Building Trust When Things Go Wrong
TLDR: Top 3 Takeaways from this Post:
Your brand values should guide your response
During a crisis, your audience is evaluating your response as it relates to your brand promise
Always prioritize people over promotion
Let’s get into it - How Brand Strategies Inform Crisis Communications:
Picture this: Your chicken franchise runs out of chicken. Or kids start eating your laundry detergent like it’s candy. And then there’s the one where new brand signs were installed illegally and made international news.
A crisis is like a surprise party that you’d rather not be invited to. But the good news is that a strong brand platform combined with quality preparation can get you through it.
Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Northwest Kidney Centers, Stephanie Pitts, says “During times of crisis, it is easy to make decisions based on the emotion of the moment. The brand promise should serve as a guide in a crisis.”
This is not about brand promotion - resist any urge to promote your brand, product, or service! Instead, providing accurate, immediate, and empathetic responses to those impacted by the crisis. Sometimes a sprinkle of brand personality can be charming, like when KFC had its chicken fiasco. But if Proctor and Gamble had made jokes about kids eating Tide Pods, it would have created a new crisis of its own.
Even when the brand isn’t in the spotlight, it’s still in the room. So, while the brand shouldn't be showcased or promoted during a crisis, it is absolutely relevant to the communications work. In Communications, our primary focus is to create and maintain a positive brand image, enhance reputation, manage public perception, and establish trust and credibility. Our job is to tell our brand’s story and build positive connections with our audience. In the meantime, marketing is all about promoting and selling products/services. During a crisis, Communications takes the lead while Marketing takes a back seat.
How is Crisis Communications Different from Regular Communications?
Crisis communications is what we turn to when things have gone haywire. It’s all about responding to unexpected events quickly, accurately, and empathetically to help manage the situation. Regular communications, on the other hand, is planned, proactive, and geared toward creating brand love.
Crisis communications is our megaphone during emergencies. In a crisis, we lead the strategic management and response to crises or emergencies that can threaten an organization's reputation, operations, or stakeholders. Crisis comms leaders are there to communicate the truth, getting accurate information to the people who need it.
Juhu Thukral, Founder and Principal of social impact consultancy Apsara Projects, says, “I always remind my clients that trust is at the core of your brand. That’s true all the time, and even more so when you’re in a situation involving a crisis or messy optics. These are the times when you go back to the fundamentals of owning what’s happened and earning trust.”
Your Brand is a Powerful Crisis Communications Tool
Your brand platform isn’t just for show - it’s a critical reference that can guide you through a crisis. Your tone, messaging, and values are all held in your brand platform, use it to guide decision-making, and stay true to your brand's principles. Building and maintaining trust is crucial during crisis management, and aligning the crisis response with your known and credible brand values strengthens that trust. You can’t fake that kind of credibility.
Are you really who you say you are?
During a crisis, people will notice whether a company delivers on its brand promise and commitments. A brand can pass the “trust test” by staying true to itself while offering transparent and critical information.
Remember, when a crisis surprises you, always choose people over promotion. Being ready with a brand-informed plan in case a crisis pops up makes it possible to communicate effectively and quickly. Embrace transparency while leveraging your brand platform and letting your values guide your talk track. This will demonstrate that your brand delivers on its promises and build trust with your audience.
And never self-promote or use this as a chance to market the business!
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