Many people – especially in public relations – can’t help but cringe when bad corporate communication hits the masses – and boy have there been some doozies.
At some point or another, (almost) all corporations suffer from a kerfuffle that lands them in a pit of PR quick sand.
Some victims of their own demise include political figures engaging in inappropriate relations, sports figures who succumbed to the lure of steroid use to get a leg-up on the competition, oil companies who have caused environmental disasters, celebrities having very public meltdowns, and so many more.
Within many corporations or independent brands, there are full-fledged teams employed to think of repercussions before they happen in order to anticipate reactions from the public and stakeholders. Ultimately, it’s all about how people will perceive your image, and if you damage your reputation, well, you might as well close up shop.
Dramatic? Maybe. But truth be told, some never recover from their scandals.
Here are some simple tips that can be used as a bare minimum to protect your business and your reputation, either professionally or personally.
Poor Content
Strong corporate communicators know how to use language that’s concise, compelling and structured. When company leaders distribute messages that are wordy, overly technical or hard to follow, they lose audience attention and trust. Errors in spelling, grammar or sentence structure decrease credibility. Hiding the truth through euphemisms or spin is another bad idea.
Dishonesty
Whether you outright lie or simply hide the truth, especially during crisis situations, the backlash can have the same results. Modern communication technology makes it much simpler for journalists and the public to uncover falsities, and when those facts come to light, corporate integrity suffers. Communicating clearly, accurately, frequently and truthfully and weathering the results put a company on a faster track to redemption.
Ignorance
Poor communication during change is another hallmark of bad corporate communication. Effective communicators understand that their audiences need and expect timely information from company leadership leading up to, during and after a change. These communicators understand that company positions must reflect the audience’s perception of the change instead of the company’s position and that they must distribute this information through the medium most trusted and used by the audience. Remaining silent during a change or assuming that audiences won’t care or don’t need to know are starting points for a corporate communication fiasco. For example, a leading telecommunications company decided to downsize, introducing an “early retirement plan,” effectively laying off hundreds of employees, causing jeers and questionable stability because the company never officially made a statement or responded to the massive layoff.
Abusing Media
Bombarding reporters with news releases, threatening to pull advertising based on story content, refusing journalist requests, failing to cultivate reporter relationships and pushing spin are all examples of ineffective media relations. On the other hand, effective corporate communicators know reporter interests as well as their medium and lead time requirements. They establish trust by offering newsworthy content in a format that meets these needs. In addition, smart professionals respond to inquiries quickly and respect the time of a reporter working on deadline.
Abandoning Process
Incompetent communicators only understand one part of the process: sending messages. Experienced professionals appreciate that successful communication includes listening, responding to feedback, targeting messages to stakeholders and selecting the right medium for the message. They base strategy on research instead of gut feelings or CEO wishes, understand that it takes time to get a message across and resist over-promising results.
