Businesses are expected to face a crisis management situation at some point, whether big or small. In the event that any crisis arrives, it is very important that a brand manages it well. Even proficiently managed companies could become stranded by an unanticipated PR catastrophe. A company’s sales, bottom line, and reputation may suffer from recalls of hazardous or contaminated products, product liability litigations, and other unanticipated catastrophes.
A CEO’s first instinct during a PR disaster might be to stifle the media and decline to comment. According to public relations professionals who have successfully used crisis management techniques in various circumstances, it is a problematic approach to take. They call for the exact opposite response for remedying any problems: a thorough and immediate public revelation.
Your Online Capital Group will share the most effective techniques used to handle crisis management situations:
- Meet the crisis where it is at.
- Address the media!
- Offer a clarifying public statement.
- Understand any potential legal issues.
- Support your customers during this time.
Meet The Crisis Where It Is At.
It will be best if you apply a general principle to problems that arise. The public and media will want to know what happened, regardless of what it is. Truth telling is the impactful guideline for dealing with such circumstances. Avoid making assertions that conjecture, guess, or presume about any aspect of the crisis. Before any statements are made public, be sure to have legal counsel review them!
You Must Address The Media.
When a corporation experiences a PR crisis, the media typically gets in touch with the CEO, the company spokesman, the public relations department (if there is one), or a senior management figure. Reporters will request specific quotes or bits of information to use as quotes in their articles. Send any information requests to the designated crisis management team or person or the spokesman, as applicable.
It is important that no other representatives from the company should speak to the media, especially those on the outskirts of the issue. If statements are made based on assumptions or inaccurate information from hearsay, real damage can be done to your company’s reputation or brand image very quickly.
Offer A Clarifying Public Statement.
A public declaration should also be made to mention how the issue might impact people as well as address any impacts that have already been made. Customers who may have purchased recalled, defective, or contaminated goods would need to be informed of this situation in a timely manner, for example.
In some circumstances, the business should offer a refund or an equal priced replacement for any products or services involved. In some situations, you need to dispose of a contaminated product, and customers who have already bought it must be made aware of any possible risks.
Keep a composed, sympathetic image and tone when speaking to the public or the media. Denying blame or guilt for the situation only increases hatred from the public and customers. Remember that while this tactic is distinctly different from pleading guilty (a legal matter decided in court), you should still make explicit public declarations with legal assistance.
Understand Any Potential Legal Issues.
Legal issues are one of the most important situations you cannot avoid. Consult a lawyer about any legal matters up front. Until the legal aspects of the problem are fully comprehended and addressed, attorneys may advise a blanket “no response” to the media for more serious matters. There can also be insurance difficulties, so lawyers need to review relevant policies.
The drawback of the “no comment” strategy, however, is frequently more extensive media coverage and poor public perception. The defendant company’s silence will be seen negatively by the jury if and when the crisis leads to the filing of civil lawsuits or criminal prosecutions.
Support Your Customers During This Time.
In a problematic situation, you should expect the ire and disappointment of your customers. These are normal responses; if the business conducts itself ethically, these feelings will soon pass away and be replaced with a rekindled commitment to the brand.
Customers might come into stores, for instance, to demand refunds for recalled or defective items or for impacted services. The corporation should implement an immediate full refund or replacement policy to win back customers’ trust for products or services affected by the problem. You can work to restore customer loyalty by giving additional incentives to impacted customers, such as gift cards or discount coupons.
Additional Information
The greatest method to minimize the loss of sales, which is usually unavoidable when a crisis affects a firm, and control the damage quickly is to respond in a timely manner, honestly, and completely when a crisis occurs.
Usually, if crisis management guidelines are followed, sales should eventually be recovered, along with credibility, customer trust, and an improved public image.
Your Online Capital Group is a prime and professional digital marketing agency that offers exclusive digital marketing services to clients at an affordable price. If your company has recently had a crisis situation befall itself, or would like to develop a plan and processes for handling the situation should it arise, give us a call today at (904) 600-3600.
Our team of professionals will review your current online reputation and measure it against the crisis situation you need managed. From there, we will develop a communication strategy as well as an intervention for any avenue of your business that is suffering from the consequences.
