There are several different theories in PR on how handle a crisis. Some are dealt with military precision, while others snowball into an even larger debacle. Although I believe the circumstances dictate the best way to handle a PR crisis, there should be a pre-meditated plan that is ready should the worst-case scenario occur.

Do I Need A Plan B?

Yes! Seems obvious, doesn’t it? However, some argue that if you put enough time and preparation into Plan A, you shouldn’t need a Plan B. In fact, having a secondary plan can look like a lack of confidence in your primary plan. It’s a very simplistic way to view things. There are always variables outside your control that could derail your campaign, or at least cause a glitch. Not to mention, the entire realm of possible events, miscues, or stumbles that aren’t directly tied to the campaign but can cause just as much damage. A backup plan is an excellent way to patch a campaign back together if it breaks, or it can act as a safety net but it’s not a panacea. Can you even prepare for such spontaneity?  How can you cover every angle?

You can’t, or at least you shouldn’t. Having a contingency plan for every possible situation is a waste of time and resources. Yet, that doesn’t mean you can’t be as prepared as a boyscout. The trick is action…swift, transparent action. The longer you remain inactive after a bump in the road, the worse it gets. Not addressing the problem quickly and appropriately can make the smallest crack into the largest canyon.

1. Identify the mistake or problem
2. Have a meeting with the PR department or firm
3. Act

Cleaning Up A Crisis

In recent news there have been a couple situations that, at least in my opinion, were PR disasters. I want to know whether you think they were handled well and/or what you would have done differently.

• Penn State – Jerry Sandusky, a coach for Penn State’s football team, has been accused of several count child sexual abuse. Since the issue has become public, two school board members were found guilty of perjury and duly fired, the head coach of the last several decades was fired for ‘moral misconduct’, the school attempted to sweep the scandal under the rug, more victims come forward every day, yet, no clear statement has been made by Penn State.
• Herman Cain – This Republican Presidential Candidate was accused of sexual harassment by several women. After denying any knowledge of these suits, Cain’s story continued to change. He admitted to some of suits but continued to proclaim his innocence.

Related articles

• Penn State Scandal: Jerry Sandusky Cited As Case Against Same-Sex Parenting By Anti-Gay Speakers (VIDEO) (huffingtonpost.com)
• Shop Talk: Scandals Hit Penn State, Herman Cain (npr.org)

I recently heard a speech that discussed serious educational issues in America. In today’s society, creativity and innovation have nearly vanished from our schools and a hardened, no-nonsense mentality has taken over. Students aren’t being taught about current events. So what are they learning?

Schools teach a pre-determined curriculum that focuses solely on preparing their students for standardized tests. Some even stoop low enough to teach the actual test. The thought process is rather gloomy. The better students do on these tests, the better the school’s ranking. The better the ranking, the more funding the school receives.

Essentially, students are being taught that getting high marks, no matter how they achieve them, is the important thing. As I listened, it occurred to me that this isn’t specific to education. Businesses will do anything, literally, to get an on their competitors or to garner more consumers. Achieving a high reputation brings more favorable reviews. Favorable reviews brings more consumers and, in turn, higher profits.

Recently, there has an influx in the popularity of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Sustainability across the spectrum of business fields. It’s great to see companies, both big and small, caring about the environment and their local communities. Frankly, we need such sentiment in other areas. However, as cynical as it might seem, we have to question the motives behind such altruistic behavior.

There are definitely companies genuinely and sincerely interested in creating a positive impact. Conversely, there are companies using these practices to disguise their focus on the bottom line. My fear is that we’re teaching kids that it’s ok to do whatever it takes to reach goals. They’re currently being encouraged to exactly that. If that’s the case, things can only get worse.

The speech had another interesting concept. It was a story about a girl who was recently accepted to an ivy league university. She remembered, as a kid, her parents set an amount of time for homework. Regardless of whether she had finished, homework time was over and play-time began. When she was in high school, she was made to take an extra-curricular activity that she wouldn’t be good at – to build character.

This fascinated me. On one side, it’s great if a company does well, gives back, and stays on top. However, on the other hand, a company that slips up (which can happen to the best of them) and pulls themselves up by their bootstraps proves their integrity as well. Which is better? Does one path mean more than the other?

