PR crisis is a nightmare for enterprises and PR teams with a lot at stake, including brand image and reputation. Information is elusive and time for damage control is less; hence, most enterprises are unable to manage such tricky situations that can have a lasting impact on their company image. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In fact, a 2019 survey<\/a> revealed that 55 percent of firms aren\u2019t adequately prepared for a PR crisis. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In this article, I\u2019m going to share a few tips on brand reputation management that will help you protect your business from troubles it\u2019s most likely to face. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Let's start from the basics:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Brand reputation has to do with how your brand is viewed by others. A few factors that come into play when it comes to a business\u2019s online reputation are: <\/p>\n\n\n\n With so many elements involved, it\u2019s not that easy to protect and enhance your brand reputation at all times. Luckily, there are a few things that can help you manage your brand reputation more effectively\u2014and I call them the brand reputation must-haves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Regardless of how talented and experienced your PR team is, it\u2019s easy to feel overwhelmed by negative publicity when it happens. This can cause panic, preventing the team from responding quickly and effectively. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A trained PR communications team and a well-established operating procedure can help them tackle such situations in the best way possible. Apart from contingency planning<\/a> that you can do in advance, here are a few points to bear in mind:<\/p>\n\n\n\n More often than not, an issue blows out of proportion because a PR team member or the team leader goes rogue. Have a diverse team of a crisis communicator or public spokesperson, the media manager, and the crisis consultant in place to get different and unbiased perspectives on the crisis. Count on subject-specific experts who can effectively communicate with the media without compromising legal matters. Make sure each member of the PR comms team is clear on their roles and responsibilities. For instance, the media manager should know that their primary duty is to manage media relations. Be it moderating social media, responding to media requests, or sharing the right information with the right people, a media manager needs to stay composed when dealing with the media in the middle of a crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Use these questions to help you define the roles:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udca1 Tip:<\/strong> Read this full guide on social media reputation<\/a> to get a complete picture of your PR strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When issues spiral out of control, it\u2019s easy for the various departments, namely legal, investor relations, public affairs, HR, sales and marketing, and communications to blame each other. This will worsen the situation, ruining organizational reputation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Encourage internal communication between the various functions of the organization. This will help the teams collaborate, building a culture of open communication and transparency<\/a>. When the internal team works together the messaging is consistent, allowing the organization to resolve issues quickly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Make sure you're equipped with the right tools that make communication easier, both internally, and with other parties - think call center software<\/a>, team messaging apps, and project management tools, as an example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n P.S. Here\u2019s an article that might come in handy if you\u2019re looking for a tool to measure the impact of your communication efforts<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Being equipped with PR tools is a critical part of proactively dealing with any crisis. Invest in PR software like Prowly <\/strong>and media monitoring services<\/a> that can crawl the web, including social media, in real-time to find the potential crises involving your brand. These tools can also identify and alert you about unhappy customers and a key stakeholder who may have tweeted something inappropriate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But don't overlook traditional media when conducting your regular research! Be sure to check mentions in print magazines, radio programs, and television.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can do this manually if you work for a small client, but to ensure you capture mentions nationally and internationally, consider using a tool that automates the process. That way, you'll never miss a mention\u2014whether it's online or offline.<\/p>\n\n\n Combine online media monitoring with print<\/a> and broadcast monitoring<\/a> in Prowly to have mentions from both digital and traditional news sources at your fingertips\u2014all in one place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want to get ready for a potential PR crisis, check out this Best PR Crisis Management Software Comparison<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat does brand reputation mean?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Company brand reputation must-haves <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Having a dedicated PR team on board<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Designate a crisis response team<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Ideally, the team should report to the CEO and head of PR and work in close coordination with the HR and legal team. The team should be adequately trained in matters, such as checking the facts, developing holding statements, and designing a persuasive public response.<\/p>\n\n\n\nDefine roles and responsibilities<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Encourage internal collaboration<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
2. Investing in PR tools & media monitoring systems<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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