Listening to your audiences is important but too often people forget that each audience has its own notions about what you should be saying.
Sharing this month's most popular content and crisis management insights you won't want to miss out on.
Volume XX | April 30, 2019
Just a Thought...
"I believe very strongly in a free press. But I don't believe in a reckless press.
The First Amendment isn't unlimited."
� Charles Harder, Media Litigator
From the Editor
[Note To Readers: This is the first newsletter being sent after a switch in the software used to create it, please forgive your editor for any goofs, gaffes, or strange floating formatting errors.]
More and more often while working with clients we see examples of how extremely polarized audiences have become today. While gauging public reaction to your crisis communications is a recommendation any expert will give you, fewer mention the fact that you may see completely different responses to the same messaging depending on which public is viewing that message. Let me give you an example...
An organization runs into trouble which results in national news coverage and has to publish a corporate apology. When they go to listen, they are met with a flurry of mixed reactions. On Twitter their response is being eaten alive, with a heavy dose of trolling added in for good measure. But, over in the comments on CBS and NBC coverage of the issue the public seems cautiously receptive and prepared to move on. Meanwhile, a post mentioning the situation pops up on the local Nextdoor forum and, while there are some vocal doubters, the discussion has quickly moved on to the positive experiences former employees who live in the area had there. To round things out, the direct email campaign to customers and business partners is being met with responses sharing understanding and minor concerns which customer service staff is actively addressing.
A bit confusing, right?
Yes, you absolutely want to gauge the reaction of anyone who isn't outright trolling you, and yes I will always advise taking measure of even known opponent's reactions to crisis messaging. However, you need to understand that each platform or medium comes with its own audiences, that those audiences are often tremendously polarized in terms of their world view and beliefs, and that this polarization means the most extreme of reactions in either direction must be taken with a large grain of salt. In fact, I'm fully convinced that if Shakespeare himself came back with a Master's in Public Relations and authored your messaging, some people would STILL tear it apart because that's how the outrage machine works.
Understand the polarity of your publics, recognize which reactions are actually genuine or important, and avoid letting the "yes" crowd make you overconfident. That's how you successfully listen to an audience today.
Boeing: �Sorry� Doesn�t Have To Be The Hardest Word
While there�s absolutely a need to take care when dealing with issues involving major risk of litigation, sometimes the situation demands a clear, �We�re sorry�, so why did Boeing battle to avoid saying so in the face of crashing 737 Max aircraft. [Read More]
Don�t Let Good Attorneys Make Bad News Worse
While corporate counsel�s job is to protect the organization from legal risk, as Nabisco learned in this Chips Ahoy! crisis, sacrificing clarity should not be the default play when it comes to litigation-related crisis communications. [Read More]
Want to Learn More About Crisis Management Services? Our Experts Are Ready To Help
We offer a free no-obligation consultation to anyone who would like to discuss their needs or learn more about how BCM's four phases of crisis management - planning, training, simulation and response - can better protect their organization in a world where the outrage machine makes headlines every day.
Bernstein Crisis Management is a specialized firm dedicated to providing holistic strategies for managing crisis situations. We guide our clients through every step of the crisis management process, from preparation to response, and are available 24/7 for assistance. Unlike most public relations firms that only offer crisis management as a side practice, we�re specialists. By exclusively focusing on the full spectrum of services needed to prevent and/or mitigate crisis situations, we set ourselves apart from the competition. Company president Jonathan Bernstein started the first international email newsletter on the topic of crisis management (the one you're reading right now!), which now reaches readers in 75 countries, and his article, �The 10 Steps of Crisis Communications� has received some 400,000 mentions online, been reprinted in more than 20 languages, and positioned Bernstein Crisis Management as a thought leader in the field. Our experts are also regular contributors to popular media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Entrepreneur, and CNN as a trusted resource, and have been published in hundreds of articles sharing their knowledge.
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