Related articles

• Micheal Porter and Mark Kramer on the concept of Shared Value and why the argument does not hold (sriportfolio.com)
• Two Problems With CSR (businessethicsblog.com)

I attended a tweetchat this week regarding ethics in the field of Public Relations. Hosted by PRSA, the discussion was lively and generated an abundance of interesting points, most of which need their own debate. Here’s the transcript:

Related articles

• The State of Ethics in Public Relations (prsay.prsa.org)
• Ethics Awareness Month Comes to PRSA in September (prsay.prsa.org)

In several recent campaigns, mobile technology proved to be an important tool. It’s easy, fast, and accessible features make it extremely valuable for any campaign. Whether it’s holding a contest, fundraising, petitioning an issue, or updating followers on the status of a campaign, mobile technology is simply the ultimate way to connect.

These days, everyone has a mobile phone (or cell phone). In fact, they’ve become so commonplace that, if they’re not chock-filled with the newest gizmos and gadgets, people won’t buy them. Cell phones have gotten so technologically advanced that they’re called “smartphones” instead. Cell phones aren’t used just for phone calls anymore, too. They can search the web, stream video, connect to social networks, message each other via SMS (text messages), and play music.

Social networks are increasingly being used various PR and Marketing campaigns. Social media, in general, has become a standard tool to increase the reach and visibility of campaigns. So, it’s not surprising that utilizing mobile phones, which easily connect to a multitude of social media outlets, would become popular. But I doubt anyone knew how popular this would get. People have begun to use their phones to perform the tasks computers used to do. Campaigns have become innovative in their attempts to engage via mobile access. Geo-location programs, like Foursquare, let companies reward consumers for their loyalty. Non-profits, such as the Red Cross, have been able to raise substantial funds from SMS donations. Even more recently, QR Codes (scannable squares – like barcodes) offer information, discounts, as well as many other innovative uses.

Companies can align Facebook, Twitter, a website or blog, mobile marketing, and traditional PR and Marketing tools to create a seamless, user-friendly campaign. Mobile technology should be seriously considered as a useful, cost-effective, and sustainable tool. It’s ability to go anywhere trumps every other method of reaching an audience. In order to reach your target audience, you need to find where they are. Well, look no further – it’s probably in the palm of your hand.

Related articles

• New Technologies as Social Media Tools (icemanbaldy.com)
• 10 Ways to Leverage Mobile Technology for Marketing (hubspot.com)
• New QR Codes Emulate ‘Hobo Symbols’ Of The Past (newyork.cbslocal.com)

Image via Wikipedia

It’s no surprise that the economy in America is struggling. The national deficit is some ridiculous number, unemployment is rampant, and the dollar just doesn’t stand up to most foreign currencies. I’m not an economist so I won’t pretend to understand the intricacies of the situation. However, looking at CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) in American businesses today highlights the lack of such practices in the past and hints that it may be partly responsible for our current predicament.

America was once an economic powerhouse. Excelling in almost every industry, it seemed that things had finally reached the point our forefathers always envisioned. It’s at this point that cockiness may have taken the place of business ethics and greed reigned supreme over employee welfare.

American businesses outsourced jobs to third-world countries where they took full advantage of the poor residents. They were paid next to nothing, worked in disgraceful conditions, and hours that resembled slavery. It seemed like a brilliant plan. Cheap labor meant more profits and that was true…for a little.

Finally, regulations were put in place to ensure all employees, domestic and foreign, were treated fairly. Unfortunately for the businesses exploiting these situations, cheap labor wasn’t so cheap anymore. To make matters worse, the outsourcing of all jobs left a void back in America. There were few job openings and the pay was rather dismal for the few opportunities out there.

I know it seems I’m just a bleeding-heart liberal but those poor business choices in the past has created serious collateral damage. Years later, initiatives like CSR and sustainability are great tools to close the gap we find ourselves standing at the edge of.

Do you think our past decisions had a role in the current economic situation or are more recent issues to blame?

Related articles

• CSR 2.0. How ‘shared value’ narrows the gap between business and society (marsdd.com)
• Corporate Social Responsibility: Not An Easy Choice (wrightingsblog.wordpress.com)
• Micheal Porter and Mark Kramer on the concept of Shared Value and why the argument does not hold (sriportfolio.wordpress.com)