Data’s Role In Crisis Communications

By Nick Puleo

Summary: When faced with crises, companies too often rely on their past experiences or those of executives to formulate a communications response. Companies must embrace communications data in order to formulate effective responses in today’s media environment. Doing so best positions them to defend their brand and mitigate the impact of a crisis.?

It happens all of the time.?

A group of well-intentioned, senior executives gather in a room to craft a response to an emerging crisis. After reviewing the facts at hand, a predictable pattern emerges. Some will argue the need to stay silent. Someone may suggest a no-holds-barred approach. And someone will, inevitably, describe how they or other members of their team handled a previous issue masterfully, and that previous approach alone should guide next steps.??

This is how crises have been managed for years. And it’s an outdated approach.?

Why? Because data insights now empower companies facing crises to take an informed approach in defending their brands. Here are some examples of how data can help them do this.?

Determining Scale

“It’s going viral” is something heard frequently when counseling clients on issues, when the story in question is, in fact, not going viral. More often, a single story placed in an outlet of importance to an executive, or shared amongst their social circles, will cause angst commensurate with a full blown-crisis. But such knee-jerk reactions can do more long-term harm than good.?

Tempering a strategic response to negative news is critical in protecting a company’s reputation. Too little, and there is risk of being perceived as not taking an issue seriously. Too much of a response, and one might think you have something to hide.?

The right response requires asking the right questions. Is the story being picked up by other outlets? What is its social reach? Is this impacting our customer audience or something else? If it is spreading, how quickly and where??

Real-time data from traditional and social media listening tools will help determine the scale of potential issues. With the data in hand, companies will be best positioned to determine the size and scale of their own response.?

It is critical to ensure that both traditional media pickup and social listening are employed in such analysis. Consider: More than 83 percent of journalists use Twitter, and 25 percent of the platform’s verified accounts are journalists or media outlets. Oftentimes, news will be discussed or teased on Twitter before the full story breaks.?

Tailoring Responses to Geography and Culture

When it’s determined that a crisis situation is emerging, size isn’t the only important metric in determining an appropriate response. Location matters too.???

One US-based, global health client I worked with was concerned about a growing online narrative criticizing the cost of one of their top products. The client was considering a full-fledged global response to the critiques. However, data revealed that activists - while numerous and vocal - were limited to the United Kingdom. What’s more, the pricing issue was rooted in a policy dispute with local regulators and not by a desire of the company to increase prices.?

In this case, a global response in multiple markets would have deepened the crisis. Many customers were unaware that the issue existed. And, even if they were, the pricing issue would not apply in their jurisdiction.

By using data to understand the geographic reach of the activist campaign, the client was able to create a tailored strategy to tell their story to the right audience without causing a spillover effect.?

This type of geographic understanding also empowers communicators to respond in a way that is culturally appropriate to the geography in which they are communicating. Sticking with a (simplistic) UK healthcare example, this could include mention of the NHS and vaccine “jabs,” as opposed to the US version of the CDC and “shots.”

Predicting Emerging Topics?

Like any conversation, media trends can veer off in unexpected directions. This is particularly true during a communications crisis. The increased scrutiny from sustained, negative coverage can reveal other vulnerabilities within an organization. And unlike the old admonishment, the media love kicking someone when they’re down.?

For example, news of an executive engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate could reasonably raise questions about company culture. This could lead to current and former employees posting on social media about negative experiences. Reporters, now looking more closely at the brand, could see these complaints as warranting additional coverage.?

Spotting these emerging trends is critical, particularly during a large-scale brand crisis. At my firm, we use artificial intelligence tools like natural language processing to identify subtopics within conversations that have the potential to create secondary crises. Such intelligence helps even beleaguered brands better prepare for subsequent rounds of scrutiny.?

Understanding Influencers?

Increasingly, crisis events aren’t sparked by news coverage at all. Rather, they are the result of online activist or misinformation campaigns. In fact, this type of issue has become the most-pressing and most-frustrating challenge for many brands.?

Take online furniture retailer Wayfair, for example. In 2020, wild, baseless claims that the online furniture retailer was engaged in child trafficking swept the internet. Sourced presumably from the conspiracy group Q-Anon, these claims quickly spread among lifestyle bloggers and influencers. Understandably, these rumors sparked a large-scale crisis for the company.?

In cases like this, it is imperative to understand who is spreading negative news. While it may not be possible to ultimately pinpoint the source, knowing the types of influencers sharing information aids companies in crafting a strategic response.?

Analyzing the social spread of negative or false news can indicate where firms have the opportunity to put up roadblocks and to understand when a larger-scale response is required.?

Post-Mortem Assessments ?

“Never let a good crisis go to waste.” On this Winston Churchill was right. Companies should learn from crisis events in order to improve their operations and continue to build their brands. After such events, brands should analyze what worked, what didn’t, and what work needs to be done moving forward.?

With the right data, firms can pinpoint when issues took off, what impact their statements and messaging had, and the overall impact on the brand. Those insights are invaluable in charting next steps and avoiding future issues.?

Nick Puleo is president and founder of Comsint. He and his team are here to answer your questions and provide guidance on your strategic communications options. Please feel free to contact us.