Crisis Communications: The New New You

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Retooling Your Brand
The Republican Party is in a world of hurt. After its 2008 loss, the party is trying to return to normal. It’s really a new normal. And according to Public Relations, a Values-Driven Approach, it is also the fourth – and final – stage of a crisis. It is when companies, personalities and organizations reinvent themselves.

Nix the Negatives
My sense is that the Republican Party hasn’t yet figured out what their new normal will be, but Republican candidates who focus more on their own beliefs and less on party affiliation will probably fare better than those who tow the party line. Advertising CEO Walt Klein advises: When your brand is broken, stay away from names and titles and instead focus on positive associations.

Take Your New Plan Public
But the media can have a one-track mind. Remember the 1999 Columbine shootings? For a long while after those shootings, it was nearly impossible for the school to receive any coverage that was not, somehow, tied to the shootings. The incident dominated the media’s impression. To break away from that, go directly to your public: write letters to the editor, craft an image campaign, or do something completely fresh and new.

In 1994, the Republican Party launched its Contract with America. It was their comeback plan, after losing the White House in 1992. In the Contract, Republicans admitted they had let down their public. They also outlined how they would do things differently if elected. It resulted in the Party winning back the House for the first time in 40 years.

Tip: Everybody, especially the media, likes a comeback. When faced with a crisis: come clean about the facts, deal with the issue and don’t prolong negative publicity. When cleaning up the mess, take notes on what went wrong and come up with a new crisis communications plan … so you can do it better next time.