How to avoid or overcome brand crisis in the age of information overload and digitalisation? How to use social media to deal with a PR Crisis? Does mass crisis communication still have a meaning, as it is immediately decrypted by social networks, media and publics? Welcome to the new era of Crisis Public Relations. The rules have changed. Here's what you need to know...

1. 5
NEW RULES
of
PR CRISIS
MANAGEMENT

2. IN THE AGE OF INFORMATION OVERLOAD
AND DIGITALISATION, CRISES – BASED
ON FACTS, LEAKS OF CONFIDENTIAL
INFORMATION, RUMOURS, GOSSIP, SMEAR
ATTACKS, OR OTHER SPECULATIONS… -
ARE AN EVERYDAY OCCURRENCE.
PREPARED
NESS
IS MORE THAN
EVER
IMPORTANT
1.

3. PREPARED
NESS
IS MORE THAN
EVER
IMPORTANT
THEY CAN ERUPT IN A FEW MINUTES, IN
ANY FORM, AT ANY TIME – SOMETIMES
STARTING FROM SMALL ISSUES SUCH AS
A MARKETING CAMPAIGN GONE WRONG, A
SIMPLE TWEET OR A NEGATIVE COMMENT
ON A PUBLIC FORUM...
1.

4. NATURALLY, THIS RESULTS IN
MORE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR PR
PROFESSIONALS.
“You can lose reputation that has taken
many decades to build, in a simple click.
This should put good PR at the centre of
things.”
MARTIN SORRELL
PREPARED
NESS
IS MORE THAN
EVER
IMPORTANT
WHAT CAN I DO?
1.

5. PREPARED
NESS
IS MORE THAN
EVER
IMPORTANT
PR CRISIS MANAGEMENT IS NOT JUST
ABOUT MANAGING THE PR STRATEGY
DURING A CRISIS. IT IS A LONG-TERM
INVESTMENT TO BUILD TRUST AND
ADVOCATES.
1. DO NOT WAIT
FOR A CRISIS
TO BUILD - AND GROW -
A GREAT
REPUTATION

6. PREPARED
NESS
IS MORE THAN
EVER
IMPORTANT
BEYOND FINANCIAL ASSETS, MUCH
OF THE VALUE OF A BUSINESS IN
TODAY’S WORLD IS IN THE INTANGIBLES
THAT HAVE TO BE EARNED, SUCH AS
REPUTATION AND A GOOD NETWORK OF
SUPPORT.
1.

7. PREPARED
NESS
IS MORE THAN
EVER
IMPORTANT
DON’T FORGET TO SPEAK ABOUT WHAT
YOU DO FOR SOCIETY: JOBS CREATED,
KNOWLEDGE DEVELOPMENT AND OTHER
POSITIVE SOCIAL OR ECONOMIC IMPACTS.
1. YOUR BRAND OR
INDUSTRY NEEDS
SOCIETAL
RELEVANCE

8. PREPARED
NESS
IS MORE THAN
EVER
1.
IMPORTANT
MOBILE AND SOCIAL HAVE CHANGED
THE WAY A LOW-LEVEL THREAT CAN
ESCALATE VERY QUICKLY. HAVING A
PLAN ALLOWS YOU TO REACT IN REAL
TIME WITH APPROPRIATE SKILLS AND
RESOURCES.
DEVELOP A
PLAN
WHILE THERE ARE
NO STORMS ON THE
HORIZON

9. BIG
DATAIN A
HOLISTIC
WAY
USE
2.
MEDIA CHANNELS GENERATE HUGE
AMOUNTS OF DATA. A ROBUST CROSS-
MEDIA MONITORING PLATFORM
ALLOWS YOU TO BE ON TOP OF WHAT
IS HAPPENING WITH BOTH YOUR
TRADITIONAL (NEWSPAPERS, TV, RADIO…)
AND DIGITAL MEDIA DATA.
ALWAYS BE
MONITORING

10. BIG
DATAIN A
HOLISTIC
WAY
USE
2.
A/ SET UP ALERTS AND DO NOT MISS ANY OF
THE INFORMATION YOU NEED TO PREVENT
CRISIS OR REDUCE RISK.
B/ IDENTIFY INFLUENTIAL SOURCES AND
PEOPLE

11. BIG
DATAIN A
HOLISTIC
WAY
USE
2.
TODAY, AN OFFLINE CRISIS OFTEN HAS
AN IMPACT ONLINE.
A BAD BUZZ, THAT USUALLY TAKES PLACE
ON SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS, CAN TURN
INTO A LONG-TERM CRISIS.
DON’T NEGLECT
SOCIAL
MEDIA

12. BIG
DATAIN A
HOLISTIC
WAY
USE
2.
THIS INCREASES THE IMPORTANCE OF
LISTENING TO SOCIAL CONVERSATIONS
BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER THE CRISIS.

