When your business faces a PR crisis, how you communicate with your stakeholders can feel like a game of Chutes and Ladders. Navigate the crisis successfully, and you’ll come out on top. Hit the wrong chord, and you may slide all the way back toward the start.
Typical Stakeholder Groups
Stakeholders are the individuals or groups that directly or indirectly control your business; they can include your customers, employees, shareholders, the general public, local community, etc. Your key stakeholders are the ones who’ll determine whether you’ve effectively communicated your message.
Our clients trust us to handle their PR strategy and communications because they realize the high cost if they don’t address the crisis carefully. They’re afraid of losing revenue, souring partnership deals, burning out their employees, and destroying their most valuable asset: the brand’s reputation.
That’s why it’s crucial to follow these five tips for communicating with your key stakeholder groups during a PR crisis.
Tip #1: List Your Business’ Stakeholders
Identify who your stakeholders are and talk to those who matter most first.
Start by asking yourself, “Who do I need to talk to in order to minimize the damage of the crisis?”
For example, let’s say your business is distributing burgers to restaurants. If there’s a widespread E. coli outbreak, even though it doesn’t (or may not) impact your product, it makes sense to reassure those most important to you. This may include the restaurants you’re supplying to, any customer-facing sites or accounts, and the media (if they call).
Tip #2: Keep Them Informed
After you’ve figured out who you need to reassure, make sure you’re communicating with them regularly.
Don’t wait until the end of the day or week to send out a mass email or make a post on social media. This means regularly updating your stakeholders on the latest developments and your actions to address the situation. Keep your updates concise. During a crisis, don’t overwhelm people with too much detail.
Back to the E. coli crisis example, if your business is not impacted by it, it’s still important to let your stakeholders know that. Don’t let your stakeholders question or doubt the safety of your product.
For more proven tips on how to prepare for a crisis, craft your message, and mitigate the damage of a crisis, check out our Crisis PR Guides.
Tip #3: Be Transparent While Communicating
Being transparent is key in communication during a crisis. Don’t try to hide the truth or spin the facts in your favor. If you’ve made a mistake, own it. Show that you’re taking the crisis seriously. Trust is earned, not given. And if you don’t have all the answers yet, don’t shut them out. Tell them you’re working on getting the answers. Stakeholders will appreciate the continued effort to keep them informed as long as it doesn’t look like you’re just trying to buy yourself time to devise a way out.
Tip #4: Assure Their Safety
If there’s a chance that your stakeholders may be harmed, do what’s in your power to protect them from the crisis. Let your stakeholders know what steps you’re taking to minimize or eliminate the threats of the crisis, but don’t make promises for things outside your control.
For example, if In-N-Out is your biggest strategic partner and you’re the one supplying them beef during an E. coli outbreak, In-N-Out is your TOP PRIORITY.
This means picking up the phone and calling your anchor client(s). Inform them that you’re aware of and are handling the crisis. Ask them if there’s anything they’d like to see in order to protect THEIR company’s interests. While they may not have a specific request, the willingness to work together to find a solution is priceless.
Tip #5: Anticipate The Questions They’ll Likely Have
When communicating with your business stakeholders during a crisis, it’s important to anticipate the questions they’ll likely have. This way, you can address them ahead of time and (hopefully) avoid any misunderstandings.
Some common questions that stakeholders will ask during a crisis are:
- What happened?
- How did this happen?
- What are you doing to fix it?
- How will this impact my business, job, or investment?
- What is your backup plan?
At a minimum, be ready to answer these questions. In a crisis, your goal is to make sure your stakeholders feel like they’re in the loop.
A PR crisis doesn’t just impact you. It impacts them as well.
Does Your Organization Need Crisis Communications and Crisis Management Help?
If you need help protecting your reputation and communicating with stakeholders during a crisis, call us now at (310) 396-8696 for a 15-minute consultation.
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.
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, crisis management, and working with the media.
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