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Good Crisis Communications Plans Hit Back
We're all smart enough to know that things will not always go our way. That's why proactive companies with a competent public relations consultant develop a Crisis Communications Plan, allowing them to navigate through difficult situations when they arise.
A Crisis Communications Plan is essentially your Plan B. You've always had a Plan B as you've managed your personal career, but what is Plan B for your business?
Last month I talked about a company in Hampton Roads that was hit with some
business-hurting, negative publicity. During that same time, Northrop Grumman was also hit with
several negative media stories regarding its public-private partnership with the Commonwealth of Virginia. Reporters were taking the company to task about a high-dollar project to improve the commonwealth's information (IT) infrastructure, inferring that Northrop Grumman had dropped the ball. Consumers in Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Hampton, and Newport News were all exposed to this reporting.
The coverage was ugly and impacted reader opinion of Northrop Grumman -- because nothing is neutral. Media coverage is either helping or hurting your brand.
The media will do what they are trained to do and they get it right most of the time. But they cannot cover every nuance of a project or endeavor, and you cannot control which aspect of the story they'll decide to focus on - the negative or positive angles.
But you can decide to have a smart Crisis Communications Plan that hits back when needed. Northrop Grumman did just that. Within days of the negative stories, part of their Crisis Communications Plan called for running a full-page ad in The Virginian-Pilot that told their side of the story to the same consumers in Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Hampton, and Newport News.
In their "Open Letter to the Citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia," the company brilliantly explained what they're doing and the challenges they face. Anyone who read it learned a whole new side to the story, including these paragraphs I've pulled from the ad:
"This progressive and comprehensive effort remains unmatched by any other state in the nation. We believe in the innovation and value of the largest IT partnership in the nation -- that's why Northrop Grumman has invested significant resources to provide the necessary hardware and expertise to transform Virginia's IT infrastructure and bring it into the 21st century. This includes the construction of new multimillion dollar facilities in Chesterfield and Russell counties. Additionally, the partnership has created new technology-based jobs in one of the most economically challenged regions in the state and helped to reinvigorate the local economy there.
"Our partnership with Virginia is addressing much more than information technology; it is helping Virginia foster significant organizational and cultural changes within the state government to improve efficiency and delivery of services."
The message appears in the media as an ad, but it’s a public relations tool which is part of their Crisis Communications Plan. This is how you do it right.
If the media or a competitor puts information in front of your target audience that affects your company's reputation or brand, are you ready to strike back? Or will you accept the consequences of being repositioned by outside forces?
Should you have Plan B lined up before the crisis strikes or is it better to develop Plan B in a firestorm of public criticism?
About Rourk Public Relations
The Rourk Public Relations agency is expert at crisis communications, crisis communications plans, media relations, branding, marketing, government relations, political consulting, SEO, web marketing, and web design. It contributes effective PR and Marketing work to a wide range of clients in Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Hampton, Newport News, Hampton Roads, and throughout Virginia.
For a no-cost phone consultation, feel free to call David Rourk at (757) 478-0150.
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