Blog Post: PR In A Crisis

At the American Marketing Association’s New England New England Xpo for Business yesterday, I chaired a panel on “PR In A Crisis”. On the panel was Donna Morrissey (who handled PR for the Boston Archdiocese during the priest scandal), Tom Lee (who worked at the MWRA when some workers were killed on the job in an outfall drain pipe), and Captain Vic Beck, US Navy (who served as a spokesperson in Iraq).  My own crisis PR experience has run the gamut (healthcare, housing, energy, finance) but I made my bones in campaign politics.

The panel was a 45-minute PhD level discussion of what to do (and not to do) when things turn bad.  Among the highlights (with some commentary of my own):

1. Be prepared: Always have a detailed crisis plan ready before trouble strikes.  Crisis usually happens without notice, so there will be no time to make a plan.
2. Tell the truth: Be accurate and factual.  But you don’t have to spill all the beans; some things may be better left unsaid, or at least saved until later when the heat dies down.
3. Choose a spokesperson: Select someone to speak to the press, to be a single source of public information.  Best if this person has some experience.  A press conference is no place for on-the-job training.
4. Act fast: The 24/7 news cycle demands a timely response to crisis.  Better to fill the gap with your own spin than to let it spin out of control, or be spun by someone else.
5. Who, what, when, where, why: Be ready to answer these questions clearly, at the very least.
6. I’ll get back to you: Don’t be afraid to say this when you don’t know the answer to a press inquiry.  Just be sure you actually do get back as soon as possible.
7. Be cool:  No matter what the tenor or content of the question, stay calm, don’t react.  There is power in being steady.
8. Heads up:  Let your own people (employees, members, constituents) know first about big news.  Even if its only by a few minutes, they’ll appreciate hearing it before everyone else does.
9. Take action:  Action can speak louder than words.  Sometimes, the manager of the ball team has to be fired.  It may not fix things, but at least you are trying.
10. Did I say be prepared?  This was the first point by each panelist, so it’s the most important advice of the day.

Great panel.  Lots of wisdom and practical guidance.  Thanks to the Boston Chapter of the American Marketing Association for organizing the Xpo.  Look for it again next year.