Understanding these four keys to surviving a PR crisis is essential. Although you may not have any imminent concerns on the horizon, we can’t predict the future.
If you cover your eyes, we can still see you.
And if you pretend it doesn’t exist, the bad press doesn’t go away.
No matter the industry or platform, a PR crisis can happen to anyone without exception.
Social Media: TikTok creators gearing up to challenge a ban,
Food & Beverage: Bud Light faced boycotts from many of its consumers after Dylan Mulvaney, a transgender influencer, promoted its campaign on social media.
Higher Education: College campuses poorly managed protests that started with Columbia and spread nationwide,
It’s not a matter of if you or your organization will face a crisis, but when.
While we all love some positive PR, it’s important to remember that PR crisis planning and management are essential to maintaining your personal and organizational reputation. You do not have a complete PR strategy if crisis isn’t addressed and prepared for.
Preparation is Key To PR Crisis Management
The preparation and planning work begins long before the PR crisis hits. During quiet times, we will…
Analyze your organization's messaging
Think through possible negative scenarios
Train key stakeholders and spokespeople on what to do in a crisis
Assist with a reputation analysis for each key stakeholder
This planning allows you to operate efficiently and effectively when moments of crisis strike your organization, with our team providing real-time guidance and insight.
Preparation like this would have been key to avoiding further disaster for the royal family’s communication team when Kate Middleton’s Doctored Photo was deemed a fake, and The Associated Press issued a kill notice. This poorly planned attempt to distract the media, only created a new round of controversy and even more attention on Middleton’s private health struggles.
Whether it’s a past incident that’s come back to haunt you or a headline seemingly out of left field, when these situations hit, they are incredibly stressful, and you should have a trusted team in place to better manage these situations long before you are in the heat of the moment..
Speed
“Communication teams are expected to take control of the crisis by quickly contacting the right stakeholder, at the right time, through the right channel.” shares Eleanor Hawkins in a newsletter published by Axios. It’s every reporter’s job to get the headline out there as quickly as possible, so when your organization is in crisis, time is of the essence.
The time we spend on PR crisis planning ensures we’re able to implement your crisis response as quickly as possible. But without proper planning and alignment, you’ll lose time and focus with internal struggles that will affect your outward response and may result in even more negative coverage.
When a PR crisis arises, the ability to rapidly respond is powerful!
Trust in Your PR Crisis Team
Not only does the time we spend planning empower us to act quickly on your behalf, but it also allows us to build trust with one another. So, as we work on your behalf, reach stakeholders, and respond to press inquiries, we are able to function as a team. It’s difficult to be objective or take in every facet of a situation, which is why having an outside perspective you trust is key.
American Airlines was forced to quickly backtrack after its lawyers claimed a legal defense that a nine-year-old “knew or should have known” that she was being recorded with a hidden camera in the airplane lavatory. The backlash against the airline was severe and swift. While they have apologized, the family's attorney calls into question the airline’s sincerity.
While planning long before a crisis hits is preferred, if you find yourself in a crisis and have yet to establish a plan or relationship with a PR team, absolutely reach out to Cleary Strategies.
A Journalist’s Lens
The most crucial key to success is ultimately an outsider who understands how journalists work when covering PR crises and with whom you have an established relationship.
Many times, organizations could avoid self-made crises by simply working with a PR team uniquely equipped with a journalist’s perspective in advance. For example:
When Sephora hit $10 billion in revenue they rewarded their frontline workers with “thank you” cookies. Employees took to social media to express their dissatisfaction—they didn’t feel heard, some felt insulted, and Sephora was put in an awkward spotlight.
Dating App Bumble was forced to backtrack when women on social media quickly denounced the tech company for launching a series of billboards touting, “You know full well a vow of celibacy is not the answer.” Women felt this wasn’t Bumble’s place to weigh in and it hurt the app’s reputation as pro-woman.
In both instances, the organizations may have avoided the controversy if the right outsider was brought in to provide insight into how these actions might be received by the public.
Get Ahead of the Game
Having a team of former journalists who have reported on some of the most controversial figures and headlines of our time, C-Strat will guide you through your own PR crisis.
The more time we have to prepare, the faster and more effectively we can respond. If you have the luxury of reaching out before a crisis, please do so. Together, we will lay a foundation for the future that will allow you to weather the storm when it hits. If you are in a crisis currently, we still welcome the call and will work to guide you out of the storm.