Page 17 - Journal of Strategic Marketing Magazine - April 2019
P. 17
CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
THE THREE-
PRONGED PLAN
There really is no magic bullet to enable
you to neatly sidestep a crisis and
move on with your life. (If I had invented
one, I’d be lying on one of ive glorious
islands I own sipping on my umpteenth
chilled margarita of the afternoon).
But there is a tried-and-tested
methodology to mitigate the impact of
the crisis, which should leave you with
something of an intact reputation.
Before you even pause to think about
throwing an evasive “no comment” or
“I’m not at liberty to speak” type of
Full marks to one of Bic’s rivals combination of loadshedding and rain statement, understand that making no
for a post that was deemed way less in Gauteng created “the perfect storm”. comment is louder than any comment
offensive. “Look how you want. Act how (I wonder who wrote his copy…?). you will ever make. Ducking and diving
you want. Think how you want. Work But he went a step further. “We is simply not the way to go. It’s career
like a BOSS.” should have prepared better for this, suicide.
It’s not an easy task to think of a we didn’t and we let our customers
household brand that has escaped down.” Bacher then said that the brand Try this three-pronged plan:
unscathed from the iasco of instant would do “whatever we need to make
messaging. Wait… there is one. this right”. Step 1: Connect with the issue
South Africa’s oldest online retailer, Full marks for the quick sticks Yes, really connect. No stiff upper lip. We
NetFlorist, came under ire for its late apology? Deinitely not, according are not a British colony. Show empathy
delivery of last month’s Valentine’s Day to NetFlorist customer, Angelique and connect with the issue. Those who it
orders. Social media was looded with McKenzie. “I ordered a Valentine’s gift impacts are human beings.
pictures of browning bouquets, melted for my mother for whom this was the However, once you’ve connected,
chocolates and personalised gifts irst Valentine’s Day without my father move right along. You don’t want the
peppered with spelling errors. who passed away in December. negative message to resonate any more
Managing director Ryan Bacher “You have not delivered it.” than necessary with your audience.
wasted no time in posting an apology
on the same social media platform his (See pg 19 for an article exploring the Step 2: Throw back to a previous
brand was lambasted on. He said a history of NetFlorist, by Michael Bratt). positive track record. (You do have one,
right…?)
Perhaps this has never happened in
all your years in business. It’s a freak
accident, a once off.
Many people know Janine Lazarus
as a straight shooting media
trainer and ex newshound, but she Step 3: Move forward
is also an undomesticated wife, Make it crystal clear what you are going
voracious thriller reader and slave to do about it. I’m talking speciics.
to her felines. She travels the world
teaching businesses and CEOs how Refrain from talking about putting
to manage crises. measures in place, unless you are a
tailor.
Strategic Marketing - p15
THE THREE-
PRONGED PLAN
There really is no magic bullet to enable
you to neatly sidestep a crisis and
move on with your life. (If I had invented
one, I’d be lying on one of ive glorious
islands I own sipping on my umpteenth
chilled margarita of the afternoon).
But there is a tried-and-tested
methodology to mitigate the impact of
the crisis, which should leave you with
something of an intact reputation.
Before you even pause to think about
throwing an evasive “no comment” or
“I’m not at liberty to speak” type of
Full marks to one of Bic’s rivals combination of loadshedding and rain statement, understand that making no
for a post that was deemed way less in Gauteng created “the perfect storm”. comment is louder than any comment
offensive. “Look how you want. Act how (I wonder who wrote his copy…?). you will ever make. Ducking and diving
you want. Think how you want. Work But he went a step further. “We is simply not the way to go. It’s career
like a BOSS.” should have prepared better for this, suicide.
It’s not an easy task to think of a we didn’t and we let our customers
household brand that has escaped down.” Bacher then said that the brand Try this three-pronged plan:
unscathed from the iasco of instant would do “whatever we need to make
messaging. Wait… there is one. this right”. Step 1: Connect with the issue
South Africa’s oldest online retailer, Full marks for the quick sticks Yes, really connect. No stiff upper lip. We
NetFlorist, came under ire for its late apology? Deinitely not, according are not a British colony. Show empathy
delivery of last month’s Valentine’s Day to NetFlorist customer, Angelique and connect with the issue. Those who it
orders. Social media was looded with McKenzie. “I ordered a Valentine’s gift impacts are human beings.
pictures of browning bouquets, melted for my mother for whom this was the However, once you’ve connected,
chocolates and personalised gifts irst Valentine’s Day without my father move right along. You don’t want the
peppered with spelling errors. who passed away in December. negative message to resonate any more
Managing director Ryan Bacher “You have not delivered it.” than necessary with your audience.
wasted no time in posting an apology
on the same social media platform his (See pg 19 for an article exploring the Step 2: Throw back to a previous
brand was lambasted on. He said a history of NetFlorist, by Michael Bratt). positive track record. (You do have one,
right…?)
Perhaps this has never happened in
all your years in business. It’s a freak
accident, a once off.
Many people know Janine Lazarus
as a straight shooting media
trainer and ex newshound, but she Step 3: Move forward
is also an undomesticated wife, Make it crystal clear what you are going
voracious thriller reader and slave to do about it. I’m talking speciics.
to her felines. She travels the world
teaching businesses and CEOs how Refrain from talking about putting
to manage crises. measures in place, unless you are a
tailor.
Strategic Marketing - p15
