Senior Partner And Senior Vice President, Fleishman-Hillard St. Louis

Robert Peirce has 30 years of experience in public relations and the news media, including 16 as a consultant specializing in crisis communications, media training, corporate image programs, issues management, and news media strategies.

Peirce has played key roles in the communications surrounding a number of crisis situations involving plant operational accidents, environmental contamination issues, product defects, class-action lawsuits and other litigation, public affairs issues that have a crisis component, and other controversial developments that represent a turning point for the client – either the client can recover, or its reputation can be severely and sometimes permanently damaged, depending on how the crisis is managed.

A recognized expert in risk communications and communicating in situations of "low trust-high concern,” Peirce has developed a number of crisis communications plans. He designs crisis simulation exercises that test an organization's ability to evaluate uncertain information and make good decisions during a developing crisis.

Highly experienced in conducting news media interview training, including communicating in controversial or difficult situations, Peirce has conducted media training for literally dozens of companies throughout the Midwest. In one of his products, "Storyboards," he actually researches and writes the news stories associated with controversies, which can be a useful planning tool for organizational leaders evaluating potential communications strategies.

In addition, Peirce has helped companies in the financial services, energy, and beverage industries develop new competitive positions in the marketplace, or higher-profile images. He was part of a team that developed a new position for MidAmerican Energy Company; played a key role in the development of a new positioning for Lincoln Financial Group, and led a team that developed and implemented communication strategies for the BEC spinoff of its ownership of Nortel Networks, the largest stock transaction in Canadian history.

For many years, Peirce handled daily corporate communications for Fleishman-Hillard client, Anheuser-Busch Companies, and created several alcohol moderation programs for that company, as part of a positioning for the company in the area of alcohol consumption moderation. He developed the positioning and implemented the communications that led to public acceptance for Anheuser-Busch’s newest brewery near Atlanta, which was being built in a county that at the time did not allow the sale of alcoholic beverages. He managed a critically important public issue for the Sea World theme parks that faced opposition to animals in captivity.

Peirce has extensive experience in handling issues for such clients as Monsanto, DuPont, Syntex, Conoco, Fluor Daniel, Clark USA, Cracker Barrel Old Country Stores, Kodak, and others. He helped build an environmental performance reputation for Anheuser-Busch that led to the company being cited in surveys as the second most environmentally responsible company in the United States. He helped build a proactive environmental reputation program for Monsanto. He also helped to develop three communications programs that have won Silver Anvils from the PRSA.

Before joining Fleishman-Hillard, Mr. Peirce was the health and medical writer at the Louisville Courier-Journal, where he won a dozen national and regional reporting awards. Previously, he was a writer and editor at the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, Indianapolis Star, and the Associated Press in Detroit.

Peirce holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and journalism from Butler University and a master’s degree in public affairs from American University in Washington, D.C.

Peirce: Bob Peirce
Bob Peirce