateresponsibility #customerexperiencemanagement #thirdpartyriskmanagement

Boeing Mishaps Indicate Reputation Rehab Needed for Years to Come   The terror is hard to imagine: a refrigerator-sized “door plug” blows open at 16,000 feet, exposing Alaska Airline passengers to howling winds, sucking one boy’s shirt off and ripping cell phones out of people’s hands.   Boeing, the maker of that 737 Max 9 jet in which this episode unfolded on Friday, followed a textbook crisis communications response. Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun told his staff the company will acknowledge its mistake, operate with 100% transparency and cooperate fully with investigators. This event “can never happen again,” Calhoun said. Days earlier, the company released a statement identifying safety as its top priority. Boeing expressed deep regret, and said it fully supported the FAA’s decision to require immediate inspection of the planes with the same configuration as the one that suffered the mishap. But this isn’t the first time the 737 Max line of jets has come under scrutiny over safety issues. The 737 Max 8 experienced two fatal crashes -- in 2018 and 2019. The issues in those crashes were unrelated to the door plug.   After those episodes Boeing released hundreds of internal messages that included highly critical comments about the development of the 737 Max. One of them said the plane was “designed by clowns who in turn are supervised by monkeys.”   From a communications perspective, these episodes point to the need for deep reputation rehabilitation for years to come.   Whenever a product is involved in a fatal episode, the need for the manufacturer to repair its reputation, and that of its product, increases significantly. When there are multiple fatal or near fatal catastrophes, the damage increases exponentially.   But before any company in such a situation can begin to rebuild its reputation – and the public’s trust -- it has to first ensure the underlying problems have been addressed. Until then, communications efforts will not be effective. #reputationmanagement #crisismanagement #publictrust *Pictured is an image of an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 departing from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on Feb. 9, 2022, before the planes were grounded for safety inspections.

Corporate Reputation and Child Labor High on the list of reputational risks companies face: the use of child labor, either in their own factories, or in the factories of suppliers. Many large U.S. companies have been forced to confront this issue. In a series of articles over the last year, the New York Times documented numerous cases in which migrant kids, arriving in the U.S. in record numbers, have been working in jobs that risk their health and safety, in violation of labor laws.   When it comes to monitoring their suppliers, the Times reported that many companies have outsourced this work to third-party inspectors who conduct private audits. The Times reported in December: “In the past two decades, private audits have become the solution to a host of public relations headaches for corporations. When scandal erupts over labor practices, or shareholders worry about legal risks, or advocacy groups demand a boycott, companies point to these inspections as evidence that they have eliminated abuses in their supply chains.” Yet the Times story found that many of these auditors have failed to catch illegal child labor during their inspections. Some inspectors told the newspaper they aren’t given enough time to thoroughly investigate or were pressured by their employers or companies to tone down their findings.   We view third-party audits as a potentially useful tool – as long as the auditors are truly empowered to catch child labor and are contractually required to put in the time to detect it. Companies should view detecting child labor, and rejecting suppliers who rely on it, as an imperative – something that is essential to preserving their reputations and business. Companies must design approaches that are effective. That could mean sending their own employees to inspect suppliers’ plants if third-party auditors aren’t up to the task. Pointing to the existence of an audit is no longer enough to spare companies’ reputations when their products are shown to be made using child labor. #corporatereputation #privateaudits #endchildlabor 

Tesla’s Autopilot. Part II. When there are strong indications that a product may be responsible for deaths and injuries, companies should act right away. They shouldn’t wait for government investigations, multipart investigative stories and lawsuits.   The latter is the position Tesla finds itself in. This week, the EV manufacturer said it’s recalling nearly all vehicles sold in the U.S. – about 2 million -- to update software and revamp a system that’s supposed to make sure drivers are paying attention when using the Autopilot mode. This follows a two-year investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that found flaws in the Autopilot system.   The over-the-air recall will result in routine checks on drivers’ attentiveness, and respond with warnings about paying attention to the road and keeping hands on the wheel when the Autopilot feature is activated.   Companies should be proactive in recalling products – particularly when lives hang in the balance. They can build trust with customers by acting before being pressured to do so by the government or investigative news stories.   When companies are seen taking voluntary steps to ensure customers’ safety, that sends a positive message and helps build loyalty to the brand. Doing the opposite can fuel a negative perception that’s difficult to reverse. #electricvehicles #crisismanagement #teslacars #recall *Raymond F. Kerins Jr., Justin Blum, Dan Childs, Lauren Pearle, Madeline B, Hannah R. Hughes +++ NSG posted this on 10/27:

God Bless America!

The NSG team is excited to announce that Dan Childs is joining the Meharry Institute of Global Health Equity as a Founding Advisory Board Member. Congratulations Dan, as you embark on this new adventure! #healthcommunications #healthequitynow #thenextsolutionsgroup