What I am about to share with you is sage counsel, but I am very aware this modern approach to mitigating a problem is not for everyone. It is for certain personality types that feel comfortable running to the light on behalf of their client or perhaps a company spokesperson that leads communications for their workforce.
For eight years I was the senior crisis communications consultant for a widely popular Family Entertainment Center (FEC) that is now the largest adventure park operator in the nation with more than 400 parks open or under development. When I started with this company, they had less than 10 trampoline parks. As you can imagine, we are learned a lot together.
First – people with problems want to be heard. I sat on countless phone calls with upset parents who had grievances about something that occurred to their son or daughter in one of our parks. These calls that I returned were typically guided by the request from our legal staff and many had the possibility of making the news if not handled gingerly from the outset. Oftentimes mom or dad just wanted to let someone “higher up” know what they experienced, and in many cases the conversation came from a place of “I just don’t want this to happen to anyone else” or “Maybe you should re-review your policies and procedures”. Clearly sitting on these calls can be a risk which is why I say it’s not for all Comms people. We do most of the listening, less talking, notes are made to give to the lawyers and best-case scenario the moms and dad take a breath. Sometimes media coverage follows but your statement or interview can always reflect that you spoke with the family – which shows empathy.
Secondly – this part is for my go-getter PR folks. Many times, the press gets it wrong. Misinformation from third parties because the spokesperson has not returned a call or an email to a reporter. When you see the media reporting it inaccurately CORRECT IT. Sometimes this means picking up a phone and calling the newsroom. Most people are uncomfortable with that. I am a former broadcast journalist so it rarely bothers me. It’s a swift move and the reporter or assignment editor is usually thankful to update and advance the story. However, this does require a quick straight-to-the-point dialogue before you give too much information breathing life back into the story you hope goes away. I share this with you because the above methods proved successful for me and have seriously protected the brand and reputation more times than not. It just takes the right individual with loads of self-confidence and the support of your staff.
