So why are you measured instead of equally panicked?

You first remind the client why they hired a crisis PR expert.  They were repeatedly caught in visible public feuds and lacked a rapid response strategy.  Further, like many strong but unprepared companies, when they did speak to interested media the statements were negative, incoherent, and inconsistent.  The more they talked, the worse their situation became.

Next, you remind the client about the prior crisis management planning done once they engaged your firm, and how this important work prepared them for situations like this.

Finally, you ask the client the critical question: “Did you get a chance to read the first paragraph of the story?”

“Are you kidding?!?  NO!!!” the POC says, “I just saw the headline that says ‘[Company] Finds Itself Under Strong Political Fire’ and… oh boy we are d-e-a-d.”

“Don’t worry,” you say, “It’s normal to be upset at first with something like this.  Let’s just take a few minutes and examine the article.”

“Ok, let me click the link…” says the POC.  “It says ‘blah blah blah, [Company] is controversial, blah blah blah’ — oh wait, at the end of the first paragraph it says, ‘Prior to the latest allegations, the [Company]’s president had earlier posted a short video on its website, rebutting these claims and carefully laying out a short but forceful position defending its actions and criticizing the lack of evidence against it.’”

“Exactly!” you say.  “Unlike all the previous articles, notice how this one quickly cites [Company]’s position, takes aim at the opposition, and also directs readers to your website for more resources.  These three elements all help us define this debate and matter on our own terms, instead of the critics dictating everything.”

“I see… go on,” says the POC.

“As you played a big role in the crisis PR planning, you know this stuff doesn’t happen in a vacuum.  We anticipated for exactly this scenario, considered various means of response, and were ready to go when this particular reporter called last week asking for comment.  Our quick turn-around helped control the narrative and gain crucial ground in this fight.”

“Ok!  So this is the last bad story we’ll see then, right?”

“I wish that was the case!  Maybe not, but at least we know our crisis management playbook has been put to the test and helped [Company] withstand a strong gut punch.  And we now have a go-to channel of communication with this reporter, who we know will closely follow this matter over the coming weeks and months.  This way we can continue presenting our side of the story and, with a mix of hard work, persistence and a little luck, this news cycle will run out of steam sooner rather than later.”

—

As you can see, with crisis PR it’s all-about-prior-planning.  This same scenario above would play out radically different if the client wasn’t prepared in advance — even the savviest and smartest business leaders will make mistakes in their response strategy if they think common sense will get them through the rough patch.  Think, plan, execute — that’s how your company can avoid the shock of the morning headline.

Here’s Why You Don’t Worry About That Awful Headline… is a post from: Public Relations Firm PR Blog

Let’s give credit where it’s due.  Paypal, electric cars, space (!) — you’ve earned the title of adventurous industrialist.  You’re probably used to platitudes, so let’s move on to business, specifically your current feud with the New York Times over the scathing car review of the Tesla Model S.

Everyone gets it — the car’s your baby, and if someone attacks what you love you’re going to stand up and defend against that.  No one, particularly in the PR world, will fault you for responding aggressively when your company’s under fire.

Now let’s talk about how you did it.  Unlike your principled defense, there’s not much love for your communications approach.  You initially fired off a rather stern series of tweets attacking the Times’ reporter.  Then you did the information dump to end all information dumps, producing car computer logs that you claim contradict the reporter’s accounting of the Tesla’s test drive and itinerary.

That’s where you went wrong.

First, a fundamental principle in crisis PR is that if you get stuck in a heavy explanation, you’re losing.  Well, nothing is heavier than the rather complex Tesla graphs and data you produced to back up your version of events.  This may appeal to data gurus, scientists, and the like — but do you really think it makes any sense at all to your consumer segment?  They’re probably not going to take the time to decipher this information, and hence all they see is a loose-cannon CEO rather than a calm and collected response.  In fact, here’s a graph that represents how well your approach is working:

Second, if you’re insisting the facts are on your side, there’s a much, much, much easier way you could have handled — and crushed — the reporter’s review (and even have some fun in the process).  You could have simply made a mini-documentary, probably under 10 minutes long (with a fuller version as well), of you driving the same route under the same conditions, vindicating the Tesla’s performance.  As you can see, this would put a human face on the response instead of a bunch of complex charts, creating easily shareable social media and online content, and giving everyone the clearest and strongest view of your position.

