In conventional PR, we tend to look to cases like the Tylenol crisis and the Pepsi syringe can crisis for guidance on crisis management best practices. While the techniques applied in these cases were truly brilliant and worthy of their canonical place in crisis management history, it is vital to remember that the circumstances companies had working in their favor back then, are not likely to be encountered in today’s more connected world. In the online age, digital crisis management is a crucial new discipline that every business needs to understand.
Adversaries are More Powerful Than Ever
Managing crisis in the digital age is trickier than in the past because bad news travels faster, conspiracy theories are more abundant, public opinion is more powerful than ever, and disinformation campaigns are able to take on a life of their own.
In a political model of crisis management where we assume the threat of motivated actors, crises in the digital era cannot simply be resolved by good communication. You need an intentional strategy, crafted specifically for the times, and built-in from the start in order to successfully take on adversarial competitors, media, regulators, lawyers, politicians, whistleblowers, multi-million dollar corporations, and even in some cases, hostile foreign agents.
Public Opinion and the Ways It’s Expressed, Look Very Different in the Digital Era.
Radical transparency and high customer expectations are major markers of the digital era. Public voices that are highly critical and demand high ethical standards cannot simply be wished away or ignored. The internet age has given everyone a voice and people are more conscious and critical of corporate activity than ever before.
Companies need not only communicate effectively, but also listen to social chatter by attaining and maintaining the right digital assets, and respond in a way that aligns with the expectations of all stakeholders, both online and offline.
Walmart, in pulling violent video game displays while keeping guns in the wake of a deadly shooting; ABC’s Dancing with the Stars, in the highly-controversial casting of Sean Spicer; and Gillette, in its seemingly vain effort to take advantage of the #MeToo movement, all faced significant PR crises in 2019 which could have been avoided had they been more mindful of likely public perceptions and the dangers of virality in the online era.
A strong digital strategy will cover all bases in regards to acquiring and maintaining the use of digital assets that enable your business to keep its finger on the pulse at all times and remain consistent in tone, thereby laying the groundwork for effective crisis management.
CONTROL, by Fiayo. 