The Apology Impulse: How the Business World Ruined Sorry and Why We Can’t Stop Saying It

WINNER: American Book Fest Best Book Award 2020 - Communications/Public Relations
WINNER: NYC Big Book Award 2020 - Marketing and Public Relations

Saying sorry is in crisis. On one hand there are anxious PR aficionados and social media teams dishing out apologies with alarming frequency. On the other there are people and organizations who have done truly terrible things issuing much-delayed statements of mild regret.

We have become addicted to apologies but immune from saying sorry.

In January 2018 there were 35 public apologies from high-profile organizations and individuals. That’s more than one per day. Between them, in 2017, the likes of Facebook, Mercedes Benz and United Airlines issued over 2,000 words of apologies for their transgressions. Alarmingly, the word ‘sorry’ didn’t appear once.

This perfectly timed book examines the psychology, motivations and even the economic rationale of giving an apology in the age of outrage culture and on-demand contrition. It reveals the tricks and techniques we all use to evade, reframe and divert from what we did and demonstrates how professionals do it best. Providing lessons for businesses and organizations, you’ll find out how to give meaningful apologies and know when to say sorry, or not say it at all.

The Apology Impulse is the perfect playbook for anyone - from social media executive through to online influencers and CEOs - who apologise way too much and say sorry far too infrequently.