That’s an intersection I didn’t expect to be visiting. But this month’s MyMidWest Magazine sought comments from PR experts for an article on what company executives who have wandered into the media spotlight should consider before they move forward with a press strategy. I’m honored to be included in the story.
Midwesterns are known for their integrity, hard work ethic, and straight forward, no-nonsense honesty. I didn’t understand the value of those attributes until I moved from the Midwest over 25 years ago. But when it comes to seeing that a client’s position is told fairly and accurately in the press, it turns out, being from the Midwest is a very good thing.
As a special shout out to my fellow Ketchum/Philly alum, “It all started on a PR farm just North of Toledo.” 
Enjoy the read.
MARKETING/PR
Response Time When a PR disaster strikes, a quick reaction can keep it from becoming a catastrophe.BY KAREN LELAND
IT’S THE STUFF THAT FILLS THE nightly news programs: John Edwards admits to fathering a child with his mistress. Toyota is forced to recall six million vehicles because of a sticking accelerator pedal. Tiger Woods damages his endorsement career with his extramarital activities.
Be it the world of politics, business or sports, the way PR disasters are handled has as much impact on the outcome as the incidents themselves. So just in case you ever find yourself in an image-management mess, we asked a few experts to weigh in on how to overcome it.
Find out all of the facts. “There’s nothing worse than standing in front of a group of reporters post-disaster and hearing from them some key fact that you should have known,” says David Sheon, president of Whitecoat Strategies. To get your arms around the entire scope of the situation, be sure to speak with several people familiar with the circumstances. “If you only talk to the person within your company assigned to manage the situation, you may end up being spun,” Sheon says.
Respond right away. “Immediately release a statement, even if it is only to say that you’re investigating and will make sure that the situation is handled in an appropriate manner,” says Ryan Schwartz, principal of Hummingbird Ink. Jonathan Bernstein, author of Keeping the Wolves at Bay, adds that when crisis response is slow, it can create further damage. “Toyota did a terrible job at handling the recall,” he says. “They waited too long and were not prepared to communicate.”
Pick a face to go with your message. When selecting a spokesperson to interface with the media, choose someone who is comfortable facing the press, advises Tom Peric, president of Galileo Communications Inc. “This person should convey confidence, thoughtfulness and sincerity and be able to articulate the message in an appropriate way,” he says.
Never say, “No comment.” Instead, if a member of the press raises a sensitive question that you don’t know the answer to, simply say, “That’s a good point,” and “I don’t have that information at this time, but I will investigate further and get back to you as quickly as I can.” Then, says PR expert Carole Felton, “it’s critical that you do get back to them.”
For both businesses and the individuals who run them, the way a PR crisis is handled can make the difference between a story that comes and goes and one that lingers in the public’s mind for months.
Recent Comments