Whatever your worry, our Essex crisis management PR team is here to help!
If you need it; you can be sure that our crisis management agency has managed it.
Health Scares, Extortion, Fraud, Media Investigations, Serious or fatal accidents, Sexual Assault, Product Recall, Downsizing, Closure, Tribunals, Dismissals, Disputes / strikes.
Our reputation management team prides itself in being experts in crisis management and communication. We listen to your business needs and resolve any issues swiftly and professionally. Our team severely reduces the impact of most of the crisis situations we handle. As yet, they have never hit the headlines.
Our crisis management agency is based in Essex but we operate across the entirety of the UK. Should you need any assistance, we are on your
As you would expect, our service is entirely confidential. Therefore, we never discuss any of the clients we work with or the situations they have asked us to handle.
We honestly hope a crisis never happens to your company, but if you do run into difficult situations, do contact our Essex crisis management agency.
If you are worried about anything that has been said about you on the internet, we can also assist you in this area.
There is no room for ‘no comment’ in the PR world.
There are many examples of a PR crisis where we have seen a
flustered PR executive fail to contain, let alone improve, a situation.
This could be a high-profile affair, tax evasion or just a complaint gone
viral.
We have been contacted to ask how we would respond to negative press, which we hope to address in brief today. In short:
- Tell the story
- Explain how you intend to rectify the issue
- Clarify what you will be doing to stop this from continuing or reoccurring.
There are no words worse than ‘no comment’ you may as well hold your hands up and say, ‘yup guilty’ because that is usually how people construe it! Literally anything is better:
- I don’t know right now but we are looking into it.
- I am not able to discuss this at present I am afraid. As soon as we can we will.
- As and when I have an update we will pass this along to you.
- I am not at liberty to discuss this but I will pass your comments to someone who can.
Our reputation management experts strongly advise that you make sure you only use the ‘unable to respond’ line when you have no other option. If you do use it be aware you may be described as evasive, or lying.
You should try to turn a crisis into an opportunity wherever possible and move quickly in order to control the situation.
The longer you wait the more likely others will take the lead and frame their
own story, which will often be inaccurate and disparaging.
A crisis, almost by definition, is unexpected. You simply cannot plan or expect every emergency, but what you can do is define what your message will express. You should remain calm but act fast. Never overpromise but make sure you reassure people that you are actively fixing the problem and putting safeguards in place to sure it will not happen again.
Social media and crisis management.
When Vogue Italia previewed their May cover on Instagram in 2015, within minutes, people were commenting and criticising the editorial choices the magazine had made. During this, the model herself also came under fire. Gigi Hadid, the cover model appears heavily tanned, which lead to comments stating that she looked “unrecognisable” and appeared as though she was “trying to look ethnic.”
Whatever the industry, social media backlashes are a common occurrence due to the immediacy with which people can access, share and comment on what they see. Whilst it can be challenging to know how to best deal with these situations, especially when the topic is a sensitive one; utilising a professional crisis management team can be hugely beneficial when it comes to knowing how to respond.
How was it dealt with?
Gigi took to Instagram stories to post a photo of herself after the shoot; explaining that any editorial work to make her look darker happened without her. She suggested that models have little control over the artistic direction of photoshoots. Whether her audience want to believe what she said or be sceptical that it was a carefully constructed apology written by someone who is likely to run her Instagram; there were a few things about the apology that can work for all businesses.
Here at VerriBerri, Essex crisis management agency, we have tips for dealing with a social media backlash:
Don’t deny it:
Gigi immediately addressed the issue, showing she had listened to and understood the comments that had been made. If your business is receiving negative feedback across social media don’t ignore it. It will be much more beneficial to address the issue and comment on it; rather than denying it altogether.
Show, don’t tell:
A lot of Gigi’s criticism suggested that she had been in control of the shoot and that she should have made sure she wasn’t represented as something she isn’t. By posting an apology, she could begin to explain why those images went to print. If people are criticising your business for something; don’t just post a quick status in response. Take the time to explain what happened with as much detail as possible.
Admit fault:
While it might be hard to do, admitting you were wrong will earn you more respect.
When it comes to dealing with a crisis, it can be difficult to know what to
If you’d like more information about how VerriBerri could help you, get in touch today with our Essex crisis management on 01376 386850
Trackbacks/Pingbacks