How PR Problems start There are a lot of sources for public relation problems in a company or corporate setting. In many cases these problems can quickly turn from a minor problem to a crisis. The ease of access to public media through the global community has increased the speed at which criticism can spread. It can be a challenge for corporations to overcome stigmas or to relate to the average consumer when such problems occur. This inequality or inability to find a common ground can lead to another source of difficulties for companies. Businesses especially national and international corporations are constantly in the public eye; from produced goods to services. If a product fails or ends up having problems it can develop into a possible public relations disaster for to producer. Also when an executive of a company says something controversial, or has political views it can also open the door to PR problems.
Examples of PR Disasters There have been many PR disasters and problems throughout the international community as business expands. One of the most challenging PR disasters came from the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. This disaster opened the gates for criticism of the entire oil industry in the region. From animal activists to local residents along the Gulf Coast; BP was being attacked on many fronts. Unfortunately, BP took the offensive from the beginning and it caused discontent among the media and the public. Not only was there safety hazards, but the big question was how BP was going to contain the oil spill. Also how was BP going to compensate fisherman and other residents along the Gulf Coast that depended on the clean waters that were now polluted? Although BP did fail in many respects with its PR actions, it did make progress in calming down some of the public attention. After much planning and criticism BP was able to contain the oil leak, and they also compensated many residents in the region. In fact you can still see a commercial for BP sharing their continued efforts in improving the coast. It is clear that there is still a ways to go in mending the damage that was done due to the unfortunate event of the oil rig exploding.
How to combat PR disasters Now that we have established the various ways that a corporation can encounter PR disasters; let’s focus on how to combat these problems. Although companies like BP, Apple, Microsoft, and Toyota to
name a few have encountered PR problems for the most part they have been able to overcome the criticism. How can this be accomplished? Here are a few steps that can be taken:
Prepare: Know ahead of time what potential problems can happen. Hire only people that you know can handle any situation by using only the best employee screening software. Plan: Making a plan on how to combat a PR disaster before it occurs can help the event to be taken care of quickly. Positive: Present a positive and solution oriented stance to the public. This might mean having the executive apologize or speak for the company. Making the public mad or taking the offensive can create more problems.
Photo Credit: SalFalko, thetaxhaven