We are living in a complex time, where one false move as an organization can result in being targeted by various groups online. The reason why so many organizations tend to put their foot in the fire is because they failed to realize their corporate social responsibility. Either they didn’t realize how their policies and products would impact society, or they just didn’t measure their impact correctly. For instance, being cautious and using software that can estimate and analyze the Product Environmental Footprint is essential in today's business landscape. By implementing such software, organizations can gain valuable insights into the environmental impact of their products and policies, allowing them to make informed decisions that align with their corporate social responsibility goals.
In a situation where the business fails to account for such factors, reputation management plays a key role in pulling your brand out of the well and drying you off. Don’t fall for the false hope of quick solutions; instead, prioritize making CSR a fundamental part of your business strategy, among other considerations.
The best offense
Technology companies in particular are under immense scrutiny. Lots of people want to know how their data is being gathered, used and what if any impact it will have on them. This is why working with top-tier tech PR firms that know how to approach the best offense a company has, is vital. This particular tech PR firm focuses on CSR. your corporate social responsibility is not and should never be an afterthought. It should be your main offensive tool to charm local customers as well as around the world. You can give back to the local community by holding events that support them or donate to charities that do this.
Crucially your policies matter the most. These will be things such as limiting the waste your organization produces and helping communities that have been or are being exploited by bad working conditions. For example, take a look at Adidas and its commitment to cease using virgin polyesters by 2024. It is already using its own unique recycled plastic material called Prime Blue. This kind of CSR policy is incredibly powerful and shows you are serious.
Plan for a crisis
Business resilience is a major topic of discussion and with good reason. It's what is needed in these times as the virus is still causing issues around the world. If you would like to build a great plan you should merge your BCP and DRP. A business continuity plan helps you to understand a few things.
What are your core processes? These are things that you need to perform in order to produce products and services.
What are your key dependencies? What are the things that allow you to perform? In other words, you might manufacture steel products, so the manufacturing process is a core process. However, getting the steel from your supplier is a key dependency. Can you have a list of multiple suppliers should your main supplier no longer be available?
If something goes wrong with your employees, i.e. someone is hurt or killed, what kind of plan do you have in place to protect your brand and help those affected? This would mean good media relations or an online reputation management agency, a team that reaches out to the family of the loved one and things such as healthcare plans.
24-hour information
In the first 24-hours of a crisis, you will need to lead the narrative. In this short window, lies your fate. Bad news spreads like wildfire, so you need to be on top of the information dispensing. For example, there is a fire at your warehouse. False rumors fly around that an employee has died. All members of the warehouse are accounted for and managers provide evidence to you. The media will pick this up and demand answers. You have to have a professional spokesperson that will share accurate information from the warehouse and managers, not allowing the media to spin the scenario and run the narrative.
It's a good idea to have a media team ready in your PR department. They should be trained on the tone they want, the wording choices and the way they interact with the media. On the other hand, you may want to receive PR training on how to handle a crisis in the media. You’ll be trained on performing interviews, giving clear and concise answers to complex questions and being shown how to deal with aggressive media hosts who want to trip you up.
Reputation management is needed nowadays, whether an organization is following the social rules or not. Your business must be prepared to defend it's brand in front of the world and not allow yourself to be shaped and molded to fit a narrative. Invest in a crisis plan to cover all holes.