Crises happen when you least expect them. When faced with a business crisis, you may be unsure what to do next or how to mitigate damages. Crisis communication experts help businesses overcome these moments of uncertainty and move forward.
What is Crisis Communications?
Crisis Communication is the strategic communication management of a significant event that threatens an organization’s reputation or operations. It involves the development of a comprehensive plan to address the crisis, communicate key messages, and manage the flow of information.
Crises vary in severity, and this will always affect the communication plan. Some crisis communication plans require multiple steps to alleviate the effects of a natural disaster or manage a business’s reputation amid negative rumors.
Role of a Crisis Communication Expert
The role of a crisis communication expert is to maintain the reputation of a business through a crisis situation. The crisis communication expert will lead any key messaging for your organization to build trust with your audience and manage momentum after the crisis.
Hiring a crisis communication expert can bring a new perspective to your organization, allowing you to see your crisis from all angles. This avoids any biases and keeps your team aligned on the bottom line.
R Take on Celebrity Crisis Communications
Recently, our founder, Emily Reynolds Bergh, was featured in a Newsweek article discussing the controversy surrounding Chris Hemsworth’s feature of creator, MrBeast, on his YouTube channel.
The controversy started with a video posted by Hemsworth titled, “I Put MrBeast To The Test In The Gym,” in which he and MrBeast worked out with friends to see who could burn the most calories in 30 minutes.
This video led viewers to voice their concerns in the comments. The YouTuber holds the record for the highest number of subscribers on the platform, with a staggering 317 million subscribers as of late September. Although his content is viewed as rather charitable, he has recently been accused of staging his content and hiring a registered sex offender to work with his team. Videos of him using racial and homophobic slurs have also resurfaced amid these accusations.
So, where does this leave Hemsworth? Many PR experts (our team included) have weighed in on the issue, agreeing that this YouTube video may leave many questioning Hemsworth’s decision. Still, it won’t likely cause irreparable damage to his reputation.
Our years of experience with crisis communications have taught us how to mediate these types of crisis situations. As for the controversy over Hemsworth’s video, we believe that he simply posted the video too soon; much of the crisis could have been mitigated with different timing.
Mr.Beast Controversy and R Founder, Emily Bergh’s Statement
“The dust has not settled,” Bergh told Newsweek. “The MrBeast controversy is still too new… You need people to know you’re sorry. Remain quiet and demonstrate that you’re not trying to deflect.” Bergh continued, “People need to know he actually is looking at himself, his past associations, and actions—not just saying he is.”
Recommended Steps for Managing a Crisis
We always recommend implementing the following steps when encountering a crisis situation: stop, apologize, acknowledge what you did and what you can do better, and then make a plan and stick to it. People can see when an apology is fluff, so be authentic when acknowledging your mistake and dedicate time to reflect. These steps help reestablish trust with your key public audiences and avoid contradictory actions.
Whether you’re a celebrity, international business, or anything in between, it’s vital to consider how decisions affect your public image. You can apply these steps to any similar situation, no matter what kind of business you are.
If you encounter a crisis, seriously consider if hiring a crisis communication expert is right for you. In most cases, a crisis communications expert will help your business bounce back from a crisis by providing positive messaging guidance and keeping you on track.