Are you prepared for a public relations (PR) crisis? As a small business owner, it’s essential to know the best strategies and techniques on how to handle PR challenges. When an event or statement has negative repercussions, knowing how to effectively manage these unexpected situations can make all the difference in maintaining customer loyalty and boosting your brand’s overall reputation. This blog by Hugues Joublin would provide insight into ways that you can prep your small business so that you are ready if a PR crisis were ever to occur.
Hugues Joublin On How To Prep Your Small Business For A PR Crisis
1. Establish Clear Lines of Communication: According to Hugues Joublin, the first step in prepping your small business for a PR crisis is to set up clear lines of communication between yourself and the stakeholders that need to be involved in resolving the issue. This includes executive team members, media relations specialists, marketing professionals, legal experts, and anyone else who may have insight into how best to resolve the situation. Having these individuals on board will help ensure all points of view are heard and considered when coming up with an appropriate response or solution.
2. Have a Plan: Before any crisis takes place, it’s important that you have a plan in place of how you will handle a potential issue if one arises. Ask yourself: What do I need to do if an issue arises? Who should I contact? How much information should I give out or keep confidential? What is the best way to respond to a difficult situation? Answering these questions ahead of time will help ensure you and your team are prepared when disaster strikes.
3. Monitor Your Online Presence: Knowing how to manage any negative comments or feedback that appear on social media in response to a PR crisis is essential for protecting your business’s reputation. To do this, set up notifications for any mentions of your company across all platforms so that you can stay on top of what people are saying about you. Pay attention to both positive and negative conversations, as it’s important to know how people feel about your brand.
4. Be Proactive and Responsive: When it comes to handling a PR crisis, being proactive rather than reactive is key, says Hugues Joublin. If possible, be ahead of the curve when responding to any issues that arise; this will help demonstrate to your customers and the public that you take their concerns seriously and are doing all you can to resolve them quickly and effectively. Additionally, always keep your customers in the loop throughout the process by providing updates on how you’re dealing with a situation as soon as more information becomes available. Making sure everyone has access to up-to-date information will help contain any damage done by an issue, minimizing its effect on reputation.
Statistics and Real Life Example
One statistic that may be helpful to consider when preparing for a PR crisis is the fact that 77% of businesses have experienced at least one public relations issue in the last 12 months. This data shows just how important it is for businesses to be prepared for any potential issues that may arise. Additionally, research indicates that 54% of customers are more likely to buy from companies with a good reputation in comparison to those without one. This means that protecting your company’s image is essential for continuing relationships with current customers and gaining new ones in the future.
An example of a real-life PR crisis occurred when Pepsi released an ad featuring Kendall Jenner in 2017. In the commercial, Jenner joined a protest and then offered a can of Pepsi to a police officer, which was intended as a representation of harmony and peace between all parties involved. After its release, however, many people criticized Pepsi as they believed it trivialized movements such as Black Lives Matter and suggested that major social issues could be solved by drinking a soda. As a result, Pepsi issued an apology and pulled the ad from circulation. From this example, we can see how important it is for companies to understand their audience before releasing any statements or advertisements; had Pepsi done more research on its target market prior to producing the commercial, it may have been able to avoid the PR crisis altogether.
Hugues Joublin’s Concluding Thoughts
By following these steps that Hugues Joublin mentions here, you can help ensure that your small business is as prepared as possible for a PR crisis. While no one ever wants to find themselves in the middle of a scandal or public outcry, being prepared can help minimize the damage and allow you to quickly regain control of the situation.