New rules for crisis communications
As a firm that does a lot of crisis communications projects and work, we know a lot of the long-time rules of how to handle then and mitigate them. You know the ones: writing a media statement; clamping down on social media; crafting talking points; effective use of lobster cages and the likes.
But the past few months have brought on the need to add even more tactics that can help you keep the crisis wolf at bay.
- Put cellphones on the table: This way no one can accidentally “butt dial” a reporter or outside source while discussing strategy in the way presidential fixer Rudi Giuliani recently did and leaving a three-minute accidental message to an NBC reporter. Not a good idea. So when walking into that next high level strategy meeting, make sure no one is accidentally calling the wrong person.
- No catering either: What is one way for your opposition to know what you were doing? Leaving a paper trail. In the past, this meant legal documents. Now, it may be that online order you sent to the local pizza place for four extra pepperonis that your team ate at a meeting to discuss ways to promote veganism in schools. Sound crazy? We’ve seen something similar.
- Trolling isn’t worth it: Popeye’s has gotten a lot of e-fist bumps in the past few weeks for its twitter skirmish with Chick-fil-a over the popularity of its chicken sandwiches. And vice versa. But the fun and games turned serious when someone was shot over a Popeye’s sandwich in Charlotte this week. Guess who is getting a backlash?
What does this mean? It mean have some more tools in your crisis toolkit or you may create a bigger crisis for yourself.
