Dealing With Crisis Communications
A communications crisis may occur both in small and large companies. The most important thing in such a situation is to know how to deal with it.
- It’s extremely necessary to develop a media communication plan. Many companies that are not well aware of how to deal with media end in failure. How does it happen? Once rumors are spread that your company is not so good, people will be suspicious about the provided products or services. The development of the media communication plan is the responsibility of your PR managers, so tell them to develop a practical strategy.
There are cases when a company managed to work out such a thorough communication plan that helped not only overcome crisis but also to enlarge and expand the company. One of the brightest examples is Johnson & Johnson with its Tylenol case.
Tylenol is Johnson & Johnson’s main profit source. In 1982, Tylenol capsules were tampered with by unknown people. This resulted in the death of seven people from cyanide poisoning.
The company handled the situation very quickly. It withdrew Tylenol from store shelves. As a result Johnson & Johnson incurred a significant income profit loss.
Soon Tylenol was produced in tamperproof packaging to prevent damage. Within five months the company managed to rebound. It was a great success. While other companies need several years to manage their business, Johnson & Johnson handled the situation properly.
As cited in a special report:
“The Tylenol crisis is without any doubt the most exemplary case ever known in the history of crisis communications. Any business executive, who has ever stumbled into a public relations ambush, ought to appreciate the way Johnson & Johnson responded to the Tylenol poisonings. They have effectively demonstrated how major business has to handle a disaster.”
So this example shows that any company should:
- Act quickly and be honest about what happened.
- Take measures that would prevent the problem from getting worse.
- Bear loss of money to save your good name and consumer safety. It’s important for your company’s future.
Photo © Nargopolis
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