At the end of the day, an executive is held accountable for how they handle things internally, day-to-day, with employees—recognize that any memos or conversations can become content used externally. This is especially true when employees feel there is a disconnect between what is being stated and how a company is being run. The day of the quiet, obedient employee is long gone, thank goodness. – kathleen lucente, red fan communications
7. Learn how to anticipate
The first lesson is to understand where you are the most vulnerable and where you might be acting in ways that are counter to your customers’ best interests or to the values of your company. Once the press is bad, the fundamentals always apply: own up to your mistake, do not equivocate, outline a plan to mitigate the issue and provide follow-up proof that you have met your commitments. – chris cavanaugh, freeman.
Follow proven crisis management strategies
Every organization should have a plan if a crisis requires media interaction. Start with the four “rs”: 1. Regret: apologize. (note: this is not necessarily the same as taking responsibility.) 2. Responsibility: help solve the problem, no matter who is at fault. 3. Reform: take steps to ensure it will not happen again. 4. Restitution: if appropriate, decide how to help those affected. – patrick nycz, newpoint marketing
9. Determine if it’s worth it to respond
Negative press can feel like getting outbound calling laws punched in the gut, and the impulse is to immediately respond. Before doing so, take the time to determine if responding at all is really worth it: will it have a positive effect in the long term? If it is worthwhile, the next step is to make sure you use carefully constructed, transparent, honest messages to convey your response. – andrea keirn, black rhino marketing group.
Review edit and pause before you post
Don’t throw out your long-term strategy by being too reactive. Learn, evolve and combine lessons with your existing approach. One thing IG Users is for certain: responsible and thoughtful communication is essential. When posting publicly, especially on behalf of a brand, every message must be thought through, as even well-intended messages could be misinterpreted. Review, edit and pause before a post! – scott kellner, gpj experience marketing
11. Have an ongoing action plan
Be transparent about the issue. Being open and honest is essential to start building trust with your followers and customers. It is also important to have an action plan to rectify the situation and ensure it does not happen again. You can also consider regular updates to the press and your followers on how you’re improving the situation over time to increase your continued transparency.
