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[/ezcol_1third] [ezcol_2third_end]By Guest Contributor | Lora Pfohl, PR Works[/ezcol_2third_end]
When a crisis happens within your business, it can become not only an operations issue, but also a public relations nightmare. Just ask Paula Deen, the executives of Target or, locally, the board of CertusBank. Can you have a crisis and come out better for it?
Several months since the height of the controversy, CertusBank continues to work and repair not only the organization, but also the organization’s reputation. If you mention them at a dinner party, what reaction do you get? Did they communicate effectively to the community at large? Not only during the days in April, but continually through the process of recovery?
Open lines of communication are vital to any relationship. In your marriage, with your children, and even with your clients or stakeholders, maintaining a healthy relationship is predicated on sharing your ups and downs, trials and tribulations, explaining your actions and admitting your mistakes. It is not an easy thing to do, but keeping your clients abreast of your company’s well-being, and its despair, gives them a sense of engagement, shows your investment in the company/client relationship and, in turn, can improve your credibility.
“Any publicity is good publicity” is not true
Don’t let the bad press define you. When you can positively react to a bad situation, your organization appears responsible and sincere. Bad things will happen. Food Network stars will use racial slurs, companies will have security breaches, executives will mismanage funds, and communicating with your customers about your regret and recourse helps you overcome adversity.
It’s best to confess
You can protect your company’s reputation by being up front and explaining the situation. By being the messenger, you get to create the message. The media and your clients will appreciate receiving the details from you, instead of having to search for answers. You have the opportunity to admit the mistake or challenge, and share your solution, which can deter rumors and speculation.
When Jack-In-The-Box went into defense mode after the E. coli outbreak several years ago, they denied responsibility and blamed the government. The fallout was severe. Fortunately, the fast-food chain was advised to fight the backlash with accepting responsibility for its mistake and, sequentially, becoming an advocate for stricter safety measures for restaurants. The company rebounded, and the rest is history.
Rumors, regret and responsibility
When information is held back, imaginations begin to fly. If your organization is not talking, I can guarantee your customers and competition are. It’s better to be forthcoming and admit your mistake than to let others wonder, hypothesize and judge.
Case in point with the current gubernatorial race: Vincent Sheheen, the Democratic challenger, is using Nikki Haley’s choice to withhold information on the 2012 data breach for more than two weeks against her. His point being than not only did her camp withhold knowledge of the breach for arguably too long, but that it was irresponsible because the individuals affected could have reacted to secure their accounts.
Time management
By having a plan in place, you can control the time it takes to release information. In the heat of the moment, you can become flustered and hasty, especially when reporters are calling. The initial contact to your stakeholders and the media should be a “holding statement” that is distributed immediately following the incident. This statement should have some basic information, and a timetable of when more details will be provided.
Most government agencies, including law enforcement, have the holding statement protocol down to a science. When a crime or accident has happened and news reporters have descended onto the scene amongst the chaos, police officers are trained to provide very basic information while the investigation is unfolding. The 5 o’clock news will report from the site with blue lights flashing in the distance and little information, but the promise from the officials that details are forthcoming.
Holding statements for a variety of scenarios should be prepared in advance, reviewed and updated annually for relevance. Once the holding statement is distributed, the executive team can determine the crisis response details and craft full statements for the media, stakeholders, etc.
Don’t put your foot in your mouth
Making sure you have a documented crisis communications plan eliminates errors. When your employees have been made aware that in a crisis situation no one should talk to the media except identified spokespersons, they won’t share details with the reporter who called the front desk. Everyone in your organization should at least know the initial steps of the crisis plan, which in most cases points out who can comment to the media. Also, make sure the crisis communications plan document is not just in a red binder on everyone’s office shelf, but also a digital file that can be accessed by a mobile device.
Remember, you do not have to share every detail of your company’s crisis, but letting the public know that your organization is working on a solution has a considerable effect. Not letting them know also has a considerable effect. You already have one crisis to overcome. Don’t cause a public relations crisis as well.
