Knowing what to do when a business faces a PR disaster isn’t a matter of guessing or good luck.
Instead, the best responses are informed by experience, expertise, and strategy.
Whether you’re facing a PR disaster due to tone-deaf marketing, employee misconduct, or outright negligence, knowing how to handle these events can help you to recover faster from the fallout.
What do we mean by a 'PR disaster'?
A ‘PR disaster’ is any kind of negative event that damages a brand or individual’s public perception and reputation.
These disasters are usually unexpected and quick to spread, often resulting in severe backlash from the public.
Examples of PR disasters include illegal or unethical behaviour – especially from more senior members of the business or leadership team, data breaches where sensitive customer information is mishandled or stolen, and faulty products which pose a threat to the public.
How to handle a PR crisis (and what not to do!)
Don’t panic
Yes, your response to any PR disaster should be quick, but not so fast that you worsen the damage.
While it’s perhaps human nature to want to respond immediately to any decline in public trust and brand image, doing so without proper thought or preparation can do more harm than good.
Instead of panicking and throwing together a response, take the time to assemble the facts and a core, trusted team. Only then can you begin to draft a strong response which should be thoroughly reviewed before publication.
Speak to a PR agency
Regardless of the size of your business or the industry you operate within, consulting with an experienced PR agency can offer you a valuable outside opinion and help you to monitor real-time public sentiment.
They can also provide you with invaluable insight when it comes to next steps, helping you to create new, positive content that aims to decrease the visibility of any negative search results.
Respond appropriately
Any response to a PR crisis must be carefully curated.
It should be transparent, empathetic, and sincere, taking responsibility where necessary and outlining the steps that the business is taking to prevent further harm or concern.
The response should avoid making justifications for any wrongdoing or errors, and instead focus on what the business is doing to rectify the mistake.
Monitor public sentiment
Once you’ve responded to the PR crisis, it’s important not to ignore it. Stay aware of the public sentiment and consider reviewing your approach if the negative feeling towards your brand shows no signs of abating.
Conduct a post-crisis review
After the initial impact of a disaster has passed, you can turn your attention to assessing the extent of the damage (such as financial losses, reduced share prices, and legal issues) and the efficacy of your response.
A post-crisis review can help to streamline your approach and allow you to implement processes that prevent the same issues from reoccurring in the future.
If another PR disaster does arise, you’ll also have a much clearer idea of how to handle it.
What can Aqueous Digital do to help?
We know the tangible impact that a PR crisis can have on a business. From a drop in sales to diminished customer trust, the effects can be severe and long-lasting.
That’s where our experienced team can help. We offer professional digital PR services which aim to swiftly and strategically manage your brand’s public image and reputation.
By monitoring brand sentiment, reconnecting with your audience via social media, and creating positive, SEO-optimised content, our in-house experts can help to repair damage and lessen negativity towards your business.
To learn more about how our digital PR services can support the sustained success of your business, please don’t hesitate to contact our helpful team today.
We’ll start with a free, no-obligation consultation, outlining the way we work and how can deliver the most value for your business.
Start today by giving us a call on 0800 285 1424 or sending an email enquiry to hello@aqueous-digital.co.uk.
