Photo Courtesy of: The Guardian

When a crisis hits an organization, the media go into a frenzy. Reporters question spokespeople and experts looking for a slip-up, a break in the news, or the exclusive sound bite. This dynamic makes it difficult for unseasoned media relations professionals to stay one-step ahead. To avoid the teeth of the watchdog press during a crisis, consider the following seven common mistakes that are made.

1. Apologizing with a caveat. In a recent post, we discussed how many of today’s “apologizes” are coupled with a but statement. All too often, organizations attempt to apologize for their actions with an excuse, hoping it will ease the tension. Not only will the media see right through the excuse and report on it, studies show that consumers will be less likely to defend or use a brand if they feel executives are not taking full responsibility for a misstep. Think about the Netflix price-hike example or Bank of America’s attempt to hide additional bank fees from customers.
2. It’s all about you. Think BP. When CEO Tony Hayward appeared on the Today Show after the Deepwater Horizon explosion, he said “we are sorry for the massive disruption it has caused their lives, and there is not one who wants this over more than I do, you know I’d like my life back.” That statement catapulted him further into the media spotlight, labeling him as a “thoughtless,” “hated,” and “clueless.”
3. Defending the brand without a plan. When now former executive director Greg Smith made a very public exit from Goldman Sachs, the company seemed stunned. It quickly responded to Smith’s New York Times article with its own op-ed piece in the Financial Times. Interestingly enough they had no plan of action beyond the op-ed and no way to truly address the allegations brought up by Smith. This positioned Goldman Sachs in a classic David and Goliath battle in the media.
4. Not seeing the silver lining in a crisis. Not every crisis has to be completely negative – companies like Domino’s have bounced back from a crisis because they were able to see the silver lining– the light at the end of the tunnel. Crisis can be an opportunity for change, and oftentimes organizations forget that. The press will pick up on efforts to make a real change post-crisis; whether that be conducting an audit, or reexamining policies, showing a movement towards change can help ease consumer’s worry of the future.
5. Not picking the right spokesperson. Believe it or not, the CEO is not always the best spokesperson for a company. While it is important that they remain available for comment during a crisis, it is not always the best idea to have them as the headlining act. A spokesperson should have great speaking skills, credibility, charisma, experience working with the media, talking points and messages and a genuine interest in what is going on. This will help enhance the human element of an issue and make it easier for people to connect with the brand.
6. Not understanding how competitor will leverage the crisis. When Susan G. Komen announced that they were defunding Planned Parenthood, a slew of competing breast cancer awareness organizations began highlighting the work that they were doing. People began to back the underdog. The media picked up on this break from Komen and began writing on the good work and help that these alternative organizations offered to breast cancer patients and their families.
7. Not knowing all sides of the story. The quickest way to get into hot water with the media is to comment before knowing all sides of the story. This is when your “War Room” comes in. Getting everyone at the table to evaluate the situation, determine the effect of a crisis on different audiences, and decide on a plan of action will create a better crisis management strategy. It’s better to be ahead now than to have to fall back in the future.

By knowing these seven common mistakes, you can position your company to better respond to and handle the media during a crisis situation.

Ashton Kutcher is learning his lesson the hard way. And, unfortunately not by Demi Moore. Ashton, who appeared in a new advertising campaign for Popchips, portrayed four characters one of which was “Raj,” an Indian man. For the role, he appeared in brown-face, donning a dhoti, using a very bad Indian accent.

Not surprisingly, people took to the web, telling Popchips that the ad is racist. Shortly after, Popchips experienced what we call a “Flash Crisis.” The CEO and Founder of Popchips, Keith Belling issued this half-hearted apology on the company’s blog:

The apology, although swift, highlights two traps that company’s fall into: the but-apology and trying to excuse the company’s actions.

• The “but” apology. It seems that every apology issued with a corresponding “but we didn’t mean too.” (insert link to apology video here). The CEO of Popchips would have been better off to fall on his sword and admit to the mistake instead of trying to justify the campaign with this statement “our team worked hard to create a light-hearted parody.” Needless to say, this apology continued to fuel the fire. In response, consumers posted angry comments on the blog vowing not to purchase the product because of this incident.

• Excuses, excuses. Rather than simply admitting a mistake, many CEO’s are trying to cover their tracks or pass the buck. While in some cases, this may be a last-resort tactic recommended by the legal department, it most often will result in more questions, negativity and distrust among consumers, further exacerbating the crisis. While a safe approach to avoid litigation, the company will ultimately loose in the court of public opinion.

While both of these traps are defensive actions and often backfire, no one can deny that controversy creates brand recognition. Plenty of media covered the campaign and continues to do so, which begs an important question. Is this ad campaign a veiled attempt by the company to create controversy and word of mouth marketing? Will this ad stop you from buying Popchips?

Let us know what you think.