Tag Archives: crisis communication

Speaking with Authenticity: Lessons from the ‘Phillies Karen’ Viral Drama

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The rules of crisis communication have changed drastically over the last decade. Crisis communication and reputation management have quickly become must-haves due to the nature of digital devices. Incidents that would once blow over in a day or even hours can snowball, fueling endless media coverage and content. Today, a story can be instantly amplified on social media; however, it can also stoke up misinformation, creating a crisis or viral drama of its own.

As caught on camera during a recent Philadelphia Phillies game, a fan demanded that a father give her a home run ball, causing a stir on social media. The father took the ball back from his young son and handed it to the woman, who proceeded back to her seat, ball in hand. The incident stirred a public manhunt to find the ‘Phillies Karen’ in question. Multiple misidentifications ensued. Interestingly, a recent study from Science reported that misinformation travels “farther, faster, deeper and more broadly than the truth.”

A comprehensive, thoughtful and tested crisis communication plan, as well as a commitment to speak with authenticity to set the record straight, are two key elements to navigate any crisis or national outrage. Here are lessons from the ‘Phillies Karen’ incident worth noting.

Get the Facts Straight to Avoid Premature Conclusions

In the case of the viral Phillies incident, social media rumors led to the false identification of a school administrator and later, a Red Sox fan, causing viral online condemnations. Both the school and the individual quickly took to social media to set the record straight, each releasing timely, clever and light-hearted, prepared statements and responses.

“The woman identified on social media as ‘Phillies Karen’ is not and has never been, an employee of the Hammonton Public Schools … Anyone who works for our school district, attended as a student or lives in our community would obviously have caught the ball bare-handed in the first place, avoiding this entire situation.”

“I’m not the crazy Philly Mom (but I sure would love to be as thin as she is and move as fast)… and I’m a Red Sox fan.”.

The falsely accused school and individual swiftly jumped in to provide clear, concise and witty posts to mitigate risk. The statements and responses provided detailed feedback on their lack of involvement.

Effective crisis communication and reputation management hinge on getting the facts straight. Viewers count on their favorite news sources and social media platforms for the latest headlines, and from there, often make quick assumptions.

During times of crisis, it’s important to align internally on key messaging before releasing any information on behalf of a brand or individual. Once an incident is on the radar, be ready to monitor for media coverage and social media mentions, and stay alert for inbound media requests as they arise.

Have a Plan and Respond Authentically

Crisis communication plans and strategies are essential for managing crisis incidents and allow brands and individuals to get ahead of potentially business damaging premature conclusions.

Incident management requires a strategic yet thoughtful approach. In addition to respecting the gravity of each situation, brands and individuals must look to protect their reputations and share the facts while staying true to their brand voice and values.

Responding with authenticity can defuse a crisis. When a predicament hits, brands and individuals can be adversely affected, even if they’re not at fault. False accusations and other misinformation can quickly diminish trust in a company or personal reputation, causing inconvenience, damage or disruptions if not corrected.

A prompt crisis communication response that is truthful and genuine without bias can be crucial for managing false news and other propaganda, as well as mitigating risk. Brands and individuals must look to set the right tone based on the incident, while also ensuring that their brand messaging and positioning are reflected.

In the case of the Phillies Karen, both parties showed integrity and accountability while also staying true to their brand voice. Their respective statements were factual, with a bit of humor sprinkled in to match the severity of the situation.

So, while memes come and go and headlines fade away, damage to a brand or personal reputation can stick around. Don’t get caught up in the internet’s next big drama—brands and individuals must have a crisis communication plan and strategy ready to mitigate potential crisis or national outrage.

Avoid These Cringe-Worthy Crisis Communications Errors

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You don’t have to be a communications professional to cringe when you read certain emails and social media posts today. In the new COVID-19 world we find ourselves, it can be difficult for businesses to know what to say, when to say it and how often to say it to their clients and the public. Everyone wants to jump in with a message, look for revenue opportunities or offer helpful advice, but some do it better than others.

Below we offer common mistakes and some tips to avoid them.

