Often the best role for a Crisis PR team is neither seen nor heard.
Crisis PR is often best practiced in the shadows.
The reason is simple: Make the client look good while you remain invisible.
That’s why Crisis PR work is conducted in the strictest confidence, why clients are willing to share their deepest secrets, and why crisis firms routinely don’t publicize clients’ names.
- Nonprofits dealing with the all-too-frequent problem, “Oops. Where’d the money go?” They want to make sure the story gets told right and in a way that doesn’t make them look bad. But hiring Fixers is the last thing a nonprofit with financial problems wants to admit spending money on. That’s why Board members sometimes prefer to foot the bill themselves.
- A senior-care provider embroiled in a land-use dispute with another organization. A Crisis PR team devised and guided the strategy, but the CEO summed it up neatly: “No upside for the other side to know you’re doing this. That’ll just make ’em suspicious.”
- A popular high-end retailer facing a threat that activists would disrupt the store and create negative publicity. Its sterling reputation was at risk. The owner brought in a team but contractually forbade it from ever acknowledging it was there.
Of course, there are times a Crisis PR team needs to be out front:
- When the client’s reluctant to be the public face and voice. Never force a person who’s clearly uncomfortable to field questions from the media. Some remain uneasy even after being trained, and it’s best for someone who is calm and collected to step up.
- When an issue is already public, and you need the media “handled.”
Otherwise, the shadows are a good place to be.
For a deeper glimpse into our world, see our book on Amazon, A Lawyer’s Guide to Crisis PR: Protecting Your Clients In & From the Media.
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You can reach Roger Gillott and Eden Gillott directly at 310-396-8696.
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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