Public Relations Firms with Crisis Management Capabilities
Charleston|Orwig
Charleston|Orwig is a $47-million, 47-person communications agency founded in 1992. The agency collaborates with their clients’ senior management and key staff to advance their business goals by elevating corporate reputations and defending companies when they face activist, government and media pressures. Charleston|Orwig has been used by such clients as Smithfield Foods, Miller Brewing Company, Pfizer Inc, Bayer Environmental Science, International Dairy Queen, Applebee’s International, PPL Corporation, United Food Group, Alpharma and many others.
Lyle Orwig, 262-352-2426, lorwig@charlestonorwig.com
or Amy Richards, 262-352-2446,
arichards@charlestonorwig.com
Dezenhall
Dezenhall
is "dedicated exclusively to managing crises
and high-stakes communications issues." The
agency is relatively small with 30
professionals, many of whom joined the agency
from larger firms in town. The agency's client
list is confidential.
Contact: Eric
Dezenhall, 202/296-0263
Edelman
Founded in 1952,
Edelman is the largest private, independent
public relations agency in the world with 40
offices around the globe. Edelman's Crisis and
Issues Management practice helps companies
anticipate, prepare for and manage a wide range
of complex situations, including product
recalls, accidental and malicious food
contamination, labor relations, environmental
issues, poor financial/corporate performance
and high-profile litigation. The agency's team
of PR crisis management and communications
experts -- which includes lawyers, political
strategists and former journalists -- has
provided counsel to dozens of processed food
and meat companies as well as several industry
associations.
Contact: Bill Keegan,
312-240-2624 in Chicago or Frank Kauffmann,
202-326-1731 and Charles Bakaly, 202-371-0200
in Washington, DC
kglobal LLC
kglobal’s team of veteran communications professionals has managed more than 160 food, beverage and drug recalls for companies of all sizes. The firm specializes in coordinating its work with the world’s leading food regulatory law firms. Partner Gene Grabowski earned the Crisis Manager of the Year award for his work, which has included the Blue Bell ice cream recalls, the North American pet food recalls, U.S. spinach recalls, the global lead-paint-in-toys recall and numerous national and global outbreaks of Salmonella, E. coli and campylobacter in meat, poultry, produce and packaged foods. Clients include Perdue Farms, Smithfield Foods, Grocery Manufacturers of America, the National Pork Producers Council, Kraft Foods, Bob Evans Family Restaurants, Arby’s Restaurants, Safeway Supermarkets, Blue Bell Creameries, Leprino Foods, Wyeth, Bayer, Merck, Bausch + Lomb and Schering Plough.
Website: kglobal.com
Contact: Gene
Grabowski,
202-270-6560
Ketchum
Ketchum is a global PR firm which represents a significant number of food and agriculture clients and has a deep understanding of the meat industry along with foodservice and retail distribution. Ketchum is the issues/reputation agency for National Cattlemen’s Beef Association as well as several dairy clients. The firm has counseled QSR companies, food manufacturers and meat processors on communicating quality and safety issues and has helped its clients through complicated FDA and USDA actions. Ketchum is also the agency of record for the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA).
Contact: Bill Zucker, 312/228-6893, bill.zucker@ketchum.com or Kim Essex, 312-228-6820, Kim.essex@ketchum.com
Weber Shandwick
Weber Shandwick is a leading, full-service global public relations firm with offices in more than 80 countries around the world. The firm’s Crisis Communications/Corporate Issues Management Practice helps clients anticipate, prepare and manage issues and negative events affecting reputation. The team’s crisis experts have been involved in preparing for and responding to some of the most visible political and corporate crises. In particular, Weber Shandwick has a great depth of experience working with food companies of all sizes on a broad spectrum of issues, including product recalls.
Contact: Julie Ketay, 312.988.2294 (office), 312.307.7870 (mobile)
