Every business has its problems, but no leader wants their private business woes to tarnish their public reputation. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for companies—especially larger, industry-leading firms—to have their internal issues leaked to the rest of the world.
While it’s possible to save face and recover, you’ll need a smart strategy to clean up the mess of bad press you might receive after your problems are revealed. We asked a panel of Forbes Agency Council members for their top crisis management tactics to use when your brand must address negative publicity. Here are their tips for stemming the tide of a public relations crisis.
Members of Forbes Agency Council share crisis management tactics for a company to use when addressing negative publicity.
Photos courtesy of the individual members.
1. Be Truthful And Transparent
Too often, people and organizations hire a media relations firm or expert in an attempt to “cover up” or “fix” a crisis. This is a short-sighted approach that leads to even hotter water for those who employ it. A better reaction is to respond to the public quickly to ensure transparency and show that you’re aware of an issue and working through it. Then outline the steps for righting a perceived wrong. – Eric Fischgrund, FischTank Marketing and PR
2. Proactively Develop Policies And Procedures For Crisis Management
How proactively you handle a crisis will determine the public perception of actual circumstances. The crisis in Ferguson, Missouri, is a perfect example of how a government’s lack of prior online policy destroyed their reputation. As a result, we see departments actively developing policies and procedures to accommodate a future crisis. Your organization is no different. Be proactive. – Evangeline Sutton, Regenerative Marketing LLC
3. Own The Issue
In today’s call-out culture, skeletons don’t stay in the closet for long. Get in front of the problem and issue a statement, whether it’s a blog, press release or even a brief post on social media channels. This is the first step to regaining confidence and will show that your business acknowledges its misstep and is actively working to address the problem. – David Kley, Web Design and Company
4. React Quickly, Honestly And Consistently
The Starbucks response to their race relations problem a few months back was textbook. Soon after two black men were arrested in one of their Philadelphia stores, the company closed all of its outlets for a day of racial sensitivity training. There weren’t any “We’re looking into it” delays. They were out front and visible. They owned the situation and took positive steps to resolve the issue. – Dave McIndoe, Netwave Interactive Marketing
5. Don’t Get Overly Defensive
It’s not always easy to digest negative feedback about your company, but it’s important to not be so defensive that it distracts from taking action. Keeping an open mind about what others say is important in helping to manage external perception. You can be forthright about key problems and take measures to implement positive changes that will take you in a more positive direction. – Ilissa Miller, IMiller Public Relations
6. Consider All Stakeholders
Internal conflicts often exhibit external consequences. Before creating public statements, companies must identify and understand stakeholders. Such understanding will help firms relate to those affected while appealing to their self-interests. Apologies bundled with solutions frequently expose opportunities for companies to turn crisis states into genuine connections that boost customer loyalty. – Ahmad Kareh, Twistlab Marketing
7. Start Dealing With Internal Problems Before They Become Public
If you have internal problems, you need to deal with them when they arise, not when they become public. Focus on long-term systemic change when problems arise and if they, unfortunately, become public, you’ll already have the best crisis management strategy: a solution in place and a problem already solved. – Craig Greiwe, Rogers & Cowan
8. Address It And Move On
The best response to any PR crisis is to own it and then immediately work on ways to improve your brand’s image. News cycles are quick, and businesses that react fast and smart can use them to their advantage. If you Google Starbucks right now, you won’t see anything about their recent incident in Philadelphia other than one article talking about how they’ve prioritized their racial bias training. – Kristopher Jones, LSEO.com
9. Seize The Narrative Before Someone Else Does
There’s no substitute for speed in these situations. That’s why it’s important to put together a crisis management playbook in which you’ve problem-solved for hundreds of possible crisis scenarios before a crisis happens. This allows you to nip negative publicity in the bud and promote your own narrative. – Scott Baradell, Idea Grove
10. Temporarily Adjust Your Marketing Strategy
Consider pausing any social media and programmatic efforts that are not directly related to sales initiatives. If you have a resource with your side of the story, consider a limited-time search campaign that drives to this resource. If you don’t have a URL to point to, update your negative search terms. – Kieley Taylor, GroupM
