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Are you prepared for a PR storm?
Posted by
Odimax
,
26 October 2012
·
678 views
We previously blogged about KitchenAid’s Presidential debate mishap and their handling of what could have been a PR disaster.
The inappropriate tweet from the company account ultimately drew in thousands of new followers for the brand, all looking to be in the loop as the story unfolded.
Do you have a plan in place for such a PR storm around your brand? What would you do if a piece of bad press drew hundreds or thousands of critics to your social media channels? What should you do when the vultures are circling?
Be open. If you or your company have made a mistake, you’ll gain far more respect from your followers and critics if you admit you’re human and openly acknowledge the fault. Ideally, give a named point of contact for anyone with queries, complaints, or from the press, as soon as possible. This is also your opportunity to announce how you intend to rectify the situation and mention any steps which have already been taken.
Apologise. Sorry may be the hardest word, but those two short syllables can do a lot to get people back on your side. Swallow your pride and just say it.
Engage. Respond to enquiries and fair criticism in a polite manner. If you’re getting inundated with messages in the same ilk, consider writing a standard response which can be applied time and time again, à la Thomas Cook, following a cheeky request and cheekier social media PR coup from Lowcost Holidays. The Facebook team at Thomas Cook made efforts to engage with and personalise their responses where possible, and take care to always sign their responses with the relevant team member’s name.
Beware the trolls. In the midst of a media storm you may well find your channels become the target of internet trolls. Identify them and do your best to avoid engaging with them; if starved of attention, most will go away.
Convert the naysayers. When you find yourself with a large number of new followers, you’re presented with a great opportunity to create new fans. Running special offers, promotions and competitions, while sharing positive stories and case studies, is a great way to move the conversation on to more positive topics and can result in an increase in your sales and overall brand health.
Using the tactics above, it’s possible for any brand or business to manage a negative PR story and minimise its impact.
Do you have monitoring systems in place to detect an impending media storm? Contact us now to arrange a demo of the Odimax system with unique crisis management features.
The inappropriate tweet from the company account ultimately drew in thousands of new followers for the brand, all looking to be in the loop as the story unfolded.
Do you have a plan in place for such a PR storm around your brand? What would you do if a piece of bad press drew hundreds or thousands of critics to your social media channels? What should you do when the vultures are circling?
Be open. If you or your company have made a mistake, you’ll gain far more respect from your followers and critics if you admit you’re human and openly acknowledge the fault. Ideally, give a named point of contact for anyone with queries, complaints, or from the press, as soon as possible. This is also your opportunity to announce how you intend to rectify the situation and mention any steps which have already been taken.
Apologise. Sorry may be the hardest word, but those two short syllables can do a lot to get people back on your side. Swallow your pride and just say it.
Engage. Respond to enquiries and fair criticism in a polite manner. If you’re getting inundated with messages in the same ilk, consider writing a standard response which can be applied time and time again, à la Thomas Cook, following a cheeky request and cheekier social media PR coup from Lowcost Holidays. The Facebook team at Thomas Cook made efforts to engage with and personalise their responses where possible, and take care to always sign their responses with the relevant team member’s name.
Beware the trolls. In the midst of a media storm you may well find your channels become the target of internet trolls. Identify them and do your best to avoid engaging with them; if starved of attention, most will go away.
Convert the naysayers. When you find yourself with a large number of new followers, you’re presented with a great opportunity to create new fans. Running special offers, promotions and competitions, while sharing positive stories and case studies, is a great way to move the conversation on to more positive topics and can result in an increase in your sales and overall brand health.
Using the tactics above, it’s possible for any brand or business to manage a negative PR story and minimise its impact.
Do you have monitoring systems in place to detect an impending media storm? Contact us now to arrange a demo of the Odimax system with unique crisis management features.
