The Importance of Active and Transparent Crisis Management and PR

Based in Baltimore, Wayne Schepens serves as the managing director of LaunchTech Communications, a public relations and marketing agency with a focus on emerging technologies. In January 2019, Wayne Schepens sat on a panel of experts for the American Marketing Association Baltimore chapter's two-part blog series titled “Communications Tips from the PR Pros: Crisis and Reputation Management.”

The discussion, which involved several public relations and marketing executives, centered on a society in which fake news and instant news notifications, as well as a distrust of politicians and corporations, has created an acute need for creative PR strategies. This is particularly the case in situations requiring crisis communication and brand management that will quickly steady companies that find themselves on shaky ground in the eyes of the public.

As Mr. Schepens describes it, his company LaunchTech works primarily in the cybersecurity sphere, with clients forwarding urgent requests for help in educating the public in a credible manner when crisis situations occur. He emphasized the importance of transparency and a proactive approach. By staying sincere and responsive in addressing the issue at hand, rather than reacting defensively, companies will be viewed as operating in good faith, he said.

Providing Insight and Relevant Content within Reputation Management

A respected presence in the Baltimore entrepreneurial community, Wayne Schepens is the founder and managing director of the marketing and PR agency LaunchTech Communications, where he draws on two decades of experience in the cybersecurity industry. In a recent panel discussion hosted by the Baltimore chapter of the American Marketing Association, Wayne Schepens joined other leading PR executives in the region in addressing the topic of crisis and reputation management.

One aspect of an effective approach to reputation management that Mr. Schepens drew attention to concerns the competitiveness in the technology industry. With credibility and company reputation as ever-present factors in a firm's success, his clients must meet the nuanced public relations needs of leading-edge organizations working in areas such as retail, finance, media, and the government.

Just as with consumers, these organizations are seeking validation and strong reasons to trust. This can take the form of third-party endorsements, which may include referrals and testimonies. It also encompasses analyst reports and articles in well-regarded publications. The bottom line is that companies that succeed are able to position themselves as thought leaders who can provide innovative solutions to complex challenges.

Hitting for the Cycle in Baseball

Following nearly five years as vice president of W2 Communications in Baltimore, Maryland, Wayne Schepens founded LaunchTech Communications in 2015 and continues to serve the company as managing director. Beyond his responsibilities at LaunchTech, Wayne Schepens enjoys spending time with his children and staying active by coaching baseball.

In baseball, a player can reach base by error or by being walked by the pitcher in addition to hitting a single, double, triple, or homerun. A player who records at least one of each of these hits in a single game is said to have hit for the cycle. If the player also hits the cycle in this exact order, it is considered a “natural cycle,” one of the sport’s rarest achievements.

In Major League Baseball (MLB), hitting for the cycle is relatively rare. Curry Foley recorded the first professional cycle in 1888, and 323 additional cycles have been recorded since, for an average of about 2.5 cycles per season. Brock Holt of the Boston Red Sox completed the cycle against the New York Yankees during the 2018 American League Division Series, the first postseason cycle in league history.

John Reilly, Bob Meusel, Babe Herman, and Adrian Beltre are tied with three career cycles each, while five players have recorded two cycles in the same season. The natural cycle has only been achieved 14 times in the history of professional baseball, most recently in 2006 by Gary Matthews, Jr. No player has hit for the cycle with an inside the park homerun since 1943.