Clearly in The Times: How to protect your reputation from a crisis
The last four weeks have seen a plethora of organisations facing a major crisis and threat to their reputations. In a feature by Raconteur for The Times, Clearly’s Paul MacKenzie-Cummins shared his thoughts on how businesses can minimise the risk and still emerge in a good shape.
Here’s what he said:
“Tell it first, tell it fast and tell it clearly. If you become aware of the issue and can head it off at the pass before the media gets wind of it, then do so. Take the initiative and, in doing so, you can control the message.
“If the issue becomes public first, then in this instance, the advice is to acknowledge it and explain what steps are being taken to remedy the situation.
“Whatever you do, don’t go into hibernation mode and hope it will go away – that will only fan the flames and exacerbate the damage to the organisation’s reputation.
But, what if the business in question adopts a “favourable purpose” as part of its recovery and repair process, can this work?
“Consumers are an unforgiving bunch and will drop a brand or business in an instant if they feel misled. This is where responsible reporting is needed. Businesses need to hold themselves to account and demonstrate the tangible impact they are making, rather than paying lip service to it.”
You can read the full article via the Raconteur/Times site here: https://www.raconteur.net/business-strategy/minimise-reputational-risk/