13. BIG
DATAIN A
HOLISTIC
WAY
USE
2.
A/ TRACK ANY UNUSUAL CHANGES AROUND
YOUR SOCIAL DATA
B/ SEE THE REACTION OFYOUR AUDIENCE TO
STATEMENTS
C/ BE AWARE OF WHAT INFLUENCERS ARE
SAYING

14. BIG
DATAIN A
HOLISTIC
WAY
USE
2.
BEYOND MONITORING, DRAWING
INSIGHTS FROM ALL MEDIA DATA
SOURCES ALLOWS FOR BETTER DECISION
MAKING.
MEDIA
INTELLIGENCE
CAN BE A VALUABLE
ASSET

15. BIG
DATAIN A
HOLISTIC
WAY
USE
2. LEARN HOW TO USE ANALYSIS TOOLS
SUCH AS…
A/ ALGORITHMS - TO ANTICIPATE POTENTIAL
ISSUES AND CRISIS
B/ SENTIMENT ANALYSIS - TO IDENTIFY THE
TONALITY OF CONVERSATIONS,TRENDS OR
ISSUES
C/ KPIS FOR CRISIS MEASUREMENT

16. BE FAST
BE SUPER
SEDED
3.
OR
IN THE SOCIAL MEDIA AGE, THE
PRINCIPLE OF THE“GOLDEN HOUR” IS
NOT LONGER RELEVANT.
TODAY’S CRISES CAN INFLUENCE
INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCES IN JUST A
FEW SECONDS.

17. BE FAST
BE SUPER
SEDED
3.
OR
THIS SPEEDS UP THE RESPONSE TIME
AND INCREASES THE IMPORTANCE OF
REAL TIME INTELLIGENCE.

18. BE FAST
BE SUPER
SEDED
3.
OR BEING ABLE TO REACT TO THE EARLY
WARNINGS AND MANAGE CRISIS IN REAL
TIME HAS BECOME A CRITICAL ISSUE FOR
ALL PR PROFESSIONALS.

19. PROXI
MITY
TRANS
PARENCY
ARE YOUR
BEST
WEAPON
4.
AND DO NOT PUT UP ANY BARRIERS TO THE
MEDIA’S QUESTIONS.

20. PROXI
MITY
TRANS
PARENCY
ARE YOUR
BEST
WEAPON
4.
AND
BE REAL AND SHARE AS MUCH
INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE. FOR
EXAMPLE, USE A Q&A, PRESS
RELEASES, SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS OR A
COMPREHENSIVE MEDIA KIT, DEPENDING
ON THE SITUATION.

21. PROXI
MITY
TRANS
PARENCY
ARE YOUR
BEST
WEAPON
4.
AND
TALK TO RELEVANT STAKEHOLDERS
DIRECTLY, NOT JUST THROUGH THE
MEDIA. CONNECT WITH THEM THROUGH
THEIR PREFERRED CHANNELS – BE THAT
TWITTER, A BLOG, OR A NEWSPAPER.

22. PROXI
MITY
TRANS
PARENCY
ARE YOUR
BEST
WEAPON
4.
AND
HARNESS THE SUPPORT OF YOUR
COMMUNITY ON SOCIAL MEDIA BY
SHARING INFORMATION IN THE RIGHT
PLACE.

23. BE
CREA
TIVEEVEN WHEN YOU
HAVE NO
TIME
AT ALL
5.
THE SAME RECIPE DOES NOT APPLY TO
EVERY PUBLIC RELATIONS CRISIS: NEVER
FORGET TO BE CREATIVE AND PROVE
THAT YOU ARE DOING YOUR BEST.

24. BE
CREA
TIVEEVEN WHEN YOU
HAVE NO
TIME
AT ALL
5. THE CAPACITY TO MOBILISE CREATIVE
TEAMS IS A DECISIVE STRENGTH.
BY CREATING INFORMATIVE, UNIQUE, AND
RELEVANT CONTENT THAT PEOPLE WILL
WANT TO READ AND SHARE (SUCH AS
VIDEOS, INFOGRAPHICS OR INTERACTIVE
CAMPAIGNS) YOU CAN TELL YOUR STORY
EFFECTIVELY AND IN A WAY THAT IS
MEMORABLE AND COMPELLING.