4 Mistakes to Avoid When Communicating During a Crisis:

  1. Not adjusting scheduled social media posts in light of new circumstances. This should be an automatic step whether you’re facing a global pandemic or a crisis isolated to your business. Make sure you read them all, and then delete and edit them to be relevant and tasteful in the context of new circumstances.
  2. Going ahead with planned announcements without considering how they will be perceived. You may be excited about your latest opening or product launch, but such an announcement may be ignored or — worse — perceived as insensitive and opportunistic when you do it. Timing is everything.
  3. Being opportunistic. There is a difference between offering sincere help during difficult times and being perceived as trying to make an extra buck when others are suffering. It’s all about perceptions.
  4. Pitching related stories to the media that are just in very bad taste and opportunistic. Just take a look at this piece by Mashable to see PR people at their worst. PR pros should be able to know when they have an expert who can make a real contribution to a conversation and when it’s just a bad idea.

5 Things to Consider When Messaging:

How do you know whether your message will be well received or will make you appear careless and opportunistic?

  1. Put it in perspective. COVID-19, for example, is a global pandemic with unprecedented and tragic consequences. People are dying and more will die. Many more will lose their jobs, businesses will suffer and many will face economic and personal hardship. Most of us are scared and worried. Think about this when messaging and make sure your messages are in touch with the current reality.
  2. Make sure it’s relevant. In the context of the above, what is relevant? For example, this blog is being written to help prevent businesses from making mistakes when communicating during the current and future crises. That seems relevant to our audience and a way we can help.
  3. Does it address what your audience’s needs. Ask yourself if you’re tooting your own horn, going through the motions or really addressing what your clients, employees and partners need to know. Sometimes, as in the current environment when our mailboxes are full of COVID-19 messages, what your audience needs is a message as simple as “We’re here for you.”
  4. What are others doing? You don’t want to follow the crowd necessarily, but seeing what others in your industry are doing can help guide your decisions about what to do or what not to do.
  5. Test it. There no time for focus groups, but try running your message by a long-time partner or client who you trust and get their reaction.

Ebola Strikes New York

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Photo courtesy of the CDC.

Photo courtesy of the CDC.

It’s official. Ebola has scared the hell out of everyone. With Friday’s news story of a doctor in New York City being diagnosed and today’s “testing” of a 5-year-old boy for Ebola as well in the Big Apple, hysteria is sure to hit new heights.

However, as public relations professionals, our job is to offer wise council in times of crisis. We must anticipate how this latest news impacts our partners and determine how best to help them inform and better educate their audiences. A myriad of businesses can find themselves in the center of a media storm as Friday’s NYC media coverage demonstrated.

So the best advice for businesses is to start with facts.

For those businesses being asked about Ebola risks and protocols – and the public’s perception of your business’ Ebola risk – there are five steps to take quickly:

  1. Share the latest information from a recognized authority source (e.g., the CDC, the World Health Organization, your local or state department of health, etc.). Unless you are a medical professional well versed in infectious diseases, regardless of your business, you have no business advising on health issues. Leave that to the professionals and simply point people in the right direction.
  2. Examine your realistic exposure. NPR recently reported most American’s have a 1 in 13.3 million shot at contracting Ebola. In fact, NPR suggests studies show you’re more likely to die from a lightning strike or a bee sting than you are of catching Ebola. While many businesses are not likely to be at risk, the Manhattan case from Friday demonstrated how Uber, a Brooklyn bowling alley and NYC Metropolitan Transportation Authority needed to address Ebola concerns on a moment’s notice. Therefore it’s helpful to have thought through your messaging and delivery method in advance.
  3. Reassure your audiences you are following coverage and authoritative information of U.S. Ebola cases so as not to be surprised by developments that could impact your business operations or vendor relationships.
  4. Consult with your public relations professional to ensure any crisis communications plan your organization has in place is updated and that your team is prepared to respond quickly.
  5. Update your audiences as appropriate.

A sixth but less urgent step is to revisit your crisis communications plans at the conclusion of this latest pubic health scare to fine tune your policies and procedures so you are better prepared next time. And trust me, there will be a next time.