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.

---

Some Cool P.R. Tips for These Dog Days of Summer

Yup -- it's hot and sticky and you don't feel... Read More

Public Relations Primer, Part I: Packaging Your Story for the Media

Imagine you're in the breakfast cereal business. You make the... Read More

PR Power: How to Write a Killer Press Release

I'm what we in the business (the "business" being journalism)... Read More

The Working Case Study

Next to white papers, case studies are the most popular... Read More

If Your PR Cant Do This, Bag It!

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

PR Buyers Beware!

It can bite you and waste your public relations budget... Read More

Generating Publicity: Will The Media Be Interested In My Product/Business?

When it comes to launching a new business or product,... Read More

How to Tie-In With News Events to Score Publicity

It's safe to say that we live in interesting times.... Read More

Public Relations: Toast?

Could be, when unit managers in businesses, non-profits and associations... Read More

Managers Need Basic PR

True, because department, division or subsidiary managers for a business,... Read More

Publicity: Financial Planners That Get It Follow One Rule

Advice about business and life often gets around to one... Read More

Time to Spruce Up Your Public Relations?

Better check out the public relations fundamental premise, then take... Read More

For Financial Planners, Marketing and Publicity Is About You

For financial planners, getting publicity, in the end, isn't about... Read More

PR tips for business

Question: Why should your business issue a press release? Answer:... Read More

Getting Articles Published - Eight Steps for Trade Publications

Trade publications present an excellent opportunity for organisations to gain... Read More

What is GuerrillaPR Anyway?

Public relations is the art, as one of my colleagues... Read More

A PR Surprise for Managers

For those business, non-profit and association managers committed to PR... Read More

Are You Dissing Public Relations

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

Media Relations: Should You Pay For News Coverage, Part II

Last month, we told you about "pay for play," a... Read More

Be Patient? Nah, Lets Kill Something

There's the old joke about the two buzzards sitting in... Read More

Publicity: Nailing a Media Interview, Part I

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

Business Community Relations 101 - Getting the Most Out of Your Chamber of Commerce Membership

Since the major part of a small business typically comes... Read More

Not Getting the PR Results You Want?

The reason might be this simple: as a business, non-profit... Read More

How About MANAGING Your Own PR?

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

Can Your PR Game Plan be Salvaged?

If, as is often the case, you are preoccupied with... Read More

Talk Radio Success

You do not have to hire a publicist or advertise... Read More

Financial Planners Publicity and Marketing - Live By The Calendar

The media live by the calendar. Your story pitch might... Read More

Media Savvy - How To Lead, Persuade, And Influence

Media management has become one of the strategic tools for... Read More

Your Financial Planning Clients May Hold the Key to Free Publicity

Every reporter, from the cub at the small town paper... Read More

7 Tips to Get More Mileage Out of Your Online or Offline Publicity

You worked hard to get a story on your business... Read More

Publicity - Use This System to Track Publicity Progress

Tracking your correspondence with reporters, via phone or email, is... Read More

Media Relations: Should You Pay For News Coverage?

Dear New York Times:I'd like to be quoted in one... Read More

Publicity for Financial Planners--Eight Tips For Success

Individual financial planners can outscore bigger competitors and gain market... Read More