Errors in marketing are unavoidable, but when they get out of hand, it’s best to let public relations take over. Mistakes in marketing almost always result in bad publicity for firms. Even while it could feel terrible, with the correct public relations plan, recovery is achievable.
Professionals in public relations are adept at handling harm to a company’s reputation and can assist companies in preserving client confidence. Because bad news spreads quickly, the media frequently exaggerates a company’s damaged reputation. But it’s important to remember that even bad press can be transformed into a chance for constructive interaction with the right PR strategy.
Effective PR Techniques for managing crises
There are various ways PR professionals can prevent and manage a crisis, and the approach varies depending on the industry, type of crisis, and available resources.
Here are some techniques that are often used:
Crisis communication plans: Creating a methodical reaction plan beforehand.
Crisis communication is key to managing an effective story even when it feels as though everything is going wrong in the business. Within the first 24 hours of a crisis occurring within your business, your business’s reputation is on the line and determined to whether or not it will keep a good rapport with its clientele.
Moreso, PR can either work with your business to reduce the risk of a crisis happening and prepare for anything which may go wrong, or come and save the day once a business has found themselves with a crisis.
Media management: Controlling the narrative through interaction with influencers and journalists.
This may be providing a statement to the media with the current situation and what the brand’s current situation is. It can also arrange interviews with a spokesperson for the brand, who can answer questions and provide reassurance, but this is often only done if they are media trained beforehand.
Social media monitoring: Quickly responding to criticism and comments.
Monitoring social media can mean the difference between an emergency that is promptly resolved and a disaster that ruins your brand’s reputation. Your company can use social media monitoring tools to spot new issues and mention spikes, like a client’s viral post about a bad customer service experience with your brand. Early detection of these problems allows you to take action before they worsen.
In an emergency, social media monitoring also makes it simple to contact every member of your clientele. Using social media monitoring tools together with a pre-planned crisis management strategy helps facilitate crisis management.
Issue management: Address potential issues before they escalate into full-fledged crises. This includes monitoring negative feedback, product concerns, or customer complaints to prevent them from snowballing. A well-managed issue can be resolved before it gets out of hand, saving the company from a bigger crisis.
PR victories
The 2018 supply chain crisis at KFC
Due to supply chain problems, KFC experienced a chicken shortage in the UK, which led to outlet closures and negative consumer feedback. With the clever “FCK” rebranding and full-page apology advertising, KFC’s PR team answered with honesty and humour. The public was won over by this astute and open strategy. We need to talk about how PR helped this, as that is the blog title. Link to the article: https://www.aboutresilience.com/humor-and-humility-saved-the-chicken-the-kfc-logistics-blunder/#:~:text=In%20February%202018%2C%20KFC%20found,for%20fried%20chicken%20as%20well.
The 2016 anti-discrimination campaign by Airbnb
Airbnb hosts accused Airbnb of discriminating against people based on their race. The company’s PR team started the “#WeAccept” campaign to stress its dedication to diversity and inclusion. More info about what PR did to help.
Overall, PR can be the lifeline that helps refocus the story when marketing initiatives fail. Using strategic communication, transparency, companies can bounce back from mistakes and even come out stronger.
At Briscoe PR, we have extensive experience assisting clients with a variety of crises across multiple industries. Whether you want to prepare for the worst and protect your brand, or if the situation has already escalated, get in touch with us. We can help you manage and maintain your brand image.