RECOMMENDED REPUTATION MANAGERS

‘There is no smoother operator in the field,’ says one FTSE 100 client who has the engaging and likeable Luckett on speed-dial.

It has been yet another busy year for the former Mail on Sunday journalist, who is praised by clients and commentators alike for his ‘first-class strategy and counsel’. An increased physical and cyber threat in Luckett’s landscape has kept him on his toes with emergency drills for potential terrorist attacks, increasing cyber defences, and answering queries on the ‘double whammy of Brexit and Trump’.

The rapid evolution of the online world has recently driven Hill + Knowlton Strategies to launch a crisis watchdog called Sherlock to help clients navigate virtual catastrophes. The deductory power of the ‘reputation dashboard’ uses Brandwatch
data to track conversations — a useful tool for his corporate clients: ‘It’s a new and more advanced way of being the eyes and the ears for our clients during an issue or a crisis… it’s real-time [insight] that then helps inform a strategic decision.’

Luckett is incredibly proud of his recent hiring of the head of crisis management for the APEC region, which completes the brand’s global ‘cross-market’ offering. He says this also bridges the cultural differences between regional and global crisis management, as many conservative countries in the region perceive that admitting something during a crisis is a recipe for disaster, when the rules of global crisis management dictate otherwise.

‘Speed of response is very important,’ he says. ‘Having a story on your terms, helps shape a public response.’