A quick press release, a comment, a social media post: Bang, the crisis has erupted. And suddenly you don't know where your head is.
Whether 50 years ago or in today's age of social media, crises have always affected companies and brands and still do today. Thanks to digitalized channels, they spread even faster than in the days when print alone was the gatekeeper. Unfortunately, most people don't know how to manage crises. So let's talk about crises, when to talk about them, how to prepare for them and what to really do in an emergency.
It may be that a dissatisfied customer leaves a negative review in the comments section of your LinkedIn or Instagram profile. Product not to their liking, poor service. Is that already a reason to declare a crisis in your own halls? Not necessarily. Why don't we give a clear “no” here? It's quite simple. Even a small comment can turn into a huge wave of indignation. We'll have to wait and see how the situation develops.
Let's take a quick look at the dictionary. Here, the definition of a crisis is a “difficult situation, situation, time [which represents the high point and turning point of a dangerous development]; difficulty, critical situation, time of danger, endangerment”
But what does this mean for us in a business context? Clearly defining a crisis or pinpointing the crisis point is anything but easy. No manual in the world can present you with this one key point that tells you “AND NOW IT'S CRISIS TIME”. Only you and your team are in a position to determine the turning point, this moment of fluctuation. So before you see the next reproachful comment as a sign of an emerging crisis, take a moment to find out whether this statement is maneuvering your company, your brand, to the aforementioned high point and turning point. If not, it is not a crisis. If you suddenly see your company's name in every feed and online magazine, it's probably already too late. Which brings us to chapter two:
Let's start with a cliché: preparation is the be-all and end-all! You don't build your brand without a strategy beforehand, right? (If you do, give us a call and we'll do it for you). It's the same with crisis communication. It should be prepared, even if you have no intention to provoke the next shitstorm. It's not something you choose.
But what does that exactly mean, the right preparation?
In general, the more openly and transparently you communicate with your stakeholders, target groups and employees, the less of a target you are and the lower the risk of a shitstorm. So be transparent in your presence. If people find out that you have something to hide, mistrust will arise.
What is certain is that even the most open communication to the outside world will not protect you from a crisis. Fake news, for example, can lead to you and your company coming under fire. Here, too, it is important to react and enter into dialogue with the public. A short checklist of the crisis management tasks you should consider:
Once the crisis is over, it is not enough to sit back and relax. After all, important lessons can be learned from every crisis. Sit down with your crisis team and review the situation: How did the crisis come about? How did the public react? What needed to be done? How did the public react to your own communication and handling?
Document the processes, pros and cons. What would you do differently next time? What worked well? Record these learnings so that you are even better prepared.
Also take a look at your team and ask yourself how they dealt with it. Was everyone clear about their area of responsibility? Did they react constantly and consistently?
Rub your eyes as you read this headline. We mean what we wrote here. To use (Germany’s Finance Minister) Christian Lindner's words from 1997: “Problems are just thorny opportunities”. You already know that.
With unrest on the rise and your brand name on everyone's lips, you are in a position to make a difference. Is your product being heavily criticised? Address this and evaluate whether this criticism is justified or unjustified. If your product is being unfairly pilloried, for example, show that there is absolutely nothing to these claims. As was the case with Coca Cola competitor Pepsi in 1993:
The accusation: dangerous foreign bodies in drinks cans. The reaction: show that this is not the case.
Pepsi invited people into its own production halls, demonstrated and emphasised that it was impossible for any objects to get into the cans during the production process. In addition, the sugar water manufacturer was able to provide a video showing how a woman used a syringe to transport foreign objects into the can. No production error, human manipulation was at work here. And Pepsi was able to show this.
The result: Pepsi as a respected safety producer.
Crises and their circumstances are individual, and there are many types of crisis. However, this does not mean that you cannot prepare for them. Even if there is no exact instruction manual, it is possible to prepare for the worst and to act stringently and intelligently in crisis mode. Never underestimate your own strength and that of your team. To avoid having to go down this path alone, it is always an advantage to call in an agency with experience in crisis communication.
At Uhura, we have already accompanied several companies through small and large crises. For Messe Leipzig, we were able to quickly fend off troll attacks using real-time social listening monitoring. For Total Energy, we were also able to mitigate crisis situations through effective monitoring and active community management and quickly support the internal teams.
Would you like to be prepared for potential crises and have a strong partner at your side should the worst case scenario occur? Get in touch with us. We will work with you to draw up a crisis plan and manouver you safely through the crisis.