25. BE
CREA
TIVEEVEN WHEN YOU
HAVE NO
TIME
AT ALL
5.
“What cannot be eschewed must be
embraced”
W. SHAKESPEARE
AGILITY AND CREATIVITY ARE YOUR BEST
DEFENSE. WITH A BRIGHT IDEA YOU CAN
EVEN COME OUT OF THE CRISIS ON TOP.

26. CRE
DITS
CRE
DITS
SLIDE 2 – carrotcomms.co.uk - http://carrotcomms.co.uk/november-
in-brand-fail-from-major-pr-crises-to-thoughtless-tweeting
SLIDE 3 - www.youtube.com/user/smo310la - http://i.ytimg.com/vi/2G-
dvKh3Gr3E/maxresdefault.jpg - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Gd-
vKh3Gr3E
SLIDE 4 - unelibanaiseaparis.com - http://unelibanaiseaparis.com/en/2012/12/07/
la-brioche-au-nutella/p1220640/
SLIDE 5 - static2.businessinsider.com -http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/518b-
b0b4ecad04f65d00001a/how-nike-solved-its-sweatshop-problem.jpg
SLIDE 6 - lakewoodlodges.com - https://yt3.ggpht.com -GMVqfOD_1aA/AAAAAAAAAAI/
AAAAAAAAAAA/wvJIoU8bLfc/s900-c-k-no/photo.jpg
SLIDE 7 - www.corpwatch.org - http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=15806 - Photo: code-
pinkhq
SLIDE 8 – www.businessinsider.com - http://www.businessinsider.com/big-brands-in-bangladesh-fac-
tories-2013-5?IR=T - REUTERS/Andrew Biraj
SLIDE 9 & 10 - www.funnyordie.com - http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/372fc34d78/abercrombie-fit-
ch-apologizes-to-fat-people
SLIDE 11 - www.rts.ch - http://www.rts.ch/info/monde/4299209-total-est-condamne-pour-pollution-maritime-
dans-le-naufrage-d-erika.html - Jacky Naegelen - Reuters
SLIDE 12 & 13 - www.rts.ch - http://www.rts.ch/info/monde/4299209-total-est-condamne-pour-pollution-maritime-
dans-le-naufrage-d-erika.html - Jacky Naegelen - Reuters
SLIDES 14 & 15 - www.grazia.fr - http://www.grazia.fr/societe/news/viande-de-cheval-des-factures-accablent-le-sous-
traitant-spanghero-539035 - © SIPA PRESS
SLIDE 16 - dailymotion.com/LeNouvelObservateur - http://s2.dmcdn.net/CZJBy/1280x720-77m.jpg - http://www.dailymotion.
com/video/x2qkrr3
SLIDE 17 - www.etsy.com - https://www.etsy.com/search/vintage?q=pepsi+bottle - https://img0.etsystatic.com/067/0/6704795/
il_340x270.799143740_8rip.jpg
SLIDE 18 - goldmansachsisnotanaftershave.org - http://goldmansachsisnotanaftershave.org/inditex-en-tiempos-de-crisis-maquilas-asia-
ticas/ - Ropa Limpia
SLIDE 19 - www.washingtonpost.com - http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/james-e-burke-johnson-and-johnson-ceo-during-tyle-
nol-poisonings-30-years-ago-dies-at-87/2012/10/01/9ad4be06-0be1-11e2-bd1a-b868e65d57eb_story.html - AP
SLIDE 20 - time.com - http://time.com/3423136/tylenol-deaths-1982/ - Jim Preston— The Denver Post / Getty Images

27. CRE
DITS
CRE
DITS
SLIDE 21 - qz.com - http://qz.com/252466/target-customers-havent-
forgiven-it-for-that-data-breach/ - Reuters/Mike Blake
SLIDE 22 - www.govtech.com - https://www.flickr.com/photos/roadsidepic-
tures/2923629922 - FLICKR/ROADSIDEPICTURES
SLIDE 23 - www.nbcnews.com - http://media4.s-nbcnews.com/j/news-
cms/2014_12/258861/140317-toyota-recall-congress-mms-1931_68a-
f299a54d7ddcaa1b3341fa1ad2358.nbcnews-ux-600-480.jpg - Alex Wong / Getty
Images
SLIDE 24 - redeamigaudc.com - http://redeamigaudc.com/2015/05/06/sebastian-royo-
medina-participa-en-el-ciclo-en-codigo-abierto-de-la-catedra-inditex-udc/
SLIDE 25 - www.prmoment.com - http://www.prmoment.com/2813/communica-
tor-of-the-week-sir-richard-branson.aspx
Powering Informed Decisions
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press, broadcast and social media. With our service, you are quickly and accurately informed of the impact negative coverage has on your
business so you can react swiftly and effectively. Read more on our website: kmni.co.uk / kmni.ie