“I can do it myself.”
Famous last words before a media circus occurs.
We’re intelligent, capable people, so why should we delegate or outsource work to others? It’s about freeing up our time to work ON the business instead of IN the business. It’s about not trying to wear all of the hats or trying to teach yourself the ever-evolving laws, tax rules, and public relations strategies.
A company was working on launching a new product. Pretty far along in its development, one of the managers realized a flaw in the process. They were already barely on schedule, and the manager didn’t know if they should risk throwing the entire project off-course. So they decided to ping a few colleagues to discuss the Pros & Cons.
On the one hand, if they continued along as planned, the product would still function, and maybe no one would notice. On the other, was it worth baking that error into the final product and triggering a recall? Things would have gone very differently in Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope if there wasn’t a fatal flaw built into the Death Star.
The media has no mercy. Information got leaked, and the circus started.
Word of this flaw slipped out. To make matters worse, so did the discussion around whether or not to do anything about it. Out for a morning run, the company’s PR & Communications Director got an email from a reporter.
At first glance, it was from a reporter they’ve worked with before, so she wasn’t alarmed and continued on their run, thinking, “I got this! I’ll deal with this later.”
But then another dinged again…And again. Multiple media outlets were reaching out, and quickly it turned into “Oh god, I’m sooo not ready for this!”
Having read the email more carefully, she immediately reached out to the team lead for Product Development to get a rundown of the situation. Before they jumped off the call, they told her:
“You’re the Director of PR & Communications. You handle it.”
DIY may be suitable for putting up shelves in your laundry room without causing any cuts or bruises, but if you apply DIY to Crisis Management, you may quickly end up in the Emergency Room.
Here are two questions you should ask yourself before even thinking of a DIY approach:
- Are you well-equipped to handle the media yourself?
- Are you comfortable dealing with the media about this particular issue?
Yes, she was well-equipped to handle the media and was comfortable working with the media on MOST things. But for this particular issue, she wasn’t comfortable. She knew that this situation required specialized knowledge not only from an optics perspective but also from other departments that assessed risk. So, she immediately reached out for outside counsel.
By assembling the team instead of trying to go DIY, the company was able to handle the situation quickly and minimize the blowback. Putting together a team to manage the issue wasn’t a sign of weakness; it was a sign of intrinsically understanding the importance of operating in your Zone of Genius and protecting what you’ve worked so hard to build.
Are you confident in your current skills to face a media frenzy and talk to news outlets?
If you’re not equipped for or comfortable working with the media, we’re here for you.
Give us a call at (310) 396-8696 for a 15-minute consultation.
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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.