In the wake of Obamacare’s botched rollout, it appears that some people are now benefitting from the president’s pet project. However, in spite of the White House’s expectations, these beneficiaries are not the millions of uninsured Americans, but public relations executives.
If the clunky debut of Healthcare.gov has taught us anything, it is precisely what not to do in the world of crisis management. PR firms from across the country have been pointing to the administration’s poor handling of the launch debacle, giving their clients helpful tips on how to avoid similar embarrassments. In one instance, after outlining the problems with the administration’s handling of the crisis in a tidy, 15-point layout, Chicago’s H +A International convinced one of its clients to halt the unveiling of a new software product at a highly attended engineering convention. And in San Francisco, Singer Associates has started encouraging its clients to beta test any online programs prior to committing to the hard launch.
It’s nice to know that Obamacare is doing some good, after all.