Q: What is your top tip for mitigating a PR disaster?
A: Manage the conversation. “It’s important to speak out as quickly as possible so you can help frame and shape the conversation. For better or worse, silence is often associated with guilt. Don’t shirk responsibility or try to hide. State your position, and offer statistics or information to support it so you’re an active participant rather than the subject of scrutiny.” Brittany Hodak, ZinePak
Be 100 percent transparent. “In the cover-ups I’ve seen in the news, companies either deny whatever scandal has befallen them or totally own up to their faults and take responsibility. I firmly believe that honesty is the best policy in any PR-related situation, because lies and cover-ups are simply not sustainable or ethical.” Firas Kittaneh, Amerisleep
Learn your lesson. “Instead of trying to manage the crisis, you must show that you understand why it was a crisis to begin with. Getting educated and engaging with focus groups on how they’d ideally want to see you move forward is a great way to start. But when all else fails, commit yourself to never repeating the same mistake and allow yourself to be held accountable. Don’t be defensive.” Cody Mclain, SupportNinja
Be upfront. “The worst thing you can do after a major PR flop is avoid the issue entirely. Rather, look to take a proactive rather than reactive approach to the problem. Making yourself and your brand totally transparent will help restore trust to your company and show that you are more than willing to work through the issue.” Phil Laboon, Eyeflow Internet Marketing
Communicate your prevention strategy. “Ensure that your stakeholders know what you have learned from the disaster and that you have taken clear steps to prevent the situation from arising again. Uber did a great job addressing this in India. When one of its drivers allegedly assaulted a woman, Uber immediately announced a series of new background checks to improve its verification standards.” Pratham Mittal, VenturePact
Stay calm. “We’re all human, and sometimes our campaigns are bound to go wrong. Whenever I’ve been put in a stressful situation, the first thing I do is forgive myself and make sure I don’t panic. It’s important to keep a clear mind when navigating these types of situations. I inform all the internal parties of the current situation and present a quick, transparent plan that we can act upon quickly.” Cassie Petrey, Crowd Surf
(Source: TCA)
