Read the Room: Communication During a Crisis
We live in an age where public reactions to an incident can become bigger than the incident in itself. The reality of a fast news cycle means that the pressure is always on to ensure that brands react in the right way. If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that this is easier said than done.
In order to avoid these pitfalls we should observe the general disposition, and reaction of individuals in the “room” in response to a situation and take the necessary steps.
So, how do you read the room?
Don’t rush it, assess your position truthfully.
Around the world we have seen established institutions: governments, brands, individuals etc., stumble over themselves in their attempts to communicate with their various stakeholders with the hope that they might rectify whatever crisis they might be facing. This rush is embedded in an organisation’s desire to seem agile and responsive but is often the first mistake that companies make.
Don’t get me wrong being slow to act can be disastrous, but once you make a statement it’s out there — forever! It is always better to have a well thought out position on an issue, that covers all bases and does not leave the brand vulnerable to further controvesy.
Don’t fake it, it’s obvious.
A disingenuous response might come from the right place but your stakeholders will feel it. This sounds like a double edged-sword, but the reality is that there will be times when you are not on the right side of an issue and that needs to be acknowledged. Your stakeholders do not expect you to be right all the time, but they do expect you to be sincere and they don’t want a performance.
Don’t forget your people.
The internal makeup of an organisation is a readily available asset that many fail to make use of. Each of your employees has a unique perspective that can be used towards composing a comprehensive response to a crisis. Do not make the mistake of overlooking them, not only in the composition of an overall response but also in acknowledging that they too deserve to be addressed.
Don’t Promise the world.
So, you have assessed, you’re being honest and you have created a safe place for dialogue for your stakeholders, do not ruin this by setting unrealistic goals. Your stakeholders will be looking for you to attain the limits you set for yourself, so make sure they are within reach.
Don’t just say the right thing, do the right thing.
We have seen a multitude of brands address the murder of George Floyd in the Unites States. Many of the responses have seemingly come from the right place; empathetic, sympathetic and acknowledging the existing racial disparities that allow fatal incidents like this to occur. However, many have failed to gauge what their stakeholders actually need from them.
The CEO of JP Morgan, Jamie Dimon, recently posted an image (see above) of himself kneeling in front of a vault as a gesture of solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. This was immediately met with widespread derision and cynicism. The gesture was was met with headlines such as “Bank Lives Matter” and accusations of empty virtue signalling. JP Morgan’s actual track record with regards to diversity, racial inclusivity was quickly called into question.
Black people remain poorly represented in JP Morgan and there is a prevalent issue with wage disparity between black and white employees. These issues are by no means specific to JP Morgan, however the CEO’s dramatic response only served to draw attention to these disparities and was written off as disingenuous — above all, it was simply not required.
Given that the firm implemented a new diversity policy just months earlier, a good step would have been to further emphasise their commitment to achieving the goals laid out in the plan, give examples of their progress thus far and state what more they plan to do. People like to see a working plan.
Tricky PR scenarios are unavoidable for any organisation operating in the public sphere, but they need not spell disaster at every turn. A good and dynamic understanding of public mood and an honest, clear-eyed view of your stakeholders and how your brand is perceived are the roadmap to success in reading the room.
Mide Afolabi is a PR strategist.
