Crisis Communications: Protecting Your Brand

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A Public Relations Nightmare

Politics aside, Sarah Palin is a public relations nightmare.

Her recent decision to resign as Alaska's governor stunned the political world. She claims she does not want to become a lame-duck governor and waste the state's money on defending against accusations of ethical wrongdoing. But no one is buying it. And now the media are speculating the “real reasons” behind the resignation.

Deal with the issue head-on so the media can move on.
Online Marketer Joanna Orcutt says to manage your reputation, you need to address your audience. When racism became an unavoidable issue in Barack Obama’s campaign, he interrupted his campaign schedule to deliver a speech on the matter. It is considered one of his best moments.

Change the Story
If you can’t let the crisis blow over, Branding Expert Nevil Darukhanawala says, “The best way to beat negative publicity is to increase positive publicity.” When you don’t like the story, change it. Reporters call this “feeding the beast.” Give the media something else to chew on and they might stop eating you alive.

Take the High Road
When David Letterman recently joked about Palin's daughter getting “knocked up” at a Yankee’s game, Palin should have stayed cool. I’m not saying she should not have responded. I am saying she should not have dragged out the issue.

She should not have justified Letterman’s crack with an on-camera comeback. Next time: issue a written statement and be done with it. Letterman is late night comedy. Let it go or let political surrogates fight this one. Don’t tarnish your brand by getting bogged down in bad PR.

Tip: When you need to release information that could damage your brand, try the approach politicians use … release the information on a Friday afternoon, when most people aren’t paying attention. Yes, the story might get a lot of play over the weekend (when news is slow), but it could be old news by Monday (when people start tuning in again). Sneaky, I know.