Is it a Crisis?

Every communications person has a personal view of what constitutes a crisis. In truth, most definitions are accurate when discussing extreme situations such as an active shooter incident or white collar crime resulting in your managing partner being led out in handcuffs. These types of incidents put your communication team into action by creating specialized messages, gathering other members of your response team, and implementing your crisis management plan to deal with fast-paced media relations activity with a PR Crisis.

A PR crisis is when an adverse event or bad review about your business gains traction in the public sphere. Most companies will face a public relations crisis at one time or another, and while there are various strategies you can implement to mitigate damage, once the information is out there and circulating, your business will have to roll with the punches and do its best to turn a wrong into a right.

Recognizing the many degrees of severity and activity levels is crucial when a matter presents itself. Is it time to go scorched earth or take it in stride and allow a situation to fizzle? When defining the spectrum from minor issue to crisis, it is vital to understand how a problem can become a crisis if left unattended or how jumping the gun and overreacting can be disastrous.

Labeling everything not so favorable situation as a “crisis” could be a disaster. Not every atypical problem must be addressed. When a response is required, localized issues require one level of response, and those that can devastate your business need another. You and your communications team can take steps to determine whether the problem is a one or a ten.

Every law firm bumps into the wall causing concern now and again. But not every speed bump has a lasting impact on the firm’s reputation or blocks your ability to service clients. Often, your issues will be uncomfortable and short-term challenges for your communications department. These situations can be unpleasant but do not require a scorched earth response from your capable crisis communications team.

Avoiding overreactions mitigates what could become a full-blown crisis of your own making. Understand that heavy-handed reactions often create a crisis or prolong it. Corrections, letters to the editor, and harsh statements to take something down might only draw additional attention, make you appear defensive, and give an impression that the law firm is being threatened.

So it is essential to ask yourself and your team these questions to help distinguish whether you are facing a problem or a crisis:

1. Can this issue be resolved with a conversation that sheds light on the matter in question? Can I end this quickly, or does this have longevity? Sometimes what is perceived as a crisis can be resolved with one-to-one communication before reaching a tipping point and going viral.
2. How far reaching will the implications be? Is this an issue that is limited to within the firm, or will this issue have implications for others outside the firm as well? Will this distract us from doing business for an extended period?
3. How will your partners, employees, and clients react to the news? Will they be impacted negatively, lose confidence in the firm, or take their business elsewhere? They may not tell you, there may just be a drop off in business.
4. Is there a genuine legal issue involved? This is very important and definitely should not be overlooked—if there is, you must do further due diligence or risk finding yourself in a full-blown crisis.
5. Have there been stories about us in the media that threaten to impede us for an extended period severely? Have you been in the news for X situation before and let it go unaddressed? Can you find examples of other firms in similar positions and see how the media treated that situation?
6. Do you need to call in your management team? Your firm’s general counsel? How many people need to be involved in resolving this situation?
7. What kind of initial statement needs to be prepared? Could you shut down media attention by issuing a statement addressing the problem, or would commenting on the matter exacerbate the media coverage.

While it is easier to discern a problem after the fact, leaving the situation to fester and then trying to resolve it, it is often too late. What is needed is the ability to see the latent problem before it becomes a full-blown crisis. Your communications team can get ahead of issues brewing if they regularly talk to a law firm and ask what issues might keep them up at night. If they have concerns, the communications team should keep an eye out for escalating issues.

Approach all matters with a critical eye. Take things a step further, and if you’ve identified a problem, research and find out if this sort of issue has come up before, how it was handled, and what level has been reached. Consider how long the issue would likely persist. If it’s more than a day or two—then you are in crisis potential. Who are the players involved? Analyze media and their narrative on this issue.

Once you have your information and provide a clear recommendation, strategy and tactics will follow smoothly.

Elizabeth Lampert is a Crisis and Media Communications Strategist. She can be reached at lampert@elizabethlampertpr.com.

Lara Cupit is a PR Professional who gets results. She can be reached at lara.cupit@gmail.com.