Just when you think everything is smooth sailing with your business or your brand, you could very quickly be faced with a public relations crisis. Whether it is a major catastrophe, such as the BP oil spill in the Gulf; a minor annoyance, such as Beyonce’s lip syncing of the national anthem at the presidential inauguration; or a total meltdown such as Lance Armstrong’s denial and then later admission of using performance-enhancing drugs, your reaction to the situation will determine how quickly you can regain the trust of your audience/customers and repair your brand.
Here are some quick pointers. Stay prepared and on alert. Statements and actions that may have been unintended or ill-advised travel fast. Then act swiftly. Next – we’ve said it before and we’ll say it again – apologize. We recommend a real apology – “We’re sorry” vs. what we call a politician’s apology “I apologize IF I offended someone.” Then come clean, be humble and learn from it.
The season premiere of ABC’s Scandal this week with the Washington’s power “fixer” Olivia Pope has prompted us to look at some recent scandalous situations and see how people and companies are doing with their crisis management.
- Paula Deen – This has to be one of the fastest and hardest falls in recent memory. She went from the queen of Southern cuisine with cookbook contracts, endorsements, cooking shows and a charitable foundation to the pariah chef due to her use of the “N” word. Her punishment was swift and severe and she has remained low-key in the interim. Due in part to her loyal followers, we think she could be on track to stage a comeback.
- The United States Congress – Their inability to agree on even the most basic functions – keeping the government open comes to mind – has awarded them with the lowest approval rating ever or at least since CNN has been polling. They have a serious crisis and until they listen to the wishes of the American public, stop bickering across party lines, address issues and provide leadership, today’s 10% approval might mean they will have to look for new job next year.
- Anthony Weiner – Getting caught tweeting pictures from down there and having to resign from Congress wasn’t enough. He switched it up to the chat room with explicit messages as Carlos Danger and decided to run for NYC mayor. The American public is forgiving – but twice? Weiner needs to confront his issues and be sincere about how he’s going to serve his constituents as a mature adult and not as a late-night punchline. Only then will he be taken seriously in another election.
- Dennis Rodman – His comments about his “friend for life” the North Korean dictator Kim are puzzling and troubling. Considering the source, we have to conclude Rodman does not consider his endorsement scandalous and as such is it really a crisis? It seems Rodman is from the “any publicity is good publicity” school of thought.
What makes you forgive a scandalous incident? Tell us about it here. And just for fun, here’s a promo for season 3 of Scandal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBrFepZETZo
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