The Public Relations Blog

When crisis hits, bravely step up to the microphone

Living in New England has advantages, except for when our region endures treacherous weather conditions. The past few weeks, we’ve braved a multiple-storm nor’easter pattern that flooded our coastal residences and devastated interior areas. Heavy, wet snow and high winds felled hundreds of trees across power lines and roadways causing extensive outages. As a resident, I earned a ringside seat to the fallout and backlash the power companies received because, while they stated before the storms that they were prepared, they were not.

Is a crisis an operations problem or a public relations problem?

Facebook has received its fair share of negative news coverage in the past; however, it’s nothing like the current firestorm around it and the political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica. While the debate continues as to whether Facebook knew that the firm was actively harvesting user data to personalize content based on profile analytics, there’s no question that many Facebook users feel Facebook violated their privacy and are even questioning if the information presented to them on their personal news feeds manipulated them in some way.

3 tips to help you prepare

News headlines are regularly peppered with fear-instilling stories of data breaches and cybersecurity threats that riddle us to the core as we consider how our personal and private information is vulnerable to hackers.

These same issues should concern companies even more. Large corporations like Uber and Equifax have already fallen prey to cyberattacks, and health care is the most hacked industry to date. Cybersecurity is no longer an issue exclusively for individuals who fear identity theft. It’s a rampant concern for companies as well. In addition to customer data, company trade secrets, patents and proprietary algorithms are vulnerable.

Axia Public Relations encourages its clients to regularly review and update their crisis communications plans. As more headlines spotlight cybersecurity concerns, adding steps and protocols for a cyberattack is prudent. For those that don’t have a cybersecurity plan in place, here are three steps to consider as you prepare:

Communication tips for what to do when your brand unexpectedly ‘catches fire’ and you need to calm consumers

This week, NBC’s “This Is Us” gave viewers an emotionally gripping episode that seriously tugged their heartstrings. It also sent many to their cupboards to dispose of a kitchen appliance that was the terrifying catalyst for one of the show’s biggest tragedies. The villainous appliance? A Crock-Pot.

Axia Public Relations breaks down what it means to plan S.M.A.R.T.

Learn more about the improved version, the S.M.A.R.T.E.R. process.

Each of our clients has a personalized public relations plan. We collaborate with company marketing leaders to develop their communications for the quarter, year and future. We’re experts in planning and executing great strategic communications, and we know how to make them sharp and SMART.

And what exactly does SMART mean? We’ll break it down for you.

If you’d like help drafting your marketing and communications plan, Axia offers that service.

How to make the most of social media when times are tough

Even the most seasoned public relations professionals find managing social media in a crisis challenging. News spreads fast on social media. Things can escalate in a matter of minutes. Marketing departments are often in a position where they must act swiftly and shrewdly when their company’s reputation is at stake. The good news is that social media can help you mitigate crises when you use it wisely.

A storm with the magnitude and destruction of Hurricane Harvey has not hit the United States since social media has infiltrated our lives. From Twitter to Facebook, people turned to social media to help family members reunite, to ask for donations and even to plea for rescue from the floods.

In addition to the individuals who were using social platforms, government entities and media outlets took to social media to broadcast critical updates. Companies also used social media to communicate key updates.

While nothing can fully prepare a company for a disaster the magnitude of Harvey, it’s a good idea to think about a crisis plan for your company. For Florida companies in the path of Hurricane Irma, here are some social media tips to have on-hand as your company prepares in the days ahead.  

Planning proactively for potential crises with 3 key strategies

Lately you can’t turn on the television, log in to social media or pick up a newspaper without noticing a company’s public relations crisis unfolding. We have all seen what happens when a company isn’t prepared for an unexpected situation. It spirals out of control and creates a media storm of negativity. Your company can’t always prevent a bad situation from happening, so the more prepared you are, the better skilled you are to handle unforeseen circumstances.  Preparation can quickly turn a negative situation into a positive outcome.

Use PR to avoid, endure and outlast whatever trouble strikes your company

A public relations crisis can happen to any company of any size at any time. Sometimes, they happen quickly, like the scandalous retirement of the CEO or inappropriate comments made by a top executive. Others develop slowly, like disgruntled employees whose behavior eventually begins to affect customer service.

It’s been quite a busy summer for Disney. With a fair share of controversy, it’s safe to say Disney’s public relations team has been working hard all summer long. If you’re not familiar with the headlines, here’s what’s been going on at Disney in 2017 and three PR lessons you can learn from Mickey and crew, along with their competitor.