Just sayin’.

An Open Letter to Elon Musk is a post from: Public Relations Firm PR Blog

The daily news source highlights a quick note on how to put crisis PR fires out with full control.  Click the video to learn the insights!

Praecere Gets Mention on Critical Mention! (No Repitition Intended) is a post from: Public Relations Firm PR Blog

Bobby Zafarnia Interviewed by Yahoo on Lance Armstrong is a post from: Public Relations Firm PR Blog

So you’d think Delta would be more careful when it comes to managing customer complaints… you’d think… hmmm.  Turns out that’s not the case, as Delta managed to destroy a flier’s beloved guitar – a Gibson no less! – and initially responded with a bunch of corporate babble, rather than addressing and resolving the manner in more down-to-earth tones.  (Note to Delta – with 80,000 employees, how hard would it have been to find one who’s a guitar enthusiast, and enlist that person as the face of communications when dealing with this matter?)

When it comes to crisis PR, one company’s lemons can sometimes be another company’s lemonade.  That’s where Gibson very smartly stepped in, obviously having heard of the flier’s bad luck.  The guitar maker not only offered to fix the broken axe for free, they also sent the fan a replica anniversary edition for good measure.

What did Gibson get for this small act?  A ton of awesome news coverage, and a company fan who’s now a super-fan.  The fundamental PR lesson for any company is to pay attention to your news alerts, and don’t hesitate to capitalize when another company’s mistakes offer the opportunity for a PR heyday.

Tune (Ahem) In to Good PR for 2013! is a post from: Public Relations Firm PR Blog

Now, back to the lecture at hand… the Blog Aesthetic spends plenty of time analyzing crisis PR, and has examined what typically goes wrong when it comes to countering negative headlines. More often than not, this process involves a public apology of some sort. Here are examples of how not to apologize.

Good news is Wirecutter has delivered a fresh, clean version that gets right to the point and does it with class.  The site recently did a review of home holiday lights (home holiday lights — how often does that kind of product even get a worthwhile review?), but apparently erred in reporting some of the basic product information, no doubt sending commenters and other online busybees into momentary fits of rage.

Granted, this isn’t the type of high-profile corporate scandal one might expect to see blaze across the news, but regardless, how the site handled the fallout and apologized is textbook, crisis PR 101 for how to make the bad news go away:

• “I made a mistake.” Talk about ripping off the band-aid! When it comes to crisis management and reporting bad news, just get it out and you’re already halfway there.

• “This mistake got past me because I’ve been a little distracted lately with some personal stuff, and I missed it entirely. There’s no good reason, basically. I’m sorry.” No excuses, just honest commentary to help set the record straight. Darden Restaurants, you paying attention?

• “If anyone has a problem with the lights they ordered from the first version of the story, please let me know.” Getting closure to a rough PR incident requires explaining simple corrective steps to follow.

• “We will make more mistakes, but hopefully we will not make the same ones twice.” Ends on a positive note, says we’re all human and commit errors, puts the matter behind and moves on — that’s how you finish getting over the hurdle.

Take a gander at the overwhelmingly positive, encouraging comments left on the site to see the value of the apology. Bravo Wirecutter!

This Is How To Handle A Media Apology is a post from: Public Relations Firm PR Blog

And, what often blasts such situations from bad to worse is when a CEO decides to throw politics into the mix.  To illustrate, take a gander at recent comments from Darden Restaurants, the parent company of Red Lobster and Olive Garden.  In October Darden publicly raised concerns that impending Obamacare requirements would force it to convert restaurant staff to part-time to avoid regulatory costs.

Fast-forward a few weeks later when Darden issued its latest earnings press release, with the CEO warning that Q2 2013 earnings would fall short of expectations and blaming “recent negative media coverage that focused on Darden within the full-service segment and how we might accommodate health care reform.”

Darden may have been better off issuing a different press release blaming the dog for eating its earnings.

Here’s the reality: most investors agree that Darden’s “negative media coverage” was likely caused by poor employee and customer satisfaction surveys, which … wait for it … were based on negative reviews of part-time staff, who … wait for it … were brought in by Darden as part of its new approach toward Obamacare costs.

