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So you made the The Top Ten Worst List. Happy New Year!

Each New Year around this time reporters, editors and publishers everywhere – mostly at the expense of business and industry – engage in their favorite board game – “Top Ten Worst…” lists.  The list idea, contrary to any claims otherwise, was not a news media invention. Like they’ve done with other clever creations, news reporters and editors borrowed it. Note we did not stoop to suggest thievery.

While some may credit David Letterman and his nightly Top Ten, the original idea was the creation of American fashion critic, Richard Blackwell, who was a born self-promoter.  During his 86 years on earth, Blackwell was a former child actor, journalist and fashion designer, artist, and television and radio personality.  He was the creator of the “Ten Worst Dressed Women List,” an annual awards presentation that he unveiled in January of each year and was grist for just about every newsroom in America.   Driven by an insatiable hunger for media attention, Blackwell later published the “Fabulous Fashion Independents” list and an annual Academy Awards fashion review. He is responsible for two books, Mr. Blackwell: 30 Years of Fashion Fiascos and an autobiography, From Rags to Bitches. Blackwell was creative, clever and – thanks to the print and broadcast news media – credible.

So, thanks to Blackwell, we see lists around this time of year everywhere in print or broadcast like, The Top Ten Worst Public Relations Failures, The Top Ten Worst Environmental Disasters or The Top Ten Worst Corporations.  And, thanks to the Internet and social media, the lists are tweeted, posted, reposted, shared, texted, blogged and otherwise emailed to countless millions of followers, fans, friends and family.

Many a Chief of Industry, VP of PR and corporate crisis manager has begun the new year by ranting and raving after seeing or hearing or learning that his or her business or corporation has made a list for some fault or error committed the previous year. And, then horrified to realize that the news has reached billions and billions of people around the world from California to China.

There’s not much you can do after your brand or reputation is hoisted by its petard by somebody’s Top Ten Worst List.  But you can do some things ahead of time to head off or even to mitigate any damage from these kinds of lists.  They come under the categories of preparation and protection – the initial fundamental concepts of crisis communications planning that also include response, restoration and mitigation.

Preparation and protection involve identifying all risks that potentially threaten your brand and reputation and the steps to ward off a disaster, incident, accident or other threat.  Knowing your risks makes it possible to effectively plan for protecting your hard earned image.

So, if you found yourself on some Top Ten Worst list last year, then you have no excuse for repeating the error of your ways.  If you’ve avoided appearances on such lists, then you either carefully planned ahead or still have time to do so.