We’re in an era where news can, and often does, go viral instantly. All organisations, regardless of size, from SMEs to global corporations, need to be prepared to respond to any type of PR crisis quickly and efficiently. The only way to do this properly is by being prepared and having a crisis plan in place. Quite simply, if you fail to prepare, prepare to fail.
Here are my top six tips for managing a PR crisis:
Three Tips - Prior to a Crisis
1 - Crisis Team
Create a team that plans, implements and manages your crisis communication protocols.
2 - Crisis Scenarios
Brainstorm every and any ‘worse-case’ scenario for your business - No idea is too far-fetched. Identify and set out clear protocols for how you would approach each situation.
3 - Approved Representatives
Identify key members of your organisation that can be spokespeople, what crisis level they would deal with, and make sure they’re trained to appropriately represent your business during a crisis.
Three Tips - During a Crisis
1 - Take Responsibility and Apologise
Don’t try to hide the crisis. Be accountable, take responsibility and apologise. Doing or saying nothing won’t help the situation; meet the crisis head on.
2 - Take Action
You can’t change what has happened, but you can show how the crisis will change your business. Tell people what you will do to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
3 - Monitor and Respond
Social media is where your crisis will gather momentum. Have a team monitoring social media as well as all news platforms so you can proactively respond with approved key messages.
These tips were published in the East Anglian Daily Times and The Eastern Daily Press.
If you would like one of the specialists at Mackman to provide a comment or write an opinion piece for your publication, give us a call on 01787 388038, or email customerservice@mackmangroup.co.uk
Paul Mackman
Managing Director
Paul is a co-founder and the Managing Director of the Mackman Group. He is a Chartered Marketer and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM). He is also a member of the CIM, Eastern Region Board and current Vice-Chair. He has broad commercial and marketing experience across sectors, including retail, hospitality, manufacturing, construction, education and professional services.
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