Written by: Adam G. Horlock, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Your business's reputation is one of its most valuable assets. It's easy to think of PR disasters as distant, unlikely events that have little bearing on your business. However, any business with an image and reputation to maintain is exposed to the potential risks of a PR nightmare. When your company's image comes under attack, mitigating the damage and restoring public trust can be challenging.
Whether you're a startup or a large corporation, being proactive in protecting your brand can help guarantee that when such an event arises, you are not blindsided and unprepared – but rather informed, prepared, and empowered for damage control. When your company has a plan, it can help prevent potential disasters or enable your team to respond effectively to any negative publicity.
Acknowledge the risks
The first step to preparing for a PR crisis is acknowledging that it can happen to any business and being aware of potential risks. Conduct a thorough audit of your company's vulnerabilities and possible crisis scenarios. Identify the high-risk areas, including internal issues like data breaches, corporate scandals, and leadership changes, or external ones like natural disasters or global pandemics. Once you identify the risks, develop a crisis management plan with specific strategies.
If you need to become more familiar with developing a crisis management plan, consult an experienced PR firm specializing in this work. The first few hours into a crisis are the most critical, even if it is a public acknowledgment of the issue and resolve to make it right. While each circumstance is different, and the response will need to be measured to fit the moment and event, the framework for crisis management begins before the crisis itself.
Build Relationships with the media
Media relationships are crucial in managing a PR crisis. Build relationships with reporters, bloggers, and journalists in your industry before a situation happens. Reach them with relevant insights and stories and take their feedback seriously. This begins with basic, local-level stories and articles about your business or organization. Start to build some media wins early and demonstrate how your organization solves problems, takes care of people, and contributes to the area.
This will help you build trust and credibility with journalists, making it easier to handle damage control when a crisis strikes. With a bank of previous articles and content, the media has material already at their disposal that highlights your organization's positive work and attributes.
Invest in digital monitoring tools
Social media monitoring and digital marketing tools can help your business stay informed about what is being said about you online. You can identify potential negative opinions and tackle them by tracking mentions of your brand and related keywords before they become full-scale PR disasters. Establishing a digital monitoring system should be a priority for the marketing team, especially in larger businesses and organizations, as it prepares you to take swift action in a crisis.
Many quality PR firms can also run reporting and digital monitoring for you. Many already do this when a press release or story comes out and can continue to do so before, during, and after a PR crisis unfolds.
Train your team
Your employees are the public face of your business, and they can either mitigate or aggravate a PR disaster. This is critical, regardless of the size of the company or organization. Every team member represents the brand publicly, and their actions or reactions to outside events can define success or disaster. Ensure your staff understands how to handle a crisis, including communication protocols, crisis management procedures, and verified information updates. By providing your team with the necessary training, you can equip them with the tools and tactics to manage a crisis effectively.
Have a crisis management team
When a PR crisis strikes, senior management needs to be able to respond swiftly and strategically. This is why you need a dedicated crisis management team that includes decision-makers, legal experts, PR professionals, and customer service personnel.
Work with this team to develop a comprehensive crisis management plan, which should provide a detailed roadmap for handling communication channels, managing stakeholders, and delivering timely responses.
Does your organization need this in place, or is it looking to have this on standby externally? That can work as well with the right PR firm. Many specialize in this area and can cite several PR crisis stories and successful outcomes.
Final thoughts
Proactively protecting your brand from a PR nightmare can save your business many headaches in the long run. Following the steps outlined in this article can significantly improve your business's readiness to manage a PR crisis effectively.
Taking the time to acknowledge the risks, build journalist contacts, invest in digital monitoring technologies, train staff, and establish a crisis management team will put your business on a path to safeguarding its reputation and protecting it from PR crises in the future. Don't wait until a PR nightmare strikes before taking action — start preparing now.
If your brand or business is in the midst of a PR mishap or looking for options to incorporate a PR strategy or review your current strategy, please follow Adam on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook, and visit his agency's website: Pinnacle Public Relations Agency!
Adam G. Horlock, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Adam Horlock is the Founder and Principal Strategist of Pinnacle Public Relations Agency, helping brands find and amplify their voice through public relations campaigns, helping develop a public message and find winning strategies to get that message heard. In these efforts, he has made multiple national television appearances, published articles and content on some of the world’s leading business and news platforms, and helped smart brands grow through effective messaging and strategy.