So what we learn from the PR perspective is when handling investor relations communications, companies must properly blame the root causes of poor earnings instead of pulling them out of fried ocean goodness air.  Without seeing things through this way, that same “negative media” will boomerang back in the form of negative analyst comments.

And while we’re at it, it’s worth asking whether Darden would similarly attribute any increased earnings to positive media attention?  Just sayin’…

The Proximate Cause of PR Headaches is a post from: Public Relations Firm PR Blog

“Were you struck by how very far from awesome the Awesome Pretzel Chicken Tenders are?”

“Hey, did you try that blue drink, the one that glows like nuclear waste?”

“By the way, would you let our server know that when we asked for chai, he brought us a cup of hot water?”

“[W]hen we hear the words Donkey Sauce, which part of the donkey are we supposed to think about?” (N.B. “Donkey Sauce” … classic example of marketing and PR/branding departments not coordinating effectively.)

With these barbs still fresh, Fieri appeared on the Today Show, where he kept a positive attitude and didn’t seem to take things personally.  He may have waded a bit far on conspiracy allegations against the critic, but still, kudos for responding directly to criticism.  Now, what else should Fieri do to eliminate the bad taste left by the review?  Here’s a three-point plan (recipe?) for Guy Fieri to follow:

1) Ensure your tone is consistent.  Fieri‘s brand is meant to be playful and fun, and the happy face he brought to the Today Show the right approach.  That’s better than pushing back with a stern press release or temper tantrum.

2) Take meaningful action.  Given that the “nuclear waste” drink is off the menu, that’s a solid start to some basic restaurant crisis management.  Fieri might show some good humor and name a new drink after the critic, perhaps something from (ahem) “the well”?

3) Keep your friends close … and your enemies closer.  It’d be worthwhile for Fieri to invite the critic to join him at the restaurant for a meal and a drink, perhaps as a video clip on restaurant social media.  Of course, it’s highly unlikely any major restaurant critic would ever take up such an offer, but such a gesture shows Fieri can take criticism in stride, and certainly caters to his fans.

This simple PR plan can fix a lot of wrongs.  As for the questionable Awesome Pretzel Chicken Tenders, hmmm…

Guy Fiere’s Comback Recipe is a post from: Public Relations Firm PR Blog

Appleseed is a nonprofit network of public interest justice centers and professionals dedicated to building a just society through legal, legislative and market-based structural reform.  Appleseed’s advocacy addresses those who have the power to ensure government advances the public interest, corporations treat consumers fairly, and all can exercise rights and enjoy real opportunities.

Here’s to fighting the good fight!  Cheers to Appleseed.

Praecere Recognized for Pro Bono Efforts is a post from: Public Relations Firm PR Blog

With this latest action, Lance Armstrong is effectively out of business when it comes to endorsements, advocacy, and business partnerships.  The overwhelming recent response by the US Anti-Doping Agency, Livestrong’s disassociation with Armstrong’s role, and now the stripped titles… it’s easy to wonder if Armstrong — the athletic, cancer-crusading brand — can ever bounce back.

Maybe, maybe not… but if he’s got any hope of doing so, here are three quick PR tips:

• Armstrong must keep his cool.  Compare his recent statement on leaving Livestrong, which struck even, professional tones, with his defiant and inflammatory comments and responses as the attacks mounted.  Anything Armstrong says at the moment needs to be cool and balanced.

• This likely isn’t the end.  PR meltdowns often have the same common feature — death by a 1,000 cuts.  The slow drip-drip-drip of bad news on Armstrong seemingly continues, and he certainly hasn’t aided his overall efforts by taking the polar opposite position on every single bit of criticism aimed his way.  Now that there’s the likelihood of lawsuits against him, Armstrong’s name will probably take more hits before this is all over.

• People love a comeback.  As bad as it gets, Lance is an American athlete, and this country loves nothing more than a good ol’ comeback.  There’s probably a path forward after the dust settles, but to ensure he has any chance of going that direction, Armstrong must get all the bad news out, let that run its course, and then start plotting his return.

How Does Lance Armstrong — the Brand — Recover? is a post from: Public Relations Firm PR Blog