I don’t know about you, but I’m still missing the World Cup. The past edition was very interesting and surprising. It certainly taught a few teams and a number of players some important lessons. Lessons in strategy, style, conduct and, above all, the importance of being humble and keeping one’s feet firmly on the ground.
It is in this light that I ask you to forgive me for using this competition as an analogy to discuss one very challenging aspect in public relations, that of crisis management.
A crisis is always a wake-up call for all those who would have thought that they could never find themselves having to face one. Like those teams who thought they were invincible and were the first ones who came down crashing.
A crisis happens when you least expect it to and when it happens it catches you unawares. There are many imaginable scenarios. A fire, a faulty product, a casualty, an internal fraud, a sex scandal. These situations might seem far-fetched but they aren’t. They are real and possible scenarios that can wreak havoc on any business.
It doesn’t necessarily have to be anything drastic. In today’s environment, whereby customers are so quick to go online to vent their unsatisfaction on public fora and social platforms, even a simple complaint from an unhappy customer can trigger a barrage of comments from other customers.
Things escalate, journalists with an appetite for a news story pick up on the trail of complaints and turn it into a story. Add a sensational touch and the company is in for a tsunami of bad press.
Like technology, which sometimes fails you when you most need it, it is when a crisis crops up that you feel most desperate for guidance.
In the last World Cup, the Germans taught us that attack was the best defence at Brazil’s expense. A key component of a fight-back strategy is the will to revamp approach to social responsibility.
Companies many times seek to dismiss blame by attacking a third party agent who could have caused the incident. Clear statements of regret, acknowledgement of past mistakes and a determination to move forward are an excellent start to tackling a crisis.
Being empathic with the complaining customer, who is frustrated because the camera he ordered was damaged during delivery, shows a compassionate company that is truly interested in the satisfaction of its customers. A public apology is a great start for a company whose truck capsized in the middle of a main road causing a three-hour traffic standstill. Whatever the case, fight the source of the problem and not the individual.
Sometimes, past winning tactics might not necessarily be relevant to today’s playing field, as the Spanish team discovered. Analysing an accident and understanding its cause will help companies identify where the fault is, helping them understand how best to address and respond to the crisis.
If a past crisis merited certain action, that does not mean that today’s crisis merits the same solution. Going to the root of the problem and communicating that the problem is being tackled well is another important aspect in effective crisis management.
And, with the Italian team in mind (which I support), it is not how smart you look off the field but how smart you play on the pitch when the real challenge arises. Many companies are fully equipped, geared up with top-notch branding, health and safety handbooks and procedures and all communication channels at hand. A minor hitch in their production, an accident inside the factory or a product failure will catch them unawares and panic will ensue across all levels.
Smart is the new fast. Negative public perception forms fast. Therefore rapid decision-making and a quick response are requirements in today’s world. But although speed matters, over-reacting in haste can fan flames. Be fast in gathering all salient facts and act upon them, both in terms of company action as well as communicating with the media and the public.
This is why it is vital for companies to have the right crisis management plan in hand. Having a structure in place will help you know how to react given the situation and how to communicate fast, accurately and effectively with the right audiences.
And if the past World Cup taught us nothing, it has taught us that the most successful teams are the ones who put aside the individuality of their respective players and performed as a team.
The World Cup has taught us that the most successful teams are the ones who put aside the individuality of their respective players and performed as a team
Having a structure in place, knowing who will be compiling the information and communicating it will automatically control those who are only interested to be seen.
Crisis management is a challenging but interesting eye-opener. It teaches us that trying to cover up bad news can be a huge mistake because truth always prevails. It teaches us that early and voluntary disclosure by the company is the only way to move forward and that reluctance would mean customers will not only fear the products to be unsafe but will not trust the company even if concrete steps to ensure safety are eventually taken.
Response to a crisis is a public and private responsibility, especially in today’s digitally connected social world, in which people have increasing influence over those who are willing to stop and listen.
The only way to be ready when something terrible or urgent happens is to train yourself on new routines that make sense in our digitally-connected world.
The author is PR and media relations officer at Corporate Identities.