When your company is facing a PR crisis, the last thing you want to do is make a mistake that will aggravate the backlash.
Unfortunately, we repeatedly see way too many organizations falling victim to these mistakes. In this blog post, we’ll discuss four of the most common crisis communication (and totally avoidable) mistakes that we see time and time again.
1: Playing Ostrich
Playing ostrich means ignoring the issue altogether. Imagine how your clients and stakeholders will feel when you ignore their concerns.
Will the investors feel like their investment is safe? Will the customers continue doing business with you if they feel like you don’t give a hoot about what happens to them?
When an organization faces a PR crisis, it first needs to tackle the problem head-on. The longer you wait to address the problem, the more damage you’ll likely cause.
If you try to bury your head in the sand, the public will get even angrier and be much less forgiving.
By talking to your various stakeholders in the early stages, you get the chance to tell your side of the story from the get-go. That means less room for manipulation and false narratives either from the other side or in the void of information.
2: Responding Late
Crises are time-sensitive, and you cannot afford to wait days, or sometimes even hours, to address the problem.
By responding late, you’re allowing your competitors and detractors to take control of the narrative. They’ll be the ones setting the agenda, and you’ll be left playing catch-up.
Not only will all eyes start fixating on you (and what you do or fail to do next), but you’ll also be responsible for putting your hard-earned reputation at stake. People will remember that you didn’t address the crisis quickly and didn’t appear to have control over the situation.
Having holding statements prepared is one approach to replying promptly.
Related Post: 4 Things You Need to Know About Crisis Communications
3: Lying and Being Dishonest
One of the worst things you can do in a PR crisis is to lie or appear dishonest. That’ll only add fuel to the fire and damage your reputation even further!
When caught lying, it’s common to try to cover it up with more lies. That’s only making matters worse. So is making excuses for bad behavior.
You have to be honest with your internal and external stakeholders.
But being honest doesn’t mean complete transparency either. You need to shift the narrative and use selective truth-telling. And no, that’s not the same as lying.
Address the issue, apologize if you’re at fault, and share the steps you’ll take to ensure this will never happen again.
For more proven tips on how to prepare for crises, craft your message, and mitigate the damage of a situation, check out our Crisis PR Guides.
4: DIY
DIY is THE most common mistake that we’re hired to fix.
Intelligent and highly successful executives, business owners, and board members attempt to deal with a crisis on their own. They have good intentions, but even if you’re a trained professional, it’s always ill-advised to try to manage it yourself. You’re too close to the situation, may have conflicting interests, or are emotionally wrapped up in what’s happening and, as a result, can’t be objective.
That’s why you should always get an outside perspective.
We have decades of experience handling some of the most iconic crises and, more importantly, managing all of the scandals you never got to hear or read about.
Call us at (310) 396-8696 for a 15-minute consultation to find out how our services will help you.
Gillott Communications is a Los Angeles-based public relations firm that specializes in high-stakes Crisis & Reputation Management with more than 50 years of expertise in strategic communications, corporate public relations, and working with the media.
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