Public Relations Crisis Management – Tell It All, Say It Fast, and Tell the Truth

I turned on the TV news recently to learn that one of our best soccer teams may have lost an important game due to illness, the story brought to us by a reporter stationed outside the hotel where the players enjoyed lunch before the game.

In the car this was the main story on the radio news with the story read by a reporter, again he said he was outside the hotel. He confirmed that the police had collected samples from the restaurant to pass them on to the health authorities.

Guess what? The story was also the main one in the tabloids that sat on my desk when I got to the office. Photographs of the hotel in question used to support the story.

As a public relations professional, I reflected on what the hotel public relations people are going through this morning. It is a prestigious hotel group with a well-developed and quality brand image in the upper segment of the market. Here they are, in the spotlight for the wrong reasons!

They will likely have a documented crisis management plan or, in softer terms, a public relations communications plan. But it’s not just global companies that need to come up with a plan in advance. Being in business, or even running a nonprofit organization, exposes everyone to the risk of a public relations crisis.

No organization is very far from crises and their consequent media attention. Your reputation can be lost or seriously damaged in an instant. A crisis is any situation that threatens the integrity or reputation of your company, usually caused by adverse or negative media attention.

These situations can be any type of legal dispute, theft, accident, fire, flood, or man-made disaster that can be attributed to your business. It can also be a situation where, in the eyes of the media or the general public, your company did not react to one of the above situations in an appropriate way. This definition is not all-inclusive but is designed to give you an idea of ​​the types of situations in which you may need to follow this plan.

Crisis management is a complex subject, but here are five tips to get you started. And, get started, you must.

1. Don’t wait. Many organizations only put their crisis plans into action once a disaster has struck. Instead, brainstorm possible scenarios or types of disasters that could occur and start planning for them. In fact, I’ve found this to be a positive process, as bringing together key executives to share ideas and examine scenarios often brings to light a number of issues that they can take forward.

2. Realize that crises take a wide range of forms. As I say, this can be anything from the hotel crisis to a legal dispute that spirals out of control or customer dissatisfaction that is broadcast over the internet. I even remember a weekend phone call from a Scout leader whose camp had been ravaged by storms with some injured boys; The media was harassing her over the phone for the story! They will all require slightly different answers. Brainstorm and prepare for as many as you can imagine.

3. Develop a public relations communications plan. A barrage of media attention can flood you within minutes of the news. Also, think about how you will get the information to staff, supporters, investors, and customers; yes, remember to share your side of the story with clients as soon as possible. Internal communication is as important as communication to the general public.

A physical plan has to do with getting everyone out of the building in the event of an earthquake. A communications plan involves identifying a spokesperson, developing press releases, establishing a media hotline, and finding a place where you can have a press conference.

4. Be prepared to speak to the media and your constituents. Even if you can’t say much because your attorney is concerned about liability, plan to say what you can as soon as you can. Be concerned, show concern, express your concern, and always tell the truth. That doesn’t mean you have to tell it all at once, but never, never lie.

5. Provide media training for senior management. Do this before disaster strikes. Make it a regular part of board and senior employee training. Media training doesn’t have to cost a lot if you have someone on your board who works in public relations or someone who is a member of the media. The key is to do it regularly so that new people are always trained and others do not become obsolete.

Don’t delay planning your crisis. Don’t ruin your hard-earned reputation by mishandling tough situations! The managers and public relations team of that hotel this morning went to bed last night unaware of the explosion of unwanted publicity that awaited them this morning. Hopefully your Public Relations Communications Plan will be a trusted assistant today!

Suggested reading

1. “Crisis in organizations: management and communication in the heat of crisis”, by Laurence Barton.

2. “You better have a hose if you want to put out the fire: The Complete Guide to Risk and Crisis Communications,” by Rene A. Henry.