It’s highly likely that your business will encounter a crisis at some point, and often, these challenges can take you by surprise.
Crises can stem from a variety of sources, such as a global pandemic, a natural disaster, or even an online challenge that exploits your product in a harmful manner.
💡 Read Crisis Management 101: How to Save Your Business When a Crisis Strikes
The aftermath of mishandled crises can wreak havoc on a brand’s reputation, making it essential to learn from examples of effectively managed crises.
In this article, we’ll explore some good crisis management examples from recent years.
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Importance of Effective Crisis Management
Crises, whether they stem from external factors or internal issues, have the potential to inflict significant harm on an organization. Information travels at lightning speed through media channels, so a mishandled crisis can result in lasting damage to a company’s reputation, and trust.
PR and marketing professionals must recognize that crisis management is not merely a reactive process; it is a proactive strategy that can help prevent disasters, mitigate their impact, and even transform crises into opportunities for growth and resilience.
The Role of PR and Marketing Professionals
In the realm of crisis management, PR (Public Relations) and marketing professionals play a big role in safeguarding a brand’s reputation and ensuring that the impact of a crisis is effectively managed. Marketing and PR crisis management extends beyond traditional communication to include strategic planning, media relations, and reputation restoration.
Read 7 Corporate Crisis Examples and Ways to Manage Them
PR professionals are the communicators who shape the public narrative, while marketing professionals contribute to the alignment of messaging with brand values. Together, they form a dynamic team that must respond swiftly and effectively during times of crisis to mitigate damage, rebuild trust, and ultimately, emerge stronger from the ordeal.
Read 7-Step Risk Management Guide for PR Professionals
Crisis Management Definition and Key Concepts
Crisis management is the strategic process of identifying, addressing, and resolving events or situations that could potentially harm an organization’s reputation, operations, or stakeholders. It involves a structured approach to managing the aftermath of crises, encompassing both preparation and response.
Key concepts in crisis management include:
- Risk Assessment: The proactive identification of potential threats and vulnerabilities that could lead to a crisis.
- Crisis Planning: Developing a comprehensive crisis mangement plan that outlines roles, responsibilities, and communication protocols.
- Crisis Communication: The timely and transparent dissemination of information to internal and external stakeholders.
- Media Relations: Establishing and maintaining relationships with the media to ensure accurate reporting during crises.
- Reputation Management: Strategies for preserving and, when necessary, rebuilding a brand’s reputation in the face of adversity.
The Effects of Bad Crisis Management
In contrast, poor crisis management can have far-reaching consequences for organizations, impacting their brand, customer trust, and bottom line.
Read 4 Examples of Social Media Crises that Could Have Been Prevented
Failing to address crises effectively can result in:
- Reputation Damage: Negative publicity and public backlash can erode an organization’s reputation, making it difficult to regain trust.
- Financial Losses: Crises often lead to financial repercussions, including legal expenses, decreased revenue, and the cost of remediation efforts.
- Operational Disruption: Disruptions in normal operations can result in productivity losses and delays in delivering products or services.
- Loss of Stakeholder Confidence: Shareholders, customers, and employees may lose confidence in the organization’s ability to navigate challenges, leading to long-term damage.
- Legal Consequences: Poorly managed crises can result in legal liabilities, regulatory fines, and potential lawsuits.
Understanding the fundamentals of crisis management and its potential consequences is essential for PR and marketing professionals as they strive to protect their organizations and guide them through turbulent times.
Good Crisis Management Examples
Johnson & Johnson
The Crisis
In 1982, a harrowing incident unfolded in Chicago where seven individuals tragically lost their lives due to the ingestion of cyanide-contaminated Tylenol capsules, an over-the-counter medication manufactured by Johnson & Johnson. This unsettling event, regrettably, remains unresolved. Nevertheless, the manner in which the company responded to this crisis has left an indelible mark as a textbook example of effective crisis management.
The Response
Faced with this grim situation, Johnson & Johnson launched an immediate and comprehensive response. This response entailed suspending all product advertisements and disseminating a staggering 450,000 notifications to healthcare institutions and other relevant stakeholders. Additionally, they took the proactive step of issuing safety advisories to consumers.
Remarkably, despite evidence pointing towards the accidental introduction of the toxic substance via store shelves, a factor outside the company’s control, Johnson & Johnson did not attempt to conceal this unsettling truth. Instead, the company initiated the production of tamper-proof packaging. James Burke, the CEO at the time, even expressed remorse in hindsight for not expeditiously transitioning to a more secure caplet following the incident.
Key Takeaway
The response by Tylenol and its parent company, Johnson & Johnson, is widely celebrated as one of the most exemplary crisis management strategies in history. It serves as the template that corporations still draw from today. The media, on the whole, lauded J&J for its actions in managing the situation and aiding the Tylenol brand’s recovery. The crucial lesson derived from this example is that transparency and integrity are invaluable assets when navigating through a crisis.
Aldi’s Caterpillar Clash with M&S
The Crisis
In one of the most recent examples of adept crisis management, a story unfolded surrounding the rivalry between two supermarkets, Aldi and M&S, over their chocolate caterpillar cakes. M&S’s Colin the Caterpillar, a longstanding British retail staple, found itself facing competition when Aldi, a German-owned discount supermarket, introduced its own version, named Cuthbert the Caterpillar. The situation escalated to the point where M&S initiated legal action against Aldi, seeking the removal of Cuthbert from the supermarket’s shelves.
