Why you need PR during a crisis

By Cassy van Eeden

Take Marie Claire’s recent In Her Shoes campaign or BIC’s Women’s Day message, for example. In these cases, the brands were met with massive public disapproval.

This is where public relations plays a powerful role. Effective communication during a crises can not only save reputations, but it can turn a bad situation into an opportunity for positive publicity.

Facing the media

During a crisis, your chosen PR firm has a number of responsibilities. But one of the most important functions they fulfil in this instance is communicating with the media. Public relations professionals know more about communicating with the media than most brands do.

“The PR practitioner or agency should be the main interface with the media,” says Alison Bull, owner and founder of Alison Bull Communications. “A reputable PR practitioner will understand how to deal with the media, respect deadlines and know the importance of damage control.”

Managing director of Reputation Matters, Regine le Roux, says, “One needs to be mindful of the instantaneous power of online news platforms.” Which is why your brands’ reaction to negative publicity needs to be just as instant.

Good PR firms have strong relationships with the media and, as a result, they can get your message out there faster than you would be able to.

Advising a way forward

While you go about rectifying your mistakes, your communications agency’s job is to advise you along the way.

One of the first things your chosen PR firm will do is inform relevant stakeholders within the business, says Le Roux. This is to prevent anyone from jumping to conclusions and spreading incorrect information.

Lunice Johnston, business director of Vuma Reputation Management, says, “[Our] role is to advise the client honestly on the impact and potential damage that this crisis has on the brand and the way forward.” She explains that the role of the PR practitioner is to break down all the possible scenarios and their implications and then recommend the best approach.

Having a public relations company at your side during a crises also means that you have someone to help you to “put steps and plans in place to assist the consumers affected”, says Bull.

Cleaning up afterwards

Hiring a PR agency to manage your communications means that you don’t have to deal with the crisis alone. It also means that, once the crisis is over, you won’t be stuck trying to rebuild your reputation without knowing how to.

Le Roux explains that once the dust has settled, your PR agency will work with your brand and its employees to figure out exactly what went wrong, what didn’t work and how to do things differently in the future.

Have you ever worked with a PR agency during a crisis? How did they help you to manage your reputation when things went wrong? Let us know in the comments below.