Credibility in corporate apology messaging is spent quickly and rebuilt slowly. The first version of a story about this aspect of communications and media practice tends to become the reference version. Participants take away a working set of documents supporting the communications and media practice capability, ready to be adapted internally. A common pattern is strong design of corporate apology messaging paired with weak follow-through. It treats this area of communications and media practice as an operating discipline and equips participants to run it as one. Discussion is anchored to worked examples of the communications and media practice capability rather than to abstract argument. Applied research in communications and media practice consistently shows that early structure around corporate apology messaging reduces downstream rework. The content is relevant to those who own this part of communications and media practice and to those who are held accountable for its results. It ends with a prioritised list of changes to the practice within communications and media practice that the participant is prepared to defend internally.
Expected Learning Outcomes
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Establish what evidence would demonstrate that corporate apology messaging is under control.
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Select indicators that show whether corporate apology messaging is improving, and reject those that only look useful.
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Assess the current state of corporate apology messaging against a structured set of criteria rather than impressions.
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Measure the effect of communication on corporate apology messaging beyond volume of coverage.
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Build community and stakeholder engagement around corporate apology messaging.
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Coordinate messaging on corporate apology messaging across markets and languages.
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Define the key messages for corporate apology messaging and hold to them under pressure.
Who Should Attend
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Government relations and public affairs officers covering corporate apology messaging.
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Content producers creating material about corporate apology messaging.
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Public relations and communications managers responsible for corporate apology messaging.
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Managers with direct responsibility for corporate apology messaging within the communications function.
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Project and programme managers whose delivery depends on corporate apology messaging.
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Spokespeople and executives who speak publicly about corporate apology messaging.
Course Modules
Open any module to see its sessions and topics.
01
Corporate apology messaging: recovery and rebuilding credibility
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Writing on corporate apology messaging so a journalist can publish it
Set out the decisions in corporate apology messaging that require sign-off and by whom.
Estimate the resource corporate apology messaging requires to run as designed.
Prepare the acknowledgement for corporate apology messaging that does not evade responsibility.
Plan the recovery sequence after a reputational event involving corporate apology messaging.
Session 2Rebuilding trust after corporate apology messaging
Arrange the handover of corporate apology messaging so capability survives staff changes.
Debrief after each significant episode involving corporate apology messaging.
Map the handovers in corporate apology messaging between functions and secure them.
Plan the sequence in which improvements to corporate apology messaging will be introduced.
02
Corporate apology messaging: media relations and the working journalist
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1The hard cases in corporate apology messaging and how to reason about them
Check communication on corporate apology messaging against legal and regulatory constraint.
Compare the cost of corporate apology messaging with the cost of its absence.
Name the crisis roles for corporate apology messaging and confirm authority to speak.
Build a stakeholder map for corporate apology messaging and the message each needs.
Session 2Telling staff about corporate apology messaging before the press does
Review whether coverage of corporate apology messaging changed anything that matters.
Configure monitoring that flags coverage of corporate apology messaging within the hour.
Agree what will be standardised in corporate apology messaging and what will not.
Record the rationale for each significant choice made about corporate apology messaging.
