Accidents happen, and mistakes are made. But in this digital era, nothing stays private for long, and every trip up is one share button away from becoming a PR nightmare. The days of dealing with crises behind closed doors are gone, and the court of public opinion is never closed. So with just one wrong move, your business can be trending for all the wrong reasons in a matter of minutes. This is why having an airtight crisis management strategy is a non-negotiable for any business, even those operating offline. Having a protective strategy is the difference between a PR crisis being a speed bump in the road or quickly snowballing into a full-blown 5-car pile-up.
Crisis management is the strategic process of flagging, addressing, and reducing any potential threats to an organisation’s trusted reputation by prioritising coordinated communication and rehearsed action plans to enable swift recovery. Research shows that 28% of crises spread internationally within a single hour thanks to the reach of social media, so it’s never been more important to respond quickly to prevent reputational damage from escalating. 86% of customers say transparency on social media is the key to brand recovery in challenging times – prioritising open and honest conversations with customers should be a first response.
In this blog, we explore the challenges of managing crises in the online age, the importance of leveraging digital platforms to stay one step ahead, and, if the worst happens, how to repair your reputation. This guide is packed with tips and advice to help you manage potential threats with minimal stress. We also share some actionable tricks of the trade for thriving in challenging PR situations.
What exacerbates PR crises across digital platforms?
There’s a whole host of factors contributing to PR crises – but issues are often exacerbated by the virality of content, the global reach of social media platforms, and pressure for increased transparency in these spaces. One problematic video or post can spark anger and reach millions in just a few hours. Information is constantly available, making it almost impossible to control a narrative once it’s spread.
The BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2021 is one of the most memorable environmental disasters in recent years following an explosion on an oil rig in Mexico, and BP’s crisis management was disastrous. The company’s initial response was to downplay the incident, with their CEO famously commenting, ‘I’d like my life back’, causing public outrage as it made the company appear indifferent about the huge crisis and its devastating environmental implications. Hashtags like #boycottBP began trending, and parody X accounts were created, mocking the company’s efforts to resurrect the crisis. The company’s reputation took a massive hit given its lack of proactive social media strategy, and its eventual clean-up efforts (which involved a multi-million-pound campaign) lasted years. This example really stresses the need for reactive, prompt, and sincere responses from brands – especially in a world that demands instant digital feedback. It’s not just about managing the message anymore, it’s about managing the real-time commentary from millions of users, which spreads like wildfire.
Another notable example of a major viral PR disaster comes from footage of the 2017 United Airlines flight showing a passenger being forcibly removed from an overbooked flight, which was quickly circulated online by another customer. The shocking video spread across social media instantly and was viewed millions of times within hours. Soon, #BoycottUnited was trending. Harsh criticism, memes and parodies were rife on social platforms and were almost impossible for UA to control. They initially made a statement downplaying the incident as a ‘re-accommodation’ of passengers, but this infuriated viewers as it failed to address staff conduct or acknowledge the severity of dragging a paying customer out of the plane. Their CEO’s first apology also appeared insufficient and insincere – and it was only after significant public backlash that the airline released a more sincere apology and made changes to their policies. The lesson here is to ensure all company statements following a crisis are empathetic and swift, as tone-deaf responses hinder and complicate the situation further.
Mishandling crises like this can cause severe long-term damage to businesses. Reputational damage is the obvious implication, and once public trust is lost, it isn’t easy to regain. The digital footprint is a permanent archive – so any previous mismanagement or indiscretions will stay around for all to see, as will your response. Consumers expect honesty, accountability, and transparency from businesses, and breaking their trust can turn loyal customers towards your competitors.
It follows that financial consequences naturally go hand in hand with PR crises, causing further issues for your company. Sales can decline, partnerships fall through and in severe cases, companies can be slapped with lawsuits and hefty fines. Reputational damage can also take a human toll on employee morale and talent retention as once a company image is tarnished it becomes increasingly harder to attract and maintain high-quality workers.
How to build an effective crisis management strategy
It’s not all doom and gloom – with sturdy preparation and a strong strategy, you can soften the blow of crises when they come around.
