Client News

There is a saying that bad things happen to good companies, it is just a matter of when. So, are you prepared for the unexpected?

We’ve all heard the horror stories of companies that were not prepared and their brands suffered. Remember Dominos and Taco Bell? One responded too late and the other too early without having the whole story.

These companies undoubtedly had crisis plans in place – several of them I’m sure. They probably had detailed communications protocols for when issues occur and what information should be gathered and various response statements for any and all scenarios that may happen.

However, training on how to execute that plan and who should do what is equally essential. Whether it is a foodborne illness at one of your restaurants, a burglary or employee misconduct, the corporate team, franchisees and their front line employees need to know their role in addressing, responding and reacting to a crisis.

Absent of having a thorough plan that you’ve role played over and over, here are 10 tips to remember when dealing with a crisis.

Honesty is the Best Policy: Always be honest and genuine in your response. Remember, PR cannot fix or dare I say “spin” your way out of a problem. Assess the issue, determine the cause and communicate your plans to address and prevent the issue from occurring again.

Act Fast…But Smart: Be sure to respond quickly, but make sure you have enough information to respond intelligently. Enabling this will be your preparedness in knowing the right questions to ask and of whom. Without a process to collect the details, your response time will suffer. With social media and the 24/7 news cycle, responding immediately is critical. Understand the facts and be honest of where the situation stands.

Speak to the “Real” Audience: Remember when responding to a crisis you will always have two audiences – internal (employees and franchisees) and external (your current and future customers). The media is not your audience. They are a conduit to your audiences. Craft your responses with them in mind.

Control Your Message: When distributing your response statements and communicating your company’s position, you should consider using your own communications platforms to control your message. This may include your blog, web site or other social platforms. Controlling your message from the onset will help minimize audience confusion and drive consistency.

Don’t Just Respond: Your response should not only address what happened, but also what measures you plan to take to help prevent a similar incident in the future. How will you change or improve your own company’s policies, and better yet, the industry’s? Think shrink-wrap lids on over-the-counter medicines. It was created by Tylenol in response to the cyanide crisis decades ago.

The Media Can Help…Really! Remember the media is not the enemy. Never say no comment, even if you don’t have one. Use the media to communicate with your audiences. You may need to work with them on the timing of your communications, but they can assist you in working through an issue by helping explain what occurred and your path forward.

Train and Train Again: You can never train your team too much. All levels should be involved from corporate executives and employees to franchisees and their employees. You must do more than just share the plan. Conduct sessions to simulate crises in order to teach all parties how to respond. Nothing like a simulation to show your team how unprepared they are. The better prepared everyone is, the better you’ll survive a crisis.

Keep Your Eyes Open: From the onset of an issue, be sure to monitor your brand online and in real-time on all social media platforms. Be sure to respond as appropriate so another crisis doesn’t emerge. Several free sites are available (addict-o-matic is a good one) that can help consolidate the top social media sites to make monitoring easy.

Keep the Lawyers Close: Don’t misconstrue this tip, the PR pros should be drafting the response statements and other communications. However, if there is a possibility of a lawsuit or the crisis is due to one already existing, it is important to understand the lawyer’s legal strategy. You never want to negatively effect your company’s case with the wrong crisis response.

Be Proactive: Lastly, think how you can use an issue to educate potential consumers about your brand. Each issue you or your industry faces is an opportunity to build a positive brand equity in the communities your serve. Use the spotlight on your brand and industry to show your responsibility and to prepare yourself for the next crisis that may occur. If you build enough equity in the brand bank, the next one may not affect you as much. It has its risks, but the reward can be big.

Remember, crisis happens. Be prepared (and good luck).