Own and Drive the Message with Proactive Public Relations
Inevitably a challenge to an organization’s brand, reputation, or product will occur and generate angst with scrambling to manage or repair the damage. All too often, everyone from executive leadership to department directors and the sales/marketing staff will be surprised, caught off-guard by the negative media report, amplified accusations by activists ranging from shareholders and watchdog organizations to government officials and marketplace adversaries.
Typically, the one center in the organization that is not surprised is the public relations or communications office. When the head of that function is genuinely taken back and hit with the suddenness of the crisis it is overwhelmingly because of internal organizational structure that keeps the communications department shut out or places it subordinate in the org chart where it by default exists in a reactionary state.
In most cases, and I believe it is a very large majority of incidents, the drama is not a surprise at all to leadership as well where at least one or two c-level executives or vice-presidents were conscious of the threat and for various reasons decided to passively hope nothing happened. The seriousness of the event is exacerbated when, in those cases when the only people who knew of the risk or even aware of a coming publicity issue were only rank and file staffers, as the instinct is to be first consumed with finger-pointing, emergency meetings, and internal reviews as damage to the brand or at the very least negative narrative is allowed to linger without response.
Organizational issues aside, which can be an entirely separate column, (I have previously written about integrating public relations and/or communications into vital, informed, and productive positions within the org chart) a fundamental flaw can be avoided in how a company operates its public relations or communications functions if it allows it, or even more ideally, mandates and enables it to practice proactively.
It has always been best practice for a company to embrace preemptive strategies in public relations long before the internet, social media, and texting. Today, it is essential. Yet, many organizations are simply not focused as they should be on this matter and too many pr professionals encounter ongoing delays in addressing possible hazards. A real and valid concern among communications professional is knowing how rapidly a smear, slanderous or libelous statements, one-sided comments, aggressive accusations or coverage of actual product, service or organizational faults can spread throughout the marketplace and into the media and public square before you can reply with counter messages.
I have had the opportunities over the years to create, remodel or expand public relations or corporate communications functions at numerous organizations. Among the top points I like to initiate discussion on is exploring and inventorying in detail a risk assessment at it relates to communications for the brand and organization.
· What have been past crisis issues, why did they occur, and how were they addressed?
· Are these previous issues ongoing, resolved, or simply dormant?
· What are known current threats or potential risks?
· Who, internally, aside from executive leadership, are people that can provide subject matter expertise for each risk and offer insight into the situation from an in-the-field or practical daily management perspective?
Building a library of content created in collaboration with key stakeholders in advance of the crisis is paramount and delivers immediate dividends when it is time to use it.
· Compile all information, from all perspectives, including adversarial parties, for a well-rounded collection of source material to craft thoughtful, strategic, and thorough content.
· Write quotes, at least broad initial statements, with some substance, from those assigned internally to have public facing communications. Additional comments can be written once specific details of the circumstance are clear.
· Have ready to utilize a file communicating the organization’s history, positivity in the marketplace, community etc. Also have prepared content showcasing how the company addressed previous issues and anything else that sheds positive light on the organization and the brand.
· Build a library of positive feedback on the organization’s product, services, management and activities in the community to counter one-sided negative narratives that can easily become the loudest voice.
· Have on file, case studies, whitepapers, interviews, marketing sheets, videos – anything relevant that can be published in response to the challenge that demonstrate a broader view of the issue from the company’s view and provides affirming legacy.
Do due diligence with legal and any other internal sources, including product managers, quality control managers, sales persons, compliance, and information technology, among others, to make certain that everything being published is accurate and can be verified.
In addition to these points, an ongoing monitoring function should be established and supported within the public relations or communications office. Monitoring should not only include ‘media’, which today more often means observing smaller, independent outlets that are market-relevant to your specific company online as well as on social or newsletters than mainstream media, but also relevant government officials and committees, activist organizations, financial, relevant analysts, and naturally, the competition, of all sizes.
Monitoring should also incorporate social media and I would include platforms that instinctively may not be considered important or relevant internally. Social media is unequaled in its use as today’s public square, a channel for complaints, allegations, debate, and its immediacy in establishing trends, even if fleeting, is worth observing and staying in touch with because it is often the first place any challenge to your brand or company will appear.
Anticipation is key here. Preparedness will serve you and your organization well and enable a speedy response with accuracy, focus, and strategy already baked into the communications because organizations routinely falter in responding fast with all the points I have previously shared not vetted, thought-out, or planned for long-term campaigning which causes self-inflicted additional challenges.
It might be a funny analogy but I think it works here for our purposes: look at sports and how teams prepare for their opponents. There are scouts who prepare for the challenge, an opponent’s strengths and weaknesses and how that lines-up to their team’s. Strategies are developed. Plans formed. Advantages are identified. Execution strategies readied, tested and performed. No team goes into field totally blindsided and unaware of the risks they are facing. Sports fans usually can spot quickly an unprepared team and witness unfortunate results when one is forced to react in real time.
Incorporating proactive communications into the public relations functions is like scouting challenges ahead. The best see the value and understand the advantages in the investment.
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