31st Jul 2015 by Leanne Bryan

10 Yetis Insight Blog - Ten Things to Remember when Crisis Communications are Needed

Ten Things to Remember when Crisis Communications are Needed

1. Don’t Panic

The worst thing you can do in the face of the crisis is lose your cool completely, panic and let the red mist of rage or dark shroud of fear taint your reactions. Don’t allow panic to come into any of your communications. Of course you should show emotion, in some circumstance, but where PR is concerned, panic is a no-go. If you have already slipped and lost control, losing it even further isn’t going to help regain your reputation and rectify the situation.


2. Use Perspective

It’s easy to lose all kinds of perspective when you first get notification of something going awry. When it seems like Everything Is Going Wrong, it’s hard to take a breather and think about how much this really matters. Will it matter next week? What about next month – or next year? Sometimes the shit really hits the fan and it is a Big Deal, but a lot of the time PRs and the C-Suite get in a fluster over very minor things, which will blow over. Ask yourself: is this really life or death; make or break? Losing perspective can make tiny things take on major importance, which isn’t what you need in a crisis.


3. Have the Right People on your Side

Having the right team around you, be that in-house or supported by a PR agency, is really crucial when things go wrong. You need to be sure of who you can trust, and keep them close to hand so you know that they are on the other end of the phone, Skype or email when you need them to be. A good PR agency will handle a crisis whenever it arises, be that 3pm or 3am

4. Prepare in Advance

The worst mistake many companies make, from small start-ups to giant global brands, is burying their head in the sand. If you know a PR disaster is on its way, you have the opportunity to prepare for it; an opportunity which many companies which they would have had when things are unexpected! Don’t neglect it and hope it will sort itself out or simply go away. It’s an incredibly frustrating time in the day of a PR when a drama rears its ugly head and it turns out the client knew for hours, days or even weeks that there was the possibility of this happening. Devise a PR strategy and let the key contacts know as far in advance as possible.

5. Don’t Rush but Don’t Drag your Heels

Timing a statement is a very critical thing. Of course you want to react as soon as possible, but a knee-jerk comment isn’t going to help anybody in the long run. You need to get yourself together first, compose something which reasonably reflects the message you want to get across and, most importantly, make sure everyone is happy with it. If you respond immediately, of course the press will love you for it – but it still may not work out in your favour. You don’t want to drag your feet either, or get criticised for avoiding or delaying the topic, but be sure to give yourself time to think it through.

6. Be Selective with Who you Talk To

Having a good PR on side is really what you need here, as they should be able to advise you who to turn to and who to avoid like the plague. Some journalists may be out to get you ,regardless of the circumstance or what you have to say about it. In this case, it can sometimes be better not to fuel the fire by co-operating. You should have somebody on board to advise you about the state of your media relations; figure out who will be the kindest and start there.

7. Be Genuine

This is probably most well known in the political arena, where it’s become so bad that the public don’t know who to trust – or trust no one at all. Big brands in particular are often perceived as being faceless, nameless organisations that just don’t really care, when it comes down to it. Comments and statements issued often start out with the intention of apologising – or at least recognising the problem and trying to correct it – but end up coming across cold and corporate. Again, the public relations team should be able to advise on how best to get your intentions across to the media.

8. Haters Gon’ Hate

It’s true that you can’t please everyone; don’t sweat it. As long as you address the main issue and make sure you solve the situation with a clear conscience as a result, don’t worry if you still have some clinging to the crisis. People (and, often, the media!) love drama and some just won’t want to forgive and forget. So they won’t. Let them forget about it in their own time. There’s no point trying to talk them round as you will just end up revisiting it time and time again – once you’ve handled it, let it stay in the past. Take it away, Taylor...

9. Be Wise with your Spokesperson

This is a really savvy point and where a lot of companies facing a crisis fall down. You might have the perfect statement, but if you choose the wrong spokesperson, it can still come across clunky, unprepared or – worse – overprepared and insincere. Some PR advisors recommend using a female spokesperson as women tend to be perceived more sympathetically and seen as more genuine than men. Regardless of the gender, just make sure they are experienced and convey what you need them to.

10. Don’t say Sorry too QuicklyThis often stems from a knee-jerk reaction. A second on the lips can seem a lifetime on the front pages. Do not say the S word unless you’re sure, really 100% sure, that you are happy to accept responsibility. Once it’s out there, there’s no going back.

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