Michael here, checking in with another contribution I’ve made to PR NEWSWIRE’s Investor Uprising. Today I’m tackling the topic of ethical investments. It’s a tough line to walk in today’s world, with less than ideal examples of investments; BP, Toyota and Enron popping up every day of the week. Here I share my basic yet thorough tips on how to keep your investments inline with your personal and professional code of ethics. Five easy questions to ask yourself to make sure you’re investing ethically…”Five Exercises To Work Ethics Into Your Investments”

BP should exemplify the need for businesses to have "insurance policies" for their corporate processes.

A few days ago, I was talking with a journalist about my insights of corporate reputations in light of the BP fiasco.

Certainly, there are many people who would subscribe that all it takes is one chink in the armor to knock a company like BP and its people down–and we all know there are people lining up at the door.  Tony Heyward has become corporate America’s latest addition to America’s Most Wanted.  If things weren’t bad enough, Heyward’s attendance at a yacht race has the PR people swimming uphill yet again (uh, Tony, unless your yacht is solar-powered I wouldn’t be going to these sorts of events anytime soon–word to the wise).

Just as we hear about consumers needing insurance policies for when they become disabled or hurt, companies need to think about the types of insurance available to them to protect themselves.  In honor of Heyward’s latest snafu, following are some suggested options for companies to consider when “insuring their safety”:

• “Long-term care”–What happens when a company and/or its employees need to stop work for extended periods of time?  How are internal processes handled such that work disruption is minimized?
• “Whole life insurance”–Companies should offer self-imposed fire drills about how to handle a catastrophe before it happens.  From my vantage point, I am surprised at how much BP is “winging it” as opposed to following an established set of protocols. As a result, they are digging themselves a deeper hole from which to climb.
• “Disability”–A comprehensive review of policies and procedures is in order for any company to protect itself from internal issues which could hamper the company making money in either the short- or long-term.What other types of policies are out there?

Could the "what's old is new again" idea work for BP?

Back in September 2008, I published a post about where I thought this big idea called sustainability was headed.  Green had been pushed way too far, and I had suggested that “green” get a makeover.

I didn’t think that the makeover would come at the expense of a PR disaster such as that which faces BP.  But I had to smile when I saw the following post from the June 15 FAST COMPANY electronic newsletter that cited how badly green has been tarnished.  The author, a noted brand strategist, suggested that BP go back to AMOCO and move away from green toward blue.

While I would love to say that smart minds think alike, it does speak to a bigger issue–how does a company evolve from a crisis with its brand or icon leading the way?

When has a company emerged from a crisis with a new identity?  I am interested in your feedback.