Tag: crisis communications

THE MANY TALENTS THAT MAKE UP AN EFFECTIVE PR AGENCY

Posted on May 13, 2020 by

As with many industries, when you work in PR you come to expect that people will have some preconceived ideas. Stereotypes have been developed over the years, not helped by characters in popular TV programmes.

Assumptions are made about the ‘type’ of people who work in the profession. In some organisations, this may be a true reflection of the workforce. However, here at Open Comms, we believe that to be truly effective an agency needs diversity, in every sense of the word.

Nurturing Creativity

Bringing together a blend of genders, ages, personalities and experiences allows for a PR business to be more creative. A vital component when creating any strategic plan or campaign.

What’s more, working across a range of industries, this variety of thoughts and approaches is essential when we are constantly looking at new and more innovative ideas for clients.

Using our collective skills means we can offer each organisation a bespoke service that encompasses creative elements tailored especially to them.

The team here loves nothing more than to take an hour out to brainstorm and let our ideas run wild. It’s amazing to see the knowledge, experience and preferences of the team come to life during the campaign planning process.

However, the icing on the cake is when the plan comes together. This is what we enjoy most; sharing excellent results and a job well done for our clients.

Staying on Top of the Latest Trends

Our many differences influence the way that we perceive changes in the wider world. As a team of PR professionals, we naturally take an interest in trends. After all, it is an important part of our job. However, that’s not to say that we don’t all have our antennas tuned to the products, services and brands that appeal to each of us the most.

A resident shopaholic, for example, is more likely to know about the latest designers, prints and fashions; while a budding chef will probably have a keener take on how taste buds and food preferences are changing.

The more tech savvy among us can keep track of the latest social media software and the tools that help our client’s platforms stand out from the crowd. Whereas a more ethically conscious personality may be more in touch with social movements, and the changing sentiment around environmental issues.

Fostering Strong Working Relationships

One size doesn’t fit all, and an agency with a lack of diversity is likely to have a hard time branching out in the PR business.

Our clients come from all backgrounds, with different target markets and product offerings. With a diverse team in place, we can match personalities and expertise with clients – leading to exceptional working relationships.

Not only does this make life easier all round, but it makes for strong bonds and a friendly, personal approach. Ultimately, this helps us work less like an external agency, and more like an extension of each team.

Empathy and Sensitivity

Some personalities are a little more robust, taking a tougher stance on certain issues. While others are gentler, picking up on sensitivities which may pass the average person by. Then we have those in the middle, the ones who strive to see both sides of every scenario.

In a crisis, this blend of personalities is a fantastic asset and one which is very much valued within our business. After all, for most organisations, facing a PR crisis will be one of the most testing times in its history. Without a team who can be trusted to consider all angles, it can quite easily become a very tricky situation to navigate.

However, having built up a long-term relationship with a PR agency that understands a brand and business, a company can be confident that its reputation and future is in safe hands.

Experience and Guidance

Our team members come with a whole host of experiences, which contributes to the unique approach that Open Comms delivers.

Some of us have been working in the industry for more than 20 years, while others are taking their first steps into the world of PR.

We’re particularly proud of our supportive approach, which sees the team learn from one-another. What remains at the forefront is that we all have something different to share, whether starting out or with a career spanning more than two decades.

Whether it’s our resident (former) journalist; the social media savvy among us or our Masters-level linguist, making the time to learn from one another’s experiences is an opportunity not to be overlooked.

Find out a little more about our team here. Alternatively, pick up the phone and give us a call on 01924 862477 – we’d love to chat.

Your customers should always come first in a crisis

Posted on September 11, 2013 by

There was a collective intake of breath throughout the PR industry this week when news reports declared that a Thai Airways plane had skidded off a Bangkok runway on Sunday injuring 14 passengers on board.

It wasn’t the incident that had caused a stir with PR agencies however it was the fact that in their misguided wisdom, Thai Airways had taken the unusual approach of ‘blacking out’ their logo so that any media reports would  not display the company’s branding.

There are many, many reasons why this was a very misguided act on behalf of the airline, not least based on the fact that all reports would still reference the brand within their stories, name checking the company as they did so, and also that blacking out the logo simply created a reason for the business to continue to hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons!

The first rule of any crisis, for any brand, of any size is to stand up and take responsibility. If there has been a problem that you are aware of and you are responsible then hold your hands up. It is far better to say sorry than it is to offer a no comment or attempt to portion blame elsewhere.

Crisis can be difficult, particularly when the press are involved but the simple truth of the matter is that in order to maintain a level of dignity and credibility throughout these situations, companies have to address the matter professionally.