Proactivity is key. Start by mapping out the potential pitfalls in the business and scripting proactive messaging around this to improve the speed of your response time, which is critical for controlling the narrative. This could be around product or supply chain issues, customer service failings or leadership behaviour. Internet users can instantly tell a sincere and empathetic statement from one that’s autogenerated or stuffed with corporate jargon. Admitting your mistakes with authenticity and humanity is the golden rule for crisis management. When your brand is caught in the crossfire online, your words can turn the tide in favour of your brand or send the internet into a frenzy, so scenario response planning can really make or break a crisis management strategy.
The next step is to use all of the tools available to you to monitor online conversations, media coverage and social media to flag potential incidents early before they spiral – Google Alerts, Hootsuite and Brandwatch are all useful for this. It’s also good practice to keep an eye on how your competitors or other companies manage their crises – and mirror them if they’ve been successful.
A good example of crisis management comes from Airbnb and their response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which posed a significant challenge given the imposed global lockdowns causing cancellations across the board putting both guests and hosts in a difficult position. The company had to strike a balance to support the needs of hosts who often rely on the income from Airbnb with the practicalities of a global health crisis. They quickly recognised the scale of the crisis and allowed guests to cancel their bookings free of charge, understanding the importance of safety and customer trust. Their CEO, Brian Chesky, regularly posted on social media and blogs directly addressing hosts and guests empathetically and transparently, explaining the rationale for the business changes. They went above and beyond by creating a $250 million relief fund to help compensate Airbnb hosts for any lost revenue, which showed how much the company valued users during the crisis. Their proactive and transparent response gained them huge praise and trust with the majority of their audience, a campaign largely driven by social media.
Businesses need to build a positive digital presence that consistently shares customer success stories and regularly engages with audiences. Suppose you have the foundations of a well-established positive reputation. In that case, this can act as a buffer if a crisis occurs. Building transparency and trust forms part of this, and it can be done by sharing the challenges your business faces as well as the developments within your business. This makes it easier for the public to believe you if disaster strikes.
Building a dedicated crisis team that works cross-functionally ensures all of your bases are covered when acting quickly and seamlessly in the event of a crisis. They will need to be regularly trained through drills and scenario planning to test the plan in place and allow the team to be more comfortable in scenarios under pressure. Your external plan is just as important, and having solid relationships with journalists and media teams can be your saving grace when a crisis strikes. If reporters trust your company, they’re much more likely to reach out to you for accurate information before they run any stories that jump on the viral narrative. The person they do reach out to needs to be a well-prepared and properly trained spokesperson who can communicate calmly in high-pressure environments. Engaging with influencers can really aid in amplifying positive messaging if a crisis does occur, and engaging trusted voices for your audience can provide third-party credibility and help to steady the ship.
Reputation repair techniques
The repair process can be just as challenging (if not more so) than managing the storm itself. It’ll take more than a few apology posts on social media to rebuild trust and get things back on track. Actions speak louder than words, especially in the digital space. Acknowledging the issue head on and demonstrating accountability should be at the core of your strategy.
Communicating the steps you’re taking to prevent the issue from recurring is a big green flag for reputation rebuilding, as empty promises can damage a brand’s credibility even further. One of the most powerful tools at your disposal is sharing the progress you’re making to meet this goal. Spotlighting moments where your business has made a tangible difference, added value, and had a positive impact will remind people why they loved your brand in the first place. The goal is to shift the content narrative from ‘crisis’ mode to ‘re-acquisition’ mode.
Keeping an eye on the online reviews, comments, and mentions and ensuring you respond to both negative and positive feedback is also critical. This shows you’re providing great service and are committed to rebuilding trust. You can use listening platforms to track the sentiment of your brand and determine how effective your different techniques are.
Embracing proactive crisis management: Safeguarding reputation in the digital age
“Everyone has a plan until they’re punched in the face.”
Wise words from Mike Tyson – and we agree. Proactive crisis readiness is the foundation of high-end PR, and negative publicity doesn’t have to destroy your reputation. With the right preparation, it can even become an opportunity to show your stakeholders the strength of your values and your commitment to accountability. Continuous adaptation is crucial, so as digital trends, platforms, and public expectations evolve, so must your crisis management strategy. The most successful businesses don’t wait for a crisis to strike – they anticipate it, plan for it, and adapt as needed.
Crisis averted? You can count on it.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed and need some guidance and expert advice on reputation management, we can help you navigate the chaos. Contact our friendly team of PR experts today.
