Crisis Communication in Digital Age: PR Strategies for Handling Digital Disaster
By Surabhi Trivedi
The advent of the digital era has changed the face of communication. In these hyper-digital times, communication has become dynamic and often volatile. It is uncertain when a simple communication campaign can turn into a crisis communication situation. There are numerous examples of when a brand communication has resulted in a negative response or, in some cases, outright boycotting. Traditional communication methods may not be an answer in this era of online criticism, boycotts, and cancel culture. Brands must be ready with effective PR strategies to handle crisis communication.
Effective Crisis Handling Plan
Creating an effective crisis management plan is the first step toward effective crisis handling. A well-planned strategy is like a half battle won. In the volatile social media environment, responding impulsively and regretting later is easy. Instead, a careful assessment of the situation and thoughtful analysis can help better understand the situation. A careful assessment results in well-grounded responses and effectively aligns with the brand’s long-term goals. Therefore, it builds an environment of trust and stability. By creating an effective crisis-handling plan, companies can navigate through troubled waters by maintaining the trust of their customers and stakeholders alike.
Timely Crisis Detection
The rise of social media requires brands to be on their toes. Early detection of a crisis helps smoothen the situation efficiently and quickly. It is pivotal to keep up-to-date with responses on your social media handles. There have been innumerable instances where a single adverse reaction created a ripple of negative criticisms. By analysing online responses, brands can detect any future crisis in a timely manner. Therefore, real-time monitoring becomes vital in handling any unforeseen crisis. Leveraging social media responses and actively participating in online discussions and timely responses will help companies gauge customer sentiments, detect any crisis and safely avert any communication crisis.
Transparency and Responsiveness
It is imperative to be transparent and proactive in communication amid a crisis. Transparency builds trust. By acknowledging the crisis and thoughtful response, the company can steadily divert any crisis situation. It is often observed that companies do not respond timely during a crisis situation. In this way, they let the situation reach its boiling point. A proactive and timely response opens a communication channel between the public and the company. When coupled with transparency, it further diffuses the situation.
Crisis Advocacy
Employing crisis advocacy is an effective tool to handle any crisis situation. By partnering with experts and influencers, companies can help to establish trust among their customers. Advocacy involves answering public concerns and responding proactively to the issue. Influencers can help to generate awareness about the brand and respond to questions raised by the public. This helps to open a communication channel that allows pacifying public outcry. Generally, the crisis escalates because of unresponsiveness on the part of the company. Advocacy helps to communicate that the brand is responsive and transparent to its customers, thereby building an environment of honest and clear communication.
In this modern digital era, crisis situations have become frequent. It is pertinent for brands to employ effective crisis management tools to avert an unforeseen crisis situation through effective communication. Building an effective crisis-handling plan keeps the brands prepared for unpredictable crises. In today’s social media environment, real-time monitoring helps to detect early signs of a crisis. Monitoring and analysing responses helps detect any negative response that can fly out of hand. A company can navigate any difficult crisis by proactive and transparent responses. Effective crisis-handling strategies can help companies gauge and divert crises and build an environment of trust and stability among their stakeholders.
(The author of the article is Surabhi Trivedi, Co-Founder, Media Maniacs Group, and the views expressed in this article are her own)
