What is PR Crisis?
A PR crisis is a situation where any negative event or review impacts the brand’s reputation. A PR crisis can be challenging to handle if crisis communication and management are not prepared in advance. Although you cannot control the outcome, using various PR strategies, the damage can be mitigated.
Here are certain crisis communication tips that may help in lowering the impact and managing the situation.
Crisis Communication Tips
To avoid this crisis catastrophe, a company must plan ahead of time and be ready for any such event. Company executives and employees need to be involved in the planning for crisis management as they are the most important entities for any organization.
How to make and execute the crisis plan?
Tips: During the Crisis
- Analyze the situation: Before executing any plan, the first step any organization must take is to analyze the intensity of the situation. This helps in planning the right way to respond to the situation. During the assessment, the crisis communication team must be present so that they can decide what information is to be released and to whom. It also helps in avoiding various PR mistakes that can have a bad impact on the situation.
- Quick response: Taking time to respond may open the path to more negative news stories. The officials must respond to the crisis as early as possible, honestly and compassionately, without getting emotional. A spokesperson must be appointed in advance to handle the situation. Appropriate training must be provided to the spokesperson about using the right tone and conveying the right message to all the concerned people. Take responsibility for the fault and never play the blame game.
- Prioritize actions: Take responsibility for the people, including customers, employees, and others who were impacted by the situation. For example, shut down the machine if an employee gets injured or stop manufacturing the product that is affecting the health of the customers. Consider the reviews and responses of the customers and examine the situation accordingly.
- Enlist employees: During the crisis, employees may feel insecure. But if they are well informed about the situation, they will fight their insecurities and help the organization cope with such a situation. If they are well informed, they will feel responsible and never spread any irrelevant information about the crisis.
- Monitor public sentiments: Companies should keep monitoring public responses on social media and other news stories. This may include traditional media, social media platforms, and various other sources. PR professionals keep an eye on negative comments and prepare strategies for providing the right response to such posts.
Tips: After the Crisis
Once the crisis is over, do not let your guard down. Run a post-crisis assessment and review the situation. Gather all the necessary information from the employees and customers regarding your crisis communication plan. If some of the techniques did not work, try to find out the flaws and make amendments to future crisis communication plans. An analysis of the situation will help in identifying the advantages and disadvantages of the plan you have made to handle the situation.