Case Study

Lambert’s crisis strategy and scope of work for the project included a wide array of activities:

• Media relations: Lambert coordinated all aspects of the company’s media relations at a time they were facing near-daily, and often highly negative media attention, including from local, statewide and national outlets.
• Community messaging: Lambert provided strategic advice related to a community blog and regularly wrote blog items with the goal of providing timely and accurate information to reduce community anxiety.
• Strategic planning & messaging: Lambert developed key messaging at the beginning of the crisis that was deployed consistently for nearly a year across all forms of communication. Lambert also developed a variety of strategic plans that assessed short-term, mid-term and long-term story and issue risks.
• Government & regulatory affairs: Lambert monitored and advised the company on national media, congressional hearings and regulatory initiatives related to similar environmental issues in states around the country. Lambert also monitored comments, proposals, and reports from state and federal lawmakers, the U.S. EPA and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

Lambert’s counsel and support helped ensure timely, clear and accurate information during a period of high public anxiety – allowing for more rational discussion around the short- and long-term impact assessment and planning efforts. Lambert’s approach also resulted in an impactful decrease in negative media mentions during the six-month window of peak activity on the issue. In measuring the company’s media mentions in any news story regarding similar issues around the country, the company was initially included in more than 50 percent of all relevant news stories. During the last 30 days of that six-month timeframe, the company was only mentioned in 11 percent of stories.