Every product, brand, company and individual is susceptible to public relations crises, and unfortunately there isn’t a blanket approach that fits all scenarios. While having a plan of action is ideal, it’s not always realistic—crises are unique and therefore require a customized approach.

If you’re functioning without the help of a professional communication team or encountering your first crisis as a PR professional, here are three basic “do-it-yourself” steps that should be executed in order to effectively manage and minimize damage.

1. Address the situation
2. Maintain honesty and integrity
3. Communicate information

Address the situation:

Once a crisis hits, acting quickly and addressing the concerned publics is important. To proactively acknowledge the situation shows transparency and leadership.  You may or may not be an expert communicator and even if your messaging isn’t perfectly aligned–it’s better to show an immediate presence. Look to BP’s Tony Hayward as an example, though he committed a number of public blunders, experts have harshly criticized his delay to initially address the severity of the problem during the early weeks of the oil spill.

Maintain honesty and integrity:

Every business model should be molded around these two pillars, but while you’re in the eye of the media, (more than ever) maintaining honesty and integrity is crucial. Executing this simple concept can be difficult, but if you’re at fault, accept responsibility and always point to yourself before pushing blame onto others. In 1982, Johnson & Johnson conducted a nationwide product recall when seven people were killed from cyanide poisoning in Extra-Strength Tylenol capsules.  The recall resulted in a more than $100 million loss in sales, and although Johnson & Johnson was not directly responsible for the tampering of the product, the company assumed responsibility to ensure public safety. This act of morality helped the company survive and restored the public’s faith and trust in the Tylenol brand.

Communicate information:

All professional communicators would agree in unison that “no comment” is one of the worst responses to a question you’re not prepared to answer—it reeks of guilt.  If all the facts aren’t clear yet, establish credibility by answering honestly and demonstrate that you’re addressing the stated concern and will report back when you have more information (and actually DO report back). Furthermore, it’s imperative that you relay any new information (good or bad) to the public and/or affected parties, as you hear it.

As previously stated, no two crises are alike and unfortunately social chatter amongst bloggers and Twitter users can increase the lifespan of the situation and deepen its ripple effects. Monitoring and responding to concerns, questions and critiques voiced on these channels is a good idea. There is a light at the end of the tunnel and if you can follow the steps above, you’ll be able to survive the aftermath and hopefully even strengthen the relationship between you and your consumers.

If you’re looking for professional communication guidance or advice, contact the BLASTmedia offices at 317-806-1900.

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