How to handle crisis comms in business

My mantra is simple: solutions not problems.  For every problem, issue or crisis - there is nearly always a viable solution to be found. In order to find the best response we need to be 100% transparent and consider things from different angles and perspectives. Open two-way dialogue is the best approach.

The PR professional, handling the communications in these situations, must quickly ascertain all the facts in order to fully understand exactly what the crisis is and what its potential impact might be. The next step is to identify the key stakeholders who may be affected and what the longer-term ramifications will be. Without this information, it is impossible to determine the best solution or to provide clients with quality counsel.

Once you’ve analysed the situation, you need to agree on the core message you want to convey.  Is it an apology, a response, or a clarification? This needs to be honest and succinct. There is no point hiding, or hoping that the crisis will go away. It won’t and often the longer brands take to vocalise something correlates directly with the impact it has on their reputation. In law there is a basic principle that ‘time defeats equity’ and this equally applies to PR crisis comms too.

Avoid arguing and avoid being defensive. It is always better to openly admit that something has gone wrong and to explain what you are doing to put it right – in the most efficient and effective way. Furthermore, it is important to put measures in place to avoid the issue from recurring – this can offer great reassurance to external stakeholders.

The three things brands absolutely need to avoid when faced with a crisis are; lies, manipulation of facts and not saying anything at all. The latter carries the biggest risk, as keeping quiet can at times imply there is more to hide. It is always best to tackle a crisis head on.  Actively replying to a crisis situation is an opportunity for an organisation to position itself as aware, engaging and responsive.  

I’ve handled many crisis situations during my career including reactive press relations to mitigate damage and manage reputations.  Some the most memorable examples include; a sales director (allegedly) offering a top tier journalist drugs in the toilet at a press event, the call center operative who swore at a customer whilst suffering a heart attack on the phone, a child who sadly died from toxic poisoning brought on by over-eating a certain type of sweet, the new business mailer that sent red bras to prospects offering ‘more support’ and ended up with someone’s wife accusing them of having an affair and the nurse that posted a video of her waving around an amputated limb on the internet.

Every crisis is different and needs to be handled in a bespoke manner with compassion, tact and confidentiality at the core. Crisis communications is a specialist niche of PR. It is challenging and often involves long hours, relentless tenacity and a quick-thinking mindset.

At Mandate Creative we prefer to follow crisis avoidance with our clients - by identifying issues and risks, before they occur. We identify what crisis might happen, we put plans and playbooks into place so we are ready and prepared. We do this by working closely and openly with our clients from the off.