5WPR founder and CEO Ronn Torossian guest-lectured at Harvard Business School on crisis communications, teaching the "United Breaks Guitars" case study to two MBA classes. The session, covered by prnewswire.com, included a student Q&A on brand crises involving Nike, Colin Kaepernick, and the growing influence of social media on corporate reputation.
What did Torossian teach at Harvard Business School?
Torossian led a case study session on United Airlines' "United Breaks Guitars" incident, a widely cited example of how a slow, reactive communications response can turn a single customer complaint into a lasting reputational problem. He walked two Harvard Business School classes through the mechanics of the case: what United's crisis communications team did, what went wrong, and how the response could have limited the damage.
What did Torossian tell Harvard Business School students about crisis PR?
"Crisis doesn't care whether it's your birthday, your vacation, the weekend. When it occurs, the company must be prepared with an authentic and genuine approach," Torossian told the class. "In the case of United Airlines, the company failed miserably at handling this, and other crisis PR issues."
During the Q&A, students asked about Nike's Colin Kaepernick campaign and the expanding role of social media in shaping brand reputation. "With all the social media platforms expanding and evolving, companies need to be very aware of how this platform gives any consumer a voice, and for those notable ones to have an even bigger impact," Torossian said. "Today, a recommendation from the Kardashians is perhaps as, or more, valuable than a Super Bowl commercial, and that is not going to change anytime soon."
Why does a Harvard Business School guest lecture matter for a crisis PR firm?
An invitation to teach at Harvard Business School signals recognition from one of the world's leading business schools of a communications executive's expertise in crisis PR. Modern crises can move stock prices, force out executives, and cause long-term brand damage, which is why business schools study real cases like United Breaks Guitars alongside working practitioners who have managed similar situations firsthand.
"Harvard Business School is known to educate the best and the brightest, and it was evident in the student's insight and analysis," Torossian said. "The student's foresight and engagement were inspiring. From the Bronx to Harvard, I was proud to present at HBS and look forward to repeated visits."
