Reputation repairs are among the most relevant and risky jobs for any PR firm. But while the potential for damage is significant, so too are the chances for turning lemons into lemonade. By focusing on what public relations boils down to – engagingly relating to the public and providing them with key messages reflective of a client’s core principles – the worst can not only be averted, but transcended.
Old dogs, new tricks
Much of the problem these days relates to the proliferation of things digital. Ideas, especially those of an embarrassing or sensational nature, which tend to spread quickly through social media. Everyone’s a videographer. And a potential part of the paparazzi. Moreover, the newness of digital marketing continues to create opportunities for smallish problems to blow up into artificially big crises. Once the bad news hits, the key to it not allowing it to trigger a more significant, long-term financial problem is often simply making sure a strike force is ready to jump into action. In the information age, disrupting preexisting expectations of perceived job responsibilities and the reluctances to change old ways is essential. The bottom line is worth it.
In Twitter we trust
If crisis strikes, stay calm and head for cycberspace. Response teams need to be savvy in their pushback on multiple social media platforms to help mitigate unwanted news that actually often ends up being more profitable than formal campaigns. Part of the solution, though, is timeless: know your clients. If you don’t, PR companies are at the mercy of parties who do or claim to. But being knowledgeable about your client’s strong points is only one key part of being prepared. Another, not to be underestimated in the digital age, is knowing how to effectively spread the message and counteract less attractive messages. The old adage about there being no such thing as bad PR is put to the test in ways that would have been imaginable when the expression was coined. In today’s world, the nature of public relations and reputations are very much on the line if your team doesn’t make the most of spreading the good word about your firm online.
The Human & Digital Communications Agency
Our award-winning communications team blends human interactions & digital engagement seamlessly to produce results for brands.
