This piece shares advice – from Persuasion Communications founder Jane Austin – that brands can use to recover from a PR crisis.
Earlier, brands could cover up their mistakes and audiences would either never know it or forget it soon. But, the internet has made it almost impossible to cover up mistakes. In the internet age. news travels like rapid-fire, and news about PR blunders spreads faster.
To address mistakes and potential PR disasters, brands need to employ “speed, authenticity and a clear vision”. While the PR team must be equipped with a damage control plan to address the issue as early as possible, the leadership team must readily give clear responses.
Instead of remaining silent, brands should communicate to their audiences with a clear message. They should also hold their patience and be ready to accept that it could take years to fix reputation damage.
Jane Austin said, “If your brand is known for being better in the first place, then mistakes won’t be as destructive in the long run.” Austin further added that resilient brands would be better able to handle PR disasters, especially if they offer essential products, as people would continue buying from them despite an initial dent in sales.
[5 minute read]
