Context Public Relations

There was a lot of confusion in the media last week, which brought with it a fair amount of worry for Toyota owners…… is it the brakes causing the problems or are the accelerators faulty? And is it affecting all hybrids or just the Prius?

Toyota’s handling of the crisis left both consumers and journalists surrounded in uncertainty.

So what can we learn from this? How can you contain a disaster before it spirals out of control, shreading your reputation into tatters on the way?

Act Fast – a slow response can make you look apathetic and have a severe and disastrous effect on your reputation. It also makes you look guilty as charged, so get in there quick before it’s too late.

Stay Visible – staying in the public eye is even more crucial in times of crisis. The public will expect a response and will want to see that you are taking control of the situation personally. Hiding away will only act to confirm negative rumours and take away any confidence the public may have in you.

Be Prepared – it’s well worth investing in media training to prepare yourself for such an event. If you appear nervous and unconfident, you may as well not bother appearing at all. Body language says it all and people will ignore your positive messages if you sit nervously scratching your neck wishing the ground could swallow you up!

Good crisis management relies on consistent, well-prepared open communication. Cover all the facts and tell the public exactly what you are going to do to rectify the situation.

Often there is little that can be done to avoid a crisis, but when the worst happens, don’t add fuel to the fire – have a crisis management plan in place and be proactive about speaking to the relevant media. If you have no experience in crisis management, then seek advice from those who do.

Tags: Public Relations //