Dear CEO,
I have no doubt that you’ve done your best to make your brand what it is today. The truth is, if nobody salutes your resilience and consistency, I sincerely do. Conceiving a business idea and bringing it to life is no small feat. But the simple truth is this: there is still more – more to know, more to do; and being oblivious to that as a business owner is similar to building a strong building on a faulty, weak foundation.
The Reality of a CRISIS
Oftentimes, brand owners shy away from a crucial part of their business, which is the likelihood of a CRISIS. Of course, it’s not what anybody prays or wishes for. But it does happen anyway. Oddly enough, as I stated in my previous piece on PR, many folks—business owners—religiously close their eyes to the reality of what a crisis is by simply snapping their fingers backwards, saying, “God forbid!” However, there’s a popular saying in public relations: “If it can go wrong, it will go wrong.”
A crisis is a menace that accidentally befalls a brand at an unexpected time or the least expected moment. It can be as insignificant as a matchstick, but it can burn the whole forest, which in this case is an established business. Thus, no brand should take the matter of CRISIS with levity or complacency.
The Place of PR in Crisis Management
It is essential to state that although business owners may not pray or wish that their brand experiences a crisis, the wisest decision they can make in order not to be caught unawares is to plan for a crisis. And that’s where public relations comes in. Research has shown that most big brands around the globe have, at one point or another, had to combat crises. The reality is that while some subdued the heat that came from the crisis, others sank in the process. But one lesson that stands out for both categories is how they have engaged PR to tackle the seeming crisis.
The fact is, the one who gets to the media first owns the story. And it’d take a painstaking effort by a brand’s PR to rebuild its already damaged image and reputation. Don’t forget: your image is what customers think when they mention your product amongst several competitors, and your reputation is what you’re known for.
Case Studies Of Social Media Crises
Case study 1
Brand X is a popular global food chain that faced criticism from its customers for running out of chickens due to delivery disruptions. This led to a serious crisis for the brand, which posed a severe threat to the brand’s reputation for consistency. Eventually, with the aid of the company’s PR, they were able to successfully solve the situation via a genuine and transparent explanation of the whole situation. That shows the place of public relations in crisis management.
Case Study 2
In a recent football tournament, a renowned player, in a press conference, set aside a popular soda brand’s product and went for bottled water. This unconscious act of the athlete led to a drastic decline in the demand for the soda brand within 24 hours. The soda brand’s market value plummeted by €2.8 billion after the athlete’s actions. However, in the proactive nature of the brand, its public relations made it known that everybody has his or her drink preference. And that subtly resolved the crisis faced by the brand.
Case Study 3
Brand Y faced a crisis in 2019 after two fatal crashes involving their aeroplanes. The crisis quickly amplified on social media accounts, with hashtags, just to ensure that customers boycotted the brand. Consumers criticised Brand Y’s response for being slow and not empathetic enough. The crisis led to congressional investigations, and Brand Y has since worked on rebuilding trust through transparency and consistent updates on the improvements made to their aircraft. All of these aforementioned case studies are deliberately used to show the inevitability of PR in managing crises.
What PR will do for you in a crisis?
PR Manages Perception.
Aside from staging a communication relationship between an organisation and its public, which is very important, crisis management is another significant responsibility of public relations. During a crisis, proactive PR will strategically help a brand manage and shape public perception by providing accurate information that painstakingly addresses the issues on the ground and maintaining transparency.
Moreso, as it has been said earlier, a crisis can quickly damage the long-existing image and reputation built by a brand. This is why every successful brand must intentionally invest in public relations to avoid regret in the long run. Ignorance of the power of PR should not rob a brand of its client base. You need PR more than ever before.
PR Safeguards Your Brand’s Reputation.
There is absolutely nothing that beats having a clean slate in the eyes of your customers. And the consequence of a crisis is to question the integrity of a brand. If a crisis successfully makes the public (customers or clients) begin to doubt the competence of a brand, then danger is looming. In such a scenario, the PR team will devise and implement strategies such as campaigns, and press releases, amongst others to reinstate the brand’s reputation.
PR Builds Your Brand’s trust again.
Trust is one thing that consistently keeps customers glued to a brand. It is the bedrock of every relationship that exists between a brand and its customers. And just as it is difficult to trust a friend who once betrayed you, it is also difficult for customers to trust a brand after a crisis. However, in a situation where there is effective PR, a brand can be trusted again by its customers. This has been proven over time.
PR Controls the Narratives (stories).
It is no fallacy to say that misinformation, disinformation, and misinformation are by-products of crises. A lot of fillers, such as rumours, false news, etc., fly around during crises. However, PR helps a brand to tame this by constantly dishing out accurate information as needed, preparing answers, and sending well-crafted messages ahead of interviews. All these would minimise the damage that can be done to a brand’s reputation via dysfunctional communication.
Considering the above premises, to say that one does not need the intervention of PR in building a long-lasting business is nothing but a mirage. You can gain awareness as a brand via an effective advertisement. Good sales promotion can earn you many customers beyond your wildest dreams. Nonetheless, as I stated from the inception of this piece, dear CEO, there’s more! And the more that’d complement that business of yours is investing in public relations. As I round this off, let me give you some friendly advice: if there’s any time you need to invest in PR, there is no better time than NOW!
