Why Is Simplicity Key To Effective PR Crisis Communications?
With so much on the line during a PR crisis, effective communication is critical, and every word should be carefully considered before being used in a press release or a public announcement.
However, there is a risk of overthinking and overcomplicating your message, which risks confusing readers and potentially causing anger and further reputational damage.
An effective response should be timely, honest, relevant, proportionate and targeted to the actual issues and concerns that have been raised, and there are better and worse ways to achieve this with the help of a
crisis communications agency.
Here are some examples of how simple apologies told in the right way at the right time are more effective than more complicated statements laced with legalese and caveats.
Fried Chicken Kentucky
Context often matters in PR, and there are certain issues that are easier to reputation-manage than others. For example, when Kentucky Fried Chicken, rather infamously, ran out of chicken in 2018, their full-page response was, as the BBC noted, “pretty cheeky”.
They rearranged the letters of their logo, printed it onto an empty bucket and provided a full apology to customers who missed out on their takeaway dinner and a note of appreciation to franchise partners and members of staff.
It helped somewhat that they were apologising, in some respects, for being too popular and too successful.
Southwest Airlines Navigates Tragedy And Heroism
Whilst passenger jets are amongst the safest vehicles in the world, the scale of an air accident when it occurs means that any crash or safety incident will inevitably become a PR disaster.
The scale has also been clear from the start; design flaws with the De Havilland Comet not only severely hurt the reputation of the company, but would ultimately lead to the rise of Boeing and Airbus as the two main manufacturers of jumbo jets.
This meant that when Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 suffered a rapid decompression incident that caused a fatality and led to 22 minutes of chaos while the plane made an emergency landing, the airline needed to be swift and clear with its response.
The heroics of Captain Tammie Jo Shults led to a successful emergency landing, and all but one of the passengers survived. Whilst the crew were making their landing, Southwest CEO Gary Kelly helped to organise an action plan crisis team on the ground to ensure that all of the passengers got support as soon as they landed.
The statement itself was a clear, heartfelt apology that put the needs of the customers first, expressed sadness for the incident and provided the regulatory authorities with the cooperation and support they needed to launch an investigation immediately.
It was accompanied by letters of support, personal phone calls, access to 24/7 counselling support, emergency accommodation and travel, as well as $5,000 in cash for immediate financial needs and a $1,000 travel voucher as a gesture of goodwill.
Ultimately, the statement was very successful in maximising goodwill, with individuals on social media and press outlets, who saw it as a very sympathetic proactive gesture and highlighted that the company could respond to tragedy quickly.
