Crisis Management

The Internet may have opened worlds for businesses and consumers, but it has also created a public relations nightmare for businesses. Forums, opinion Web sites, blogs, and anything that is publishable can smear a company's name in moments.

Remember, "Yours Is a Very Bad Hotel" presentation that described one customer's bad experience with a hotel chain? Hotels are run by humans. Humans make mistakes. It's how you handle the mistakes that can make the difference in customer service. Since the hotel's employees didn't try to help the customer overcome a bad situation, the customer lashed back and bloggers blogged it.

If the hotel is on top of its game, it would unleash its crisis management (also known as reputation management) team to salvage its reputation while it can. It's possible for a company to overcome bad PR and come out ahead as in the case of PG&E (California's Pacific Gas and Electric company).

Another strategy is to use Internet monitoring to monitor online articles regarding a company's activities to prepare for negative publicity. Some go further and monitor chat rooms, newsgroups, and online discussion forums.

It's like the story of the town gossip who spread false stories about its people. One day, he felt terrible and went to the chaplain [Rabbi, pastor, priest, or other - take your pick] to ask for forgiveness. The chaplain said,"I will forgive you, but you must do something first."

"Take a feather pillow, cut it open, and scatter the feathers to the winds." The man thought this was a strange request, but it was a simple enough task, and he did it gladly. When he returned to tell the chaplain that he had done it, the chaplain said, "Now, go and gather the feathers. Because you can no more make amends for the damage your words have done than you can recollect the feathers."

The same can happen to a company without a crisis management plan in place. It's possible to survive the crisis and thrive as PG&E did. Don't expect Worldcom to pull out of its Enron-like mess. Fraud is not excusable. And Martha Stewart? She has hired a public relations strategist firm in an effort to do damage control. It'll be worth watching to see what happens in her case and how the PR firm attempts to save her reputation. Did you know there is a recall on one of her products? Adds fuel to the fire, doesn't it?

Meryl K. Evans is the Content Maven behind meryl's notes, eNewsletter Journal, and The Remediator Security Digest. She is also a PC Today columnist and a tour guide at InformIT. She is geared to tackle your editing, writing, content, and process needs. The native Texan resides in Plano, Texas, a heartbeat north of Dallas, and doesn't wear a 10-gallon hat or cowboy boots.

---

PR: Focus on What Matters!

Sure, as a manager, you have a talented member of... Read More

How Managers Hurt Their PR Results

Business, non-profit or association managers hurt their own public relations... Read More

PR: Lets Talk Fundamentals

How much more fundamental can you get than this? As... Read More

Managers, Start Your PR

There'll never be a better time for a manager working... Read More

Media Releases - Helping Grow Your Business

Business people often spend time and money trying to find... Read More

Five Publicity Buckets For Marketing-Minded Financial Planners

Maybe you've seen another financial planner on TV, and thought,... Read More

The Role Of Public Relations In Branding

Because PR can be difficult to control, it is often... Read More

Do You See PRs Real Value?

As a business, non-profit or association manager, do you see... Read More

How About MANAGING Your Own PR?

It's one thing for a senior manager to approve story... Read More

How to Keep PR Working for You

Managers in the non-profit, association and business worlds need to... Read More

Public Relations Success Starts Here

For discerning business, non-profit and association managers, PR success is... Read More

PR Campaigns ? How To Get To Grips With The Media

If you're serious about getting great results from your PR... Read More

Trade Show Tactics Revealed

Being part of a trade show gives small business a... Read More

A Company That Doesnt Need Public Relations?

Really? You mean there are NO perceptions and behaviors peculiar... Read More

Much Ado About A Lot!

I say public relations can be a matter of survival... Read More

If Your PR Cant Do This, Bag It!

As a business, non-profit or association manager, why continue a... Read More

Public Relations & Your Small Business

The practice of public relations is often misunderstood, thus overlooked... Read More

Publicity: Nailing a Media Interview, Part II (Crisis Management)

We'd all like reporters to ask us about our career... Read More

Public Relations: Power Tool for the 21st Century

I address this article to businesses, associations, non-profits and public... Read More

Creating Your Online News Room: How To Build a Site The Media Will Love

From time to time, people ask me how public relations... Read More

Right PR Empowers a Manager

Business, non-profit and association managers are in a stronger position... Read More

Publicity: Nailing a Media Interview, Part III (Staying on Topic)

In a media interview, always stick to your main points... Read More

Are You Dissing Public Relations

If you leave a star player sitting on the bench,... Read More

Prep for a Successful Trade Show

Well, autumn is upon us and with the onset of... Read More

Publicity: Nailing a Media Interview, Part I

The most important thing to remember for any interview: stay... Read More

Three Publicity Tips for Marketing-Minded Financial Planners

Financial planners, the first thing to know about reporters is... Read More

Leveraging Media Coverage - Your Tool For Business Growth

Media relations, simply put, is the business of building and... Read More

Take the High Ground With Quality PR

Quality public relations does something positive for business, non-profit and... Read More

Why Do You Want PR?

To get someone's name in the newspaper or a product... Read More

She Who Has the Gold...

?makes the rules, of course.But when the gold takes the... Read More

The Ratings are Coming

Small businesses have always known the importance of word of... Read More

Advertising and Community Relations -- Get the Best of Both Worlds

Have you ever noticed that in communities without big universities,... Read More

Know What Matters Most About PR?

When, as a business, non-profit or association manager, you are... Read More