Choosing your moments well
Sadly, it’s a PR call we get too often. Something bad has happened—a school shooting, the death of a colleague, a major incident or tragedy—and our clients want to know how to respond. Very often, folks wish to put out a statement, or post their viewpoints on social media. And equally often, our advice is to wait.
Here’s why.
In the first hours—even days—after a tragedy, things can be pretty confusing. Everyone’s posting and sharing online, making it hard to cut through the noise. Facts often are difficult to pin down at first, and the last thing any individual or organization wishes to do is erode its credibility by spreading misinformation.
That is why we always begin by asking our clients a very simple question: who is waiting to hear from you on this? Are there constituencies that are looking for your response before they make a decision? If the answer is no, then it’s probably best to hold off until more is known.
After the dust settles a bit, here are some questions to ask yourself when deciding when/if to go public with your thoughts:
Will it add value to the discussion? If your voice isn’t going to move the needle in a unique, strategic way that is on-brand for your organization and brings compelling new ideas to the conversation, it’s probably best to hold off. In the words of one of my trusty Resch colleagues, if your message is “thoughts and prayers,” then it’s time to think and pray, not post about it online.
Will it make you look opportunistic? This is a tricky area. Imagine you’re CEO of the LiteFlite parachute company, and a massive plane crash kills 420 people. Now would not be the time to say, “If only they had LiteFlite parachutes on board, this tragedy could have been averted.” In the world of public affairs and state/federal appropriations, these types of arguments often are made, albeit in a less obvious way. Don’t fall into the trap of leveraging tragedy, even inadvertently.
Is this something you are willing to do consistently? If you decide to do a Facebook post about or in reaction to a certain incident, you are setting a precedent. This means that every time this incident may happen in the future, you are posting about it. If you’re up for that, great—but if not, think carefully.
Individuals and organizations that speak less often tend to be taken more seriously when they do. That is why we urge our clients to choose their moments well.
When in doubt—give us a call. We’ll help you think it through, no matter what happens.