• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, June 16, 2015

Dentsu Aegis network’s 360i has launched a new Crisis Management practice that is designed to help companies and their employees avoid blunders like the one made by a DiGiorno Pizza staffer last year who unwittingly made light of domestic violence with a “you had pizza” response to the hashtag #WhyIStayed, which was designed for use by people who stayed in abusive relationships to tell their stories. 

The agency describes the new practice as a “brand reputation management” offering that combines social marketing best practices with crisis preparation planning, strategy and social listening. 

In addition, the agency has developed what it calls a proprietary technology to monitor online brand buzz and turn media-buying and search terms on and off when crises arise. The shop said that it would also assess potential threats, as well as their implications across earned, owned and paid channels. 

“Digital and social media are now the front lines of brand reputation, and most brands are less prepared and more vulnerable than ever before,” said Rebecca McCuiston, the agency’s SVP of Influencer Marketing, who will run the new practice. “The key to crisis management is taking proactive steps to prepare for a range of different crises before they happen, and we are helping our clients know when and how to quickly pull the right levers behind their digital and social strategies – everything from changing the tone of their social response, to enlisting influencer support and rapidly adjusting their media buying and search terms.”