PR Crisis Management: Tell It All, Tell It Fast, Tell The Truth
I turned on the TV news recently to learn that one of our best soccer teams might have missed a big game due to illness, the story told to us by a reporter stationed outside the hotel where the players enjoyed lunch before the game.
In the car this was the top story on the radio news with the story being read by a reporter, again it was said he was outside the hotel. He confirmed that the Police had collected samples from the restaurant to deliver them to the health authorities.
Guess what? The story was also top of the tabloids on my desk when I got to the office. Photographs of the hotel in question generally backed up the story.
As a PR professional, I reflected on what the hotel’s PR people are going through this morning. This is a prestigious hotel group with a well-crafted brand image of quality in the premium segment of the market. Here they are, in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons!
They will most likely have a documented Crisis Management Plan or, in softer terms, a Public Relations Communications Plan. But it’s not just global businesses that need to update a plan in advance. Being in business, or even running a nonprofit organization, exposes everyone to the risk of a public relations crisis.
No organization is very far from crises and the resulting media attention. Your reputation can be gone or seriously damaged in an instant. A crisis is any situation that threatens the integrity or reputation of your company, usually caused by adverse or negative media attention.
These situations can be any type of legal dispute, theft, accident, fire, flood or man-made disaster that can be attributed to your business. It can also be a situation where, in the eyes of the media or the general public, your company did not react appropriately to one of the above situations. This definition is not all-encompassing, but is designed to give you an idea of the types of situations in which you may need to follow this plan.
Crisis management is a complex subject, but here are five tips to get you started. And, start, you must do it.
1. Don’t wait. Many organizations only put their crisis plans into action once a disaster strikes. Instead, brainstorm possible scenarios or types of disasters that could occur and start planning for them. In fact, I’ve found this to be a positive process, as bringing key executives together to brainstorm and explore scenarios often brings up a variety of issues they can address.
2. Realize that crises take a wide range of forms. Like I say, this could be anything from a hotel crisis to a legal dispute getting out of hand or customer dissatisfaction aired on the internet. I even remember a weekend phone call from a Scout leader whose camp had been ravaged by storms and some kids were injured; the media was on the phone harassing her about the story! They will all require slightly different answers. Brainstorm and prepare for as many as you can imagine.
3. Develop a public relations communications plan. A barrage of media attention can overwhelm you within minutes of the news. Also, think about how you will get the information out to staff, supporters, investors and customers; yes, remember to share your side of the story with customers as soon as you can. Internal communication is just as important as communication to the general public.
A physical plan has to do with getting everyone out of the building in the event of an earthquake. A communications plan involves identifying a spokesperson, developing press releases, setting up a media hotline, and finding a location where you can hold a press conference.
4. Be prepared to talk to the media and your constituents. Even if you can’t say much because your attorney is worried about liability, plan to say what you can as soon as you can. Care, show concern, speak with concern, and always tell the truth. That doesn’t mean you have to tell everything at once, but never, ever lie.
5. Provide media training for senior management. Do this before disaster strikes. Make it a regular part of board and senior employee training. Media training doesn’t have to cost a lot if you have someone on your board working in public relations or someone who is a member of the media. The key is to do it regularly so that new people are always being trained and others are not becoming obsolete.
Don’t delay your crisis planning. Don’t ruin your hard-earned reputation by mishandling sticky situations! The managers and PR team of that hotel this morning went to bed last night unaware of the explosion of unwanted publicity they faced this morning. Hopefully your PR Communications Plan will be a trusted assistant today!
suggested reading
1. “Crises in Organizations: Managing and Communicating in the Heat of Crisis,” by Laurence Barton.
2. “You Better Have a Hose If You Want to Put Out the Fire: The Complete Guide to Risk and Crisis Communications,” by Rene A. Henry.