They say that bad PR is still good PR. Yes, that is infinitely true. Although it is stressful and challenging to face bad PR, many marketers and Lakeland public relations experts can turn this into a good opportunity to promote their brands. The thing is when there’s bad publicity, really good PR can wake up its sleeping loyalists. How do you think Michael Jordan’s fans will react if someone questioned his greatness?
Apologize
Own up to the mistake. When your brand received generally negative reviews, make the common courtesy of owning up to the mistake. Apologize to your customers and promise to do better. Isn’t that what Domino did with its apology video when a crew was caught in a disgusting prank?
How about Apple’s apology to Taylor Swift or Netflix’s admission that its billing ideas are wrong? These are examples of good corporate apology. The trick is to use social media, a platform where the apology can be seen by millions of people, your customers in particular.
Find a Solution
Be part of fixing the problem. Don’t just delegate tasks to your staff. Make it a point to be present during the meetings and subsequent activities that aim to address the issue. JetBlue’s CEO appeared on video detailing the changes the company will make after its passengers were stranded for 11 hours in the tarmac with limited supplies. It came out with the Passenger Bill of Rights.
Share What You Learned
After the knowledge you gained addressing the problem, why not share these learnings with people and areas in need? After weathering hurricanes, Office Depot offered its disaster management and preparedness expertise to areas frequently devastated by storms and hurricanes. It turned its learnings and knowledge about disaster preparedness into a PR campaign that shown the spotlight on a key customer segment.
Make It Public
Make sure that the apology is visible for everyone to see. When Toyota had its worst nightmare in 2010 after a safety issue caused the lives of 90 people, it took out ads in major newspapers. It apologized for not living up to its safety standards and promised to do better in the future. Putting ads on all major publications allowed the car company to reach its customers far and wide.
While every situation is different, a simple apology can do the trick. It is the single most important Lakeland public relations strategy you can do for your brand when faced with a PR catastrophe.
