Let's Talk About It
Their is no textbook for how to communicate with your target audience. The advent of social media and how quickly it can change have forever changed the way the media covers stories and how consumers learn about a brand. In my blog I'll discuss some of these changes and how brands can use the new media to create a lasting relationship with their audience.
Crisis Communications
When I typed "crisis" into my free picture search engine one of the first images that came back was a fire, a very fitting image. Times of crisis are often called fire drils because you have to take immediate action, often before you find out if there really is a fire or if it's just a drill. I was recently interviewed for an article about small businesses who are facing a crisis and asked what my advice would be to help them navigate a crisis. I thought I would share with you the same advice I told the reporter.
She gave me several examples of crisis a small business might face - a bad review going viral or protestors blocking your front door or the owner being arrested in a scandal - and asked how a business can continue when facing these challenges. While each of these scenarios is very different, they all need to be approached the same way - calmly.
First, any one facing a crisis should stop, take a breath and assess the situation. Often we react quickly because it feels personal and when that happens we often take action that we regret. The last thing you want to do is add to the fire of the protestors or the bad viral review – that will just prolong the situation. Instead a business going through a crisis needs to ask itself these questions:
1. What is my real issue? And what damage will it do my brand?
2. What result will my action have?
3. Will my action improve the situation or does it only add to the fire and prolong the discussion?
4. What other things can I do to positively impact my brand?
As you evaluate your answers for these questions you need to keep in mind that your goal is not to be right, but to end the crisis as quickly as possible. You should look for a way to reposition your brand in a positive manner and not doing anything that will prolong the crisis.
Once you decided on a course of action you’ll need to prepare. Spend an hour brainstorming with your partners about possible questions that may arise from media, customers or employees about the crisis. Once you have a list of questions start thinking about answers that not only share information but also help to positively reinforce your brand. These answers should be succinct and in your own words so they are authentic, but should also be framed to not venture into territory you don’t want to discuss or areas you are unable to talk about.
Finally you need to think about what happens after. This crisis will pass and you will need to take some action to either reinforce the
work you already did in addressing the crisis or undertake new actions to improve your brand. You should consider everything from creating events that will encourage consumers to reengage with you to looking for ways to generate media coverage of your brand locally or nationally.