Thai Airlines should have been making a statement in response to an incident, which lets remember had left 14 passengers injured, as opposed to putting their brand first. A simple two minute comment which started with: We would like to take this opportunity to apologise to our passengers… and then ended with: We are in the process of carrying out a full investigation into this matter…

The un-written statement from the brand based on their actions reads more like: We have better things to do than consider our customers at this difficult time. Instead we are going to take poor advice and cover up our logo. We will be back shortly – does anyone have any black paint?

As a result of their actions the business haven’t so much blacked their logo as their name.

Having managed crisis for some of the UK’s leading businesses, here at Open Communications we are no stranger to difficult situations. Our advice to clients is always to be honest. In any event we work from our clients offices to ensure that we are on hand to offer the advice and guidance that they need.

It would be silly to suggest that crisis are simple, they are particularly uncomfortable and potentially damaging. Irrelevant of how disastrous a situation appears it can be handled correctly and professionally, ensuring that whatever the outcome the directors of a business can maintain their integrity and where possible the reputation of the brand.

Here are five top tips for managing the communications in any crisis situation:

  1. If required issue an internal announcement to all employees giving brief details of the situation and also guidance on who to direct any media enquiries through to
  2. Arrange a meeting with all board directors and senior managers within the business
  3. Discuss in detail what has happened and most importantly why
  4. Draft a statement to all media
  5. Manage all media enquiries and DO NOT under any circumstances issue a no comment

As you would expect, we would always advise that in these instances the first thing that you is contact your PR agency. If you don’t have a PR agency then we would strongly advise that you find one with the experience and credentials needed to support you during what could be one of the most difficult times of your career.

In the same way that people rely on legal practices when things go wrong, organisations should trust and rely on communications experts when it matters most.

And remember, no business ever has a crisis, until it has a crisis!

A hoax too far

Posted on December 11, 2012 by

The recent news about the untimely death of a hospital worker who had unwittingly answered and transferred a hoax call from an Australian radio station sent a chill down my spine. Not only do I think, like many others, that this was a tragic waste of a life but that it will also go on to affect many others including the presenters involved, who we can presume are soon to be unemployed.

When the news first broke about the transfer of the call from reception through to the nurses who were responsible for the care of the Duchess of Cambridge I have to be honest, I was beyond shocked. My first reaction was to wonder why appropriate measures weren’t in place to ensure that this couldn’t and wouldn’t happen?

The hospital is used to dealing with high profile patients and should be accustomed to taking calls that may be obscure or even unsolicited. It strikes me as strange that even at 5.30am there was no process in place to manage this.

I would have expected that all calls would have been managed in a similar way to how a PR agency would manage a crisis. When we work with clients we put a simple but effective procedure in place to ensure that all calls are handled professionally and efficiently. It works and it means that we are able to respond in a timely fashion – but at the same time it also takes the onus off the receptionist or internal team, leaving them to get on with their day to day roles.

In this case it would seem that this was not possible, leading to the most devastating of outcomes.

The more serious side to this ‘prank’ was that it should never have been discussed never mind considered to be a good idea. I’ve laughed at prank phone calls before, you know the ones:

Caller: Can I speak to Ivor please?

Person on the line: Ivor who?

Caller: Ivor Biggan

Person on the line: Ivor Biggan, does anyone know Ivor Biggan…

I would be lying if I didn’t think these calls made me giggle but at the same time they are by all intense and purpose completely harmless. The difference with a call to a hospital is that for one you are calling an establishment knowing that people are there for a reason – because they are ill. That can never be funny.

By the time the call was made the world was aware that the Duchess was pregnant but also that she had been admitted to hospital with a potentially serious illness, which has been known in cases to lead to the loss of a child. Now, call me overly sensitive, but that can never be funny!

In my opinion the call was inappropriate in the first instance but the presenters took it one stage too far when asking after the health of the Duchess. What if something terrible had happened? What if she had suffered a miscarriage and as a result of this misguided joke these presenters were the first to find out? I fail to see the humour in that outcome, which at any time during this situation was a very real possibility.

The presenters in this case are likely to regret their actions for the rest of their lives and their hoax call will certainly go down in history – but for all the wrong reasons. This story just goes to show how powerful the media can be and the obligation that broadcasters have to consider the outcome of any fun they choose to have before going ahead.

There must be a producer involved in this case somewhere, although they appear to be keeping their heads down. This is a sad case of bad judgement which has led to the Christmas of at least three families being ruined. Let’s hope other ‘pranksters’ will take note and think twice before acting on an impulse.