How to handle a PR crisis

There’s so much going on in the world right now. 2020 has proven itself to be a year to remember with many voicing their opinion, concerns and beliefs… which is not necessarily a bad thing, but as a business owner, you have to be very careful about what you say and how you say it.

Sharing your point of view is your right, but you’ve got to be mindful of how it might be perceived by your audience. There is literally no ‘undo’ button once you put things out in the public space. Many businesses have conveyed their thoughts effectively and won the favor of their audience, while others have felt the weight of their own words crashing down on them.

So how do you handle the bad press if you unwittingly fall into the latter category? Here I share with you four really easy steps to manage your business in a crisis.

Act immediately
Take control of the situation and move swiftly so as not to incur any further damage to your brand, but do so strategically. This is where you’ll issue an apology or a statement on behalf of your company, letting the public know that you are aware of the situation and how you intend to handle this crisis. Use the both traditional and social media to communicate your position to your audience.

Stay visible
You’ve got to show up, paying special attention to how you present yourself in public and in the media. After the initial statement, you’ll need to stay in the public’s eye as much as possible. During this pandemic, you may not be able to meet persons face-to-face, but use social media and traditional media where possible to convey your decisions, thoughts and emotions and how you intend to remain in service to your customers. This is the time to use the media to showcase your brand in a positive light.

Revisit strategy
As in, re-create a new marketing plan. Your business has taken a major blow and you’ll need to factor this in. What would this look like for your business? What can you do to recover and get back into everyone’s good graces? What is the lesson learned from this public relations crisis? What can be implemented now to help you overcome this?

Depending on the extent of the damage done, you may need to embark on a public relations campaign to specifically address the situation.

Seek guidance
If it all feels like too much, then it might be best to get the advice of someone who can tell you exactly what to do. The way your company is presented to and perceived by potential clients can truly assist you with building your brand and a wrong turn can make or break all the hard work you’ve invested. So my advice would be to consult a marketing and public relations expert to help you make the best decisions possible.

With everything going on in the world, public relations is an extremely necessary component to your business and should never be overlooked. Bad press might cause you to believe that all is lost, and that may not necessarily be the case. You can recover from it once it’s handled well, so do damage control and get yourself back out there.

Carla Williams Johnson is a Media Marketing Consultant and owner of Carli Communications.