10/21/2019

Getting Your Crisis Game On-point

Avoid these missteps

Today’s world is full of crises, whether in food, restaurant, sports, education or corporate America. As a regular ”Armchair Quarterback” (hazards of the PR business) when watching crises I’m not involved in unfold, I see some avoidable errors being made. I’ve highlighted below a few of the most common mistakes – and ways to correct them:

1. Wait too long to respond – Not getting out early can make coming back from crisis a Herculean effort, especially in the world of online news and social media. Waiting creates a void that is filled – swiftly – by others, who likely will not represent your crisis the way you would. Try to engage within the “golden hour” – or the first 60 minutes. Playing catchup is difficult.
2. Don’t put someone in charge – When everyone is in charge, no one is in charge, and that becomes readily apparent to your audience. It also creates disjointed messaging and decreases confidence. Have a crisis team and stick with it, and make sure everyone’s role is well defined.

Please select this link to read the complete blog post from OSAE Member Hinda Mitchell, Inspire PR Group.