The world of reputation management is evolving at a rapid pace. From the rise of environmental activism to the risk of cyberattacks, businesses now face a range of emerging threats that, if left unchecked, could significantly damage their reputation and even put an end to their operations.
Understanding how to plan and prepare for these challenges, and the steps to take when a PR crisis does occur can play a central role in helping businesses to survive and thrive after a negative reputational event.
In this article, we look at what defines a crisis, and just some of the ways firms can respond when things do go wrong.
Defining a crisis
A crisis can be defined as any significant event that disrupts business operations and hinders an organisation from functioning normally over an extended period. Crucially it significantly limits or stops the organisation’s ability to conduct what it deems as ‘business as usual’. These events can include data breaches, takeover rumours, ethical violations, leadership misconduct, and more.
The consequences of a crisis can be particularly damaging to a brand’s value, leading to negative press coverage, difficulties in attracting and retaining top talent, reduced staff satisfaction and productivity, the departure of clients, and a decline in sales.
Despite the damage that can be caused by these types of events, they don’t always have to mean it’s the end for a business. So, what steps can firms take to ensure they are prepared and ready to overcome a future crisis scenario?
Get busy planning
“By the time you hear the thunder, it’s too late”, as the saying goes, and it’s no different when it comes to a crisis. Whether a business is facing a cyberattack or handling the impact of a geopolitical event, having a clear crisis management plan in place can make all the difference when it comes to emerging with its reputation intact.
Businesses must first identify the risks they could face – both the known threats and the known unknowns. This can help firms to understand where and how these threats could emerge, and put in place measures to adapt and overcome any challenges if a crisis takes place – including which members within an organisation should take the lead. Even wargaming a particular scenario can also be an effective way of preparing for a future crisis.
Who needs to know what, and when? What could this issue mean for our customers or employees? What are the first steps we should take? These are all questions that need to be considered.
However, it’s not always possible to predict every potential future challenge a firm could face, so businesses should also look to build a degree of flexibility into any crisis plan. There will come a time when something unexpected happens and the crisis strategy plan turns from a playbook to a basis for considered action. While the framework of the plan can be determined in advance, the nuances will often need to be added when the crisis is realised. However, having the bones of the plan in place will save time, and crucially showcase to stakeholders (internally and externally) that you take the issue of reputation management seriously.
Coordination, coordination, coordination
In times of crisis, communications teams are often a hive of activity. They play a critical role in getting the right message out to key audiences and give customers and other stakeholders peace of mind that the business is taking the situation seriously. Taking a cohesive, coordinated approach to all elements of communications is critical to this. If messages coming out from one channel or part of the business conflict with another, this can create a crisis of confidence amongst the firm’s stakeholders, making an already challenging crisis situation even worse.
Ensuring that all communications are issued or approved from a central hub, regardless of the channel or platform used, can ensure that messages remain aligned.
Keeping a clean house
The focus of teams in any crisis situation can often be on reassuring external audiences, but too often businesses fail to consider the importance of supporting their own team members.
Companies must build internal communications into their broader crisis management strategy. Every employee is a potential brand advocate, and they will expect to be kept informed on what’s happening at the organisation. This isn’t just about protecting against leaks, but also guiding teams on what to say if they are contacted by a journalist, or a concerned partner or supplier. If employees simply don’t know what to say, they could end up sharing information that isn’t aligned with external messaging, creating confusion or even undermining the information you’ve previously shared with a broader audience.
These are just some of the steps businesses can take to prepare for and effectively manage a negative reputational event, but there is much more firms can do to overcome a crisis. At Rostrum, we’ve launched our new Guide to Reputation Management which serves as a starting point for building a reputational risk management programme.
Find out more about the guide and how Rostrum could help with your crisis management needs:
