You Give PR A Bad Name.

I didn't mean you personally. I'm referring to Bon Jovi's iconic anthem, 'you give love a bad name'. I can't get it out of my head recently. It has a core subject based on manipulation. A promise of better things, when the reality is a stark contrast. A little like the catastrophic communications that the government’s PR teams are pumping out responses at a rate of knots.

In reality, it is them who are giving PR a bad name.

It’s one for the history books, that’s for sure.

Crisis comms studies will refer to their reign, as what not to do.

Sure it’s been tough time, what with the pandemic, cost of living crisis and the energy crisis. All those huge moments in history offered the Conservative party the opportunity to prove that they’re far more progressive than their reputation and history would suggest. But alas, we’ve been subjected to the Benny Hill edition of leadership communications.

In fact, I think Benny and Bon Jovi could have probably done a better job with the communication tactics. Or at least soften the delivery of the frankly insulting communications the government have fired out off the cuff. Benny and Bon Jovi would have at least delivered it with a catchy tune to cover up the grim reality of the situation. Rather than spin the facts.

From a PR perspective, it's almost like they've not even considered that the general public can see through their lazy spins on the lack of action that really needs to be taken now.

Take childcare as an example. They have told us they've solved the problem. Then sneak in the fact that it's not happening until 2025. When most of the generation, who desperately need it during a cost of living crisis, will be in full time education by then. If we got them in again, they promise it will happen. But in recent months we've had so many policy changes that highlight it's only words.

During the pandemic they promised to help the self employed. They've heaped praise on themselves for supporting that group of people during a global pandemic. But they neglected to mention those that were excluded. Those who lost their businesses due to delays in support and those who even lost their homes.

They've gone from not having parties, to not knowingly breaking the rules, to claiming it was only guidance. Most recently claiming the moral of the staff needed lifting due to the pressures of the pandemic. Making it abundantly clear in these ever changing communications, that it's one rule for them and another for us.

How should you handle crisis communications?

Clarity, honesty and empathy are key in any response to a crisis.

You need to consider the people the crisis impacts, also known as the stake holders. They are the ones you will have to communicate to. Wether that be staff, customers, investors or the public; your communications will need to be written and delivered in a way that considers the impacts on all of them.

Clarity on what happened is vital. Sometimes it's difficult to admit failings. But it's incredibly important you do own your mistakes or the events that lead to the crisis and include that in your communications. It offers the stakeholders an understanding of the crisis and it also shows them you also understand it and have done all you can to prevent it.

Own your part in it. Oh too often, giant companies blame falling sales on their reasons behind mass redundancies. But they never explain if they saw it coming and what they did to prevent it. Which always leaves a feeling of resentment from those impacted and the wider public feeling appalled by the cold hearted, business like approach. If you changed up your offering to attract more customers, sought out investment or even the bosses and going without annual bonuses to save jobs, explaining what you did to prevent the crisis can go a long way in reputation damage limitation.

Explain what happens next. What can your stakeholders expect in light of this crisis? Has someone resigned? Are there going to be redundancies? Are there support packages in place? How was that decided on? Showing you have a plan, much like having an understanding of the situation, makes it easier for people to move past the shock, upset or anger they might be feeling. When you're presenting them with a plan of action or the next steps, they know what to expect from this.

Don't twist the facts. Be open and honest with the facts of the situation. In crisis communications, it's important to not put a spin on the situation. The long term reputation damage you could suffer as a result of cherry picking the facts, could be irreparable.

Think about the government's spin on supporting the self employed. during the pandemic. Sure they helped most people out, but they also excluded nearly a million people. They claimed they were doing the right thing by the British people. They claimed to be supporting the economy. All the while they made nearly one million people leave the workforce and lose their businesses and homes. When you look at the whole picture, it isn't really as great as they're spinning it.

Finally, be humble. There is no room for arrogance, dismissiveness, or a lack remorse or compassion. You need to deliver your crisis communications with a slice of humble pie to retain the respect and understanding of your stakeholders.

In the current economic crisis affecting the globe, I fear there is going to be many more of these moments that shock the world. I'll be watching their crisis communications fall out between the gaps in my fingers.

Speak Soon.

Carla

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