Got a PR crisis? 3 steps to handle it right
Image credit: Markus Winkler via Unsplash
Picture this: Your company is doing well, maybe you’re on a roll. Your business is growing and you’re launching successful initiatives that are earning you fame and love. Suddenly, it hits the fan – someone digs up some old dirt on someone at your company and threatens to take it public. Or maybe a tense situation that has been brewing between you and another party for the past several weeks has now escalated to a full-blown PR nightmare in a matter of minutes, leaving you with little time to get your ducks in a row.
By definition, a crisis is something that requires your immediate attention (if it can wait until tomorrow, you’re probably not in a crisis). Given this, you may find yourself in a state of panic. In the digital age, it's all too easy for out-of-context screenshots of old emails, tweets, photos, or text exchanges to emerge and go viral, sending Instagram or Twitter into a tizzy and leaving your mentions in shambles.
You don't want to become the next victim of #cancelculture. But making a hasty public apology at an attempt to make the situation “go away” isn’t always the best move. In fact, in many cases, rushing to make a public apology may do more harm than good and actually cause things to backfire. And in a crisis situation, no action is not even an option.
If you find yourself facing a PR crisis, follow these three steps to get things back on track as quickly as possible:
1. Take a deep breath, and a step (or three) back so you can look at the situation objectively.
When people and/or companies are embroiled in a crisis, oftentimes their knee jerk reaction is to “fix it” or defend themselves because they (understandably) want things to be resolved and go back to normal as quickly as possible. But issuing a half-hearted, generic apology (or rattling off your side of the situation in defense) without really hearing all sides on what has occurred, and where you, your teams or your company may have fumbled, can make things 10 times worse and make your stakeholders not only furious with you but completely damage your reputation as people lose faith in you.
Similarly, falling on your sword from the get-go, at an attempt to squash things or garner sympathy – will only hurt your brand in the long run. Making donations to organizations in the face of a crisis, while well-intentioned, can come across as mere window-dressing and upset fans even more if the right steps aren’t taken to support a long-term commitment to change vs. doing damage control.
Before making any public statements or venturing into martyrdom, you need to look at the situation objectively and truly understand what has occurred and what this particular situation calls for. Who has been most impacted? What was the actual impact? Is an apology warranted, and if so, when and from whom? What tone needs to be evoked? (empathy, remorse, accountability, etc.)
ZOOM OUT. Managing a crisis situation is a lot like playing a game of chess. Consider your side, their side, and the potential pitfalls for any and all possible courses of action. Everything needs to be thought out before you make the first move.
2. Lawyer up.
Getting legal involved as soon as possible when you're in a high-stakes crisis situation is paramount. Your PR rep and legal counsel ideally need to work together, because your PR team likely won't understand all the legal ramifications of your actions from here on out, while general counsel often draft statements that -- while protecting you legally -- can leave your constituents feeling cold. This is why you want both working together. A lawyer will be able to advise on what constitutes slander and libel, and whether or not you can make a claim against any party that's threatening you. For example, Justin Bieber recently disproved allegations of assault made against him through various screenshots and photographs and filed a $20M defamation lawsuit against his accusers. Your PR team will be able to translate “legalese” into language that resonates with your clients and customers and preserves the integrity of your brand you’ve worked so hard to build until the situation is mitigated.
While you’re at it, start getting those “receipts” together so you’re not scrambling to pull together any documentation and proof that supports your position at the last minute.
3. Think long term, but take step-by-step actions.
Timing is of the essence when a crisis happens, and you need to move quickly. But consider the end game and how you ideally want the final outcome to look: minimal impact to your brand, new policies or practices being implemented, improved communications, new alliances, and so on. Then, take appropriate next steps to achieve those goals.
Ultimately, a crisis situation requires more than making quick statements – it’s about reputation management, so everything you do needs to be well thought out and executed because the stakes are so high. Start with the end goal in mind, and take smart, step-by-step actions to get your company on the other side sooner rather than later.