Crisis communications has its own PR problem. The recent headlines around PR and crisis communications are skewing the public perception of what our industry and our experts actually do. We’re here to set the record straight with a crisis communication response to the crisis communications narrative that is floating around.
The line between what crisis communications is and what it isn’t has been blurred, leading to public distrust. But the true problem lies in distinguishing between the two.
What Is and Isn’t Crisis Communications
For those who haven’t been paying attention to the Justin Baldoni/Blake Lively drama, the two have filed lawsuits against each other and each other’s teams, alleging a whole slew of violations.
It started with Lively’s team alleging that Baldoni hired a “crisis” team to create a smear campaign against her. This team is said to have used social media bots, among other tactics, to tarnish Lively’s reputation and sway public opinion.
Comparing this tactic and this team to an actual crisis communications team inherently changes the meaning of what crisis communication is.
Crisis communication aims to share truth and facts, not create a false narrative. Being transparent and open with your audience, expressing remorse and promising to do better are essential pieces of any crisis communication. A crisis communications team will help alleviate reputational damage and work to build the brand’s image in spite of a crisis.
A smear campaign does the opposite, often disregarding the truth and ignoring transparency. Brand or personal reputations can be compromised in a smear campaign, and a crisis communication team would be brought in to help restore truth and share facts.
The two should never be thought of synonymously.
Why External Crisis Teams Are an Essential Addition to Your Internal Team
Many people think hiring a team proactively or reactively is a move to cover something up. This is flawed thinking. Crisis communication is best done by a team that knows you, your brand, your mission and your core values. That information is best gathered before a crisis occurs. Crisis training and a plan should also be in place to allow you to act quickly. A true partner is there to help you navigate the situation and provides recommendations and strategic insight to help weather the storm.
An external crisis team can complement your internal team. When a crisis happens, you may only have a few minutes or hours to react. Outside counsel can help identify the impacted stakeholders, look at messaging from a different perspective, offer strategic advice on that messaging and help manage requests from all angles.
Crisis communication isn’t about creating a false narrative or a “smear campaign.” If a team is leading you down the road of telling lies, being inauthentic or creating false narratives, they aren’t helping you handle a crisis, they’re making it worse. True crisis communicators will always go back to the truth, as it’s the only way to repair reputational damage when a crisis hits.