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O P I N I O N
N ot a day goes by that you can’t find a story about a company trying to explain why something went wrong with their product or services. Crisis mode A good communications plan is vital when things don’t go your way, so put a little thought into who’s going to do the talking when people start asking questions.
Oftentimes, the stories are about something related to the company’s performance. Chipotle recently had issues with food safety at its restaurants. Macy’s and other department stores reported less than expected earnings. Lululemon, the fitness wear company, had complaints about the sheerness of its fabric. How a company responds to a crisis can literally make or break it. Take too long to get your message out and people think you’re hiding something from them. That lack of communication can lead to mistrust in your company and in your leadership abilities, and that’s not good for business. Hopefully, any incident involving your company is minor, but should it cause a death or serious injury, or a catastrophic financial loss, expect to be flooded with questions from your employees,
the media, and the community. Consider these truisms: sex sells; if it bleeds it leads. For a major happening, expect to be the lead story, online and in local and national newspapers. “How a company responds to a crisis can literally make or break it. Take too long to get your message out and people think you’re hiding something from them.” How you handle a crisis will say a lot about you and your A/E/P firm. Even minor issues can become large problems if not handled correctly and within a reasonable amount of time.
Bill Murphey CONTINUING ED
See BILL MURPHEY, page 10
THE ZWEIG LETTER August 1, 2016, ISSUE 1162
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