Top 5 Public Relations Tips From Crisis Management Pros

April 5, 2019

Misery loves company.

That saying especially rings true for public relations professionals. When a PR crisis hits, you want to know that others have gone through something similar and came out on top.

From the Kendall Jenner Pepsi ad fail to overall online reputation management, if you’re going through PR nightmare, I guarantee someone else has had it worse. Good news is that I’ve gathered all of the best tips from crisis communication pros, so you too can come out of a crisis better than ever.

Public relations tips

Crisis communication is a major part of public relations. When something happens that threatens your clients’ reputation, it’s your job to address the situation head-on. You can’t do this unless you prepare, and these tips will get you ready for anything that comes your way.

Get 30+ public relations resources, FREE.    Explore →

1. Plan in advance

“When you are launching a controversial campaign or releasing some breaking news preparation is key. Have a high representative at the company draft a statement in case there is negative backlash.”

- Rosa González, PR & Comms. Manager at BYHOURS

Tip: Learn how to create a PR campaign that keeps you out of hot water

2. Listen carefully and calmly

“More often, companies come to us after the storm has hit. I’ve learned to listen carefully and calmly. It sounds basic but it matters. I want them to walk away from our first discussion of the crisis more at ease, assured that I’ve dealt with this before and understand the scope of their problem. I can’t do that if I’m not listening. I’ve learned how little people understand how the media works and how much they fear journalists. That distrust and fear can lead to a poor response and irreversible reputation damage. My job is to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

- Kate Lucadamo, VP at Mercury Public Affairs

Client asking for public relations tipsCourtesy of Tom Fishburne

3. Take a step back

“Take a bird’s-eye look and understand not just how you feel and what you want, but what the repercussions can be for every stakeholder. Your approach to managing it will be best met by onlookers when it appears to be unselfish, thoughtful, and with an eye on making it right for others, not just you. Anything else will seem self-serving or even sanctimonious. No one wants to see that.”

- Juda Engelmayer, President at HeraldPR

4. Work collaboratively with the legal team

“Don't let lawyers run the PR strategy. You can work collaboratively with the legal team but there will be times when the strategies veer. I once had a case where the client completely deferred to the lawyers. They won their case in court but their brand name was destroyed in the public opinion arena and the company had to declare bankruptcy.”

- Douglas Bailey, Senior VP at Rasky Partners

5. Silence is not golden

“Frequently because a company does not know everything about a crisis situation, as they are often fluid, they say nothing at all, which only serves to hurt them. Silence is seen as indifference or an affirmation of guilt and allows critics, adversaries and the media to define the crisis and your company’s motives. It is completely acceptable to communicate what you can and tell the media you will provide more information as it becomes available.”

- Jennifer Donahoe, Public Relations and Social Media Account Director at Planit Agency

Don’t recreate the wheel

There are people who’ve tackled the same problems as you. So don’t start from scratch, simply learn from these tips and your own experiences. Crisis communication will feel easier if you know what to do when the time comes.

Learn more about what you need to get started on a full-blown crisis communication plan.

Share your expertise!

Help your peers and grow your personal brand by contributing to the G2 Learning Hub. Sign up in seconds and, like these five industry pros, share your knowledge in sales, marketing, or business growth with 1 Million monthly readers.Share your expertise with over 1 million monthly readers: Join G2 Expert Community → 

Top 5 Public Relations Tips From Crisis Management Pros Public relations tips can help you plan for the worst in crisis communications. These five crisis management experts could be the different between saving your client or not. https://learn.g2crowd.com/hubfs/Public%20relations%20tips.jpg
Deirdre O'Donoghue Deirdre O’Donoghue is a Content Manager at Nature's Fynd and a former Content Manager at G2. In her free time, you can find Deirdre fostering puppies or exploring the Chicago foodie scene. (she/her/hers) https://learn.g2.com/hubfs/_Logos/Deirdre-ODonoghueUpdated.jpeg https://www.linkedin.com/in/deirdre-o-donoghue-87776693/

Never miss a post.

Subscribe to keep your fingers on the tech pulse.

By submitting this form, you are agreeing to receive marketing communications from G2.