One of the biggest mistakes a business can make is believing a company crisis could never happen to them. However, as seen in the news almost daily, all it takes is one bad customer service representative and a smartphone to force a business to surrender its reputation completely.
As more and more areas worldwide legalize marijuana both medicinally and recreationally each day, businesses, both big and small, are popping up to accommodate and capitalize on the rapidly growing industry. Like any business, there are an infinite number of things that can go wrong from safety concerns, to a disgruntled employee slandering the company. In any case, companies should place heavy importance on quality public relations to avoid and manage crises.
The ongoing controversy of legalized marijuana paired with the explosiveness of social media, businesses in the industry are wise to arm themselves with a strong communications team, equipped with the ability to handle and diffuse crises.
A good PR team will be able to gather information before, during and following a crisis. They can assess whom it’s affecting, decide the organization’s stance and make sure the key messages are properly conveyed to the media or intended audience.
According to Forbes, there are three parts to preparing for a crisis: foresight, prevention and provision.
Foresight is seeing potential crises before they happen and being prepared for anything. The Public Relations team should imagine the worst case scenario and be sure they can devise a plan.
Prevention is acknowledging potential crises and taking the measures to avoid those scenarios.
Provision requires the team to create an action plan for when crises do occur.
If a business finds itself in a crisis, there is an effective procedure your PR team should follow:
1. Move swiftly but thoughtfully
Don’t leave the media or audience waiting. The company must take the initiative in communicating as a trusted source. Updates should be made to the audience promptly, in real time, and should anticipate people’s needs. The conversation takes place with or without you, and it’s much better if you’re able to steer it as much as possible before sinking even deeper into the proverbial quicksand. Quickly, but thoughtfully, determine the organization’s key messages, the audience and the best way to address them, whether it’s through social or traditional media.
2. Respond with empathy
It’s important to listen to the people complaining and allow them to say their piece. Anger tends to stall effective communication, so they will likely not hear what you have to say until they’re able to express their outrage. Remember: the weight of a crisis is not equal to what actually happened, but rather how the audience believes it to have happened. Tuning into your audience emotionally is key, because it will help to gauge the public’s mood, assisting you in planning your next move.
3. Hit them with the facts
Once you’ve catered to the emotions of the situation and have assumed responsibility, it’s time to give the facts. Whether it’s explaining what happened in detail, addressing falsehoods or letting the audience know the fate of those involved, this is the time to clear the air. It’s also a good opportunity to distinguish between law and public opinion. You may have been in the right by law, but not so much in the eyes of the public. This can be especially true in the world of weed where so many opinions are motivated by feelings toward the plant rather than any legalities or facts. Also important to note when addressing your audience: always tell the truth. Honesty is essential to the company’s credibility and the worst thing you can do is lie, even if it seems like it might stop a crisis.
Just as important as external communication is your internal communication. Employees in all departments should be aware and ready with key messages and the facts in case they are approached by the media or asked by family or friends.
It’s impossible to anticipate every possible thing that could go wrong, and a business should not be run with the cynicism that a crisis is always imminent, but with preparation, integrity and a strong PR plan, it will be a easier to handle should a crisis come knocking at your company’s door.
credit:420intel.com