The Response
Aldi’s crisis management team embarked on a response that may soon become legendary in the realm of public relations. Their crisis management strategy ingeniously hinged on a series of creative and humorous social media posts. Leveraging Twitter, Aldi playfully trolled their rival, M&S, through various comical posts, including one that humorously depicted live-tweeting events from a fictitious “courtroom” and even shared a whimsical “courtroom sketch” featuring Cuthbert the Caterpillar. All of these posts bore the hashtag #FreeCuthbert.
Key Takeaway
This Caterpillar cake clash unveils the power of employing positive crisis management strategies that can rally massive public support for a brand. Instead of resorting to silence or engaging in social media disputes, Aldi’s crisis management model thrived on lighthearted humor, quickly winning over public sentiment. This ultimately prompted M&S to reach a settlement with Aldi, bringing the rivalry to an amicable close. The Aldi crisis response underscores the significance of seizing control of the narrative early in a crisis, demonstrating how favorable public opinion can often serve as the most potent tool for steering a business through challenging times.
The Tide Pod Challenge
The Crisis
Among the most peculiar business crises in the past decade, the Tide Pod Challenge stands out as an example where the crisis is not of a company’s making but still demands a swift and effective response. In this instance, it was Procter and Gamble that found itself confronted with a perplexing crisis.
The Response
The crisis team at Procter and Gamble had to grapple with the baffling phenomenon of Tide Pods detergent capsules being consumed by teenagers as part of a social media challenge. This dangerous trend rapidly gained traction on various platforms, forcing Procter and Gamble to step in and address the emerging crisis.
In their crisis management response, Procter and Gamble recognized the urgency of protecting the company’s reputation despite the crisis not originating from their actions. Their crisis communication strategy encompassed the creation of a commercial featuring a well-known sports personality. They also placed disclaimers on their website, cautioning individuals about the hazards of ingesting the detergent.
Key Takeaway
The Tide Pod Challenge serves as a textbook example of an unexpected crisis – a situation unforeseeable by any company. Procter and Gamble’s response, however, illustrates why it is vital to be prepared for unforeseen events. They astutely acknowledged that, even when a crisis is not of their making, inaction could still harm their reputation. Their prompt and well-judged response effectively addressed the issue before it could escalate, mitigating any potential negative impact and safeguarding their reputation and core company values. This scenario underscores the importance of readiness for unforeseen crises, no matter how bizarre or unlikely they may seem.
The Core Principles of Good Crisis Management
The Classics
Be first.
Be the first to communicate decisions. Work diligently to own the narrative related to your actions.
Be right.
Validate key information as quickly as possible and make it available. Questions will arise, but you don’t need all the answers right now. If you deliver information that turns out to be false, get a correction out immediately.
Be credible.
A crisis is no time to engage in spin or withholding of information. Be honest and transparent. You will gain the trust of stakeholders.
Be empathetic.
People must first know that their leaders care. Evaluate the degree to which your organizational communication demonstrates you understand and care about the concerns of stakeholders.
Promote action.
Giving people something specific to do restores a sense of control over out-of-control circumstances. Tell people that you need their help with specific tasks related to managing the crisis.
Be respectful.
Crises will most likely bring about scrutiny and criticism. Even when criticism isn’t justified, leaders must remain respectful of those issuing the criticisms. Remember: When it comes to public spats, between individuals and organizations, organizations almost always lose.
The Extras
The core team.
Have a core crisis communications team and make sure they are focused and appreciated. This team will be on the receiving end of negative feedback from external and internal audiences. Make sure you take care of them.
The online spokespersons.
The reach of traditional spokespersons is becoming limited. Social media channels are more important than ever for getting information out. Take full advantage of the digital space and the opportunity to show personality through your online spokesperson.
The feedback loop.
The only way to truly understand if you are succeeding is to seek and act on feedback. Use social listening for crisis management and direct outreach to ask your stakeholders how you are doing communicating important information.
The personal touch.
Generally, crisis communication is designed to inform the masses. But, it’s important to reach out to individuals, too. Encourage leaders to identify individuals within their organizations who have been negatively impacted and let them know they matter.
Conclusion
Crises are not a question of “if,” but “when.” These unforeseen challenges, stemming from diverse sources like global pandemics or online challenges, wield the potential to wreak havoc on a brand’s reputation. Understanding the importance of effective crisis management is pivotal, as exemplified by the instances we’ve explored in this article.
For PR and marketing professionals, the role is not merely reactive; it’s a proactive strategy that can prevent disasters, mitigate their impact, and even transform crises into opportunities for growth and resilience.
As we’ve learned, crisis management encompasses preparation and response, including risk assessment, planning, communication, media relations, and reputation management.
Recognizing the repercussions of poor crisis management is equally crucial, as they extend to reputation damage, financial losses, operational disruption, loss of stakeholder confidence, and legal consequences. By embracing the core principles of good crisis management, organizations can weather the storm and emerge stronger, knowing that preparedness and swift, effective response are the keys to navigating turbulent times successfully.