When an unexpected crisis emerges in the world of marketing, brands risk significant reputation harm. Task forces activate quickly to do damage control and restore trust. Enter the crisis management and communication teams. Aligning PR and paid media efforts is a powerful way to rebuild reputation and work to heal brand loyalty.
Gone are the days of releasing a well-crafted press release in hopes of the media picking it up – outreach must be intentional and targeted. Combining public-facing messaging with a strategic paid media distribution plan makes a much bigger impact. As anyone in PR or crisis management knows all too well, it’s critical to get the right message to the right people at the right time for a swift crisis recovery.
Surviving the Storm: Crisis Management
Regardless of the crisis, one thing’s for sure: ignoring the problem can leave businesses in vulnerable positions.
So what constitutes a crisis that needs management? Consider the following:
- Reputation Crisis: Can result from issues like social media backlash, negative publicity, or customer dissatisfaction going public
- Ethical or CSR Crisis: Failure to meet ethical or corporate social responsibility (CSR)
- Management Changes: Sudden CEO departures, leadership controversies, or succession struggles
- Product Recalls: Issues with product safety or defects can cause harm to a company’s reputation
- Cybersecurity Breaches: Data breaches, hacking, and cyberattacks can compromise reputation
Whether the crisis was caused by an internal error or an external element (looking at you, COVID-19), the way a brand responds is perhaps the most important factor – 88% of consumers report that authenticity is key when deciding what brands they support. People pay attention to how companies react to upheaval in the short- and long-term. It’s important for your PR and media partners to be agile, responding quickly to pivot a campaign and/or messaging.
The Interplay of PR and Paid Media
Think of PR and paid media as sisters, not twins. PR traditionally involves managing the spread of information between an individual or an organization and the public. Paid media complements these organic efforts with media plans that take data strategy, media consumption habits, market research, competitor behavior, and more into consideration.
When these two tactics join forces, the result is a consistent, coherent communication strategy that instills confidence into target audiences. Benefits include:
- Consistency in messaging: PR and paid media echo the same narrative during a crisis to avoid confusion and mistrust. An inconsistent message could exacerbate the crisis, leading to further damage.
- Immediate response: Paid media allows for immediate response while PR strategies are being developed. For example, to avoid communication gaps with the audience, media teams may place messaging on paid social media channels quickly while a press release is under review. 84% of business leaders agree that social data and insights positively impacts risk management.
- Damage control: Both strategies can work in tandem to control the narrative, keep the public informed, and manage perceptions.
Rebuild Trust with Paid Media and Public Relations
From crisis management to media relations, Marketing Doctor offers PR services to complement our paid media tactics for a holistic, impactful media strategy.
If you’re looking for a partner to share a compelling story or important information, we’re your team! To learn more, check out our website.
When an unexpected crisis emerges in the world of marketing, brands risk significant reputation harm. Task forces activate quickly to do damage control and restore trust. Enter the crisis management and communication teams. Aligning PR and paid media efforts is a powerful way to rebuild reputation and work to heal brand loyalty.
Gone are the days of releasing a well-crafted press release in hopes of the media picking it up – outreach must be intentional and targeted. Combining public-facing messaging with a strategic paid media distribution plan makes a much bigger impact. As anyone in PR or crisis management knows all too well, it’s critical to get the right message to the right people at the right time for a swift crisis recovery.
Surviving the Storm: Crisis Management
Regardless of the crisis, one thing’s for sure: ignoring the problem can leave businesses in vulnerable positions.
So what constitutes a crisis that needs management? Consider the following:
- Reputation Crisis: Can result from issues like social media backlash, negative publicity, or customer dissatisfaction going public
- Ethical or CSR Crisis: Failure to meet ethical or corporate social responsibility (CSR)
- Management Changes: Sudden CEO departures, leadership controversies, or succession struggles
- Product Recalls: Issues with product safety or defects can cause harm to a company’s reputation
- Cybersecurity Breaches: Data breaches, hacking, and cyberattacks can compromise reputation
Whether the crisis was caused by an internal error or an external element (looking at you, COVID-19), the way a brand responds is perhaps the most important factor – 88% of consumers report that authenticity is key when deciding what brands they support. People pay attention to how companies react to upheaval in the short- and long-term. It’s important for your PR and media partners to be agile, responding quickly to pivot a campaign and/or messaging.
The Interplay of PR and Paid Media
Think of PR and paid media as sisters, not twins. PR traditionally involves managing the spread of information between an individual or an organization and the public. Paid media complements these organic efforts with media plans that take data strategy, media consumption habits, market research, competitor behavior, and more into consideration.
When these two tactics join forces, the result is a consistent, coherent communication strategy that instills confidence into target audiences. Benefits include:
- Consistency in messaging: PR and paid media echo the same narrative during a crisis to avoid confusion and mistrust. An inconsistent message could exacerbate the crisis, leading to further damage.
- Immediate response: Paid media allows for immediate response while PR strategies are being developed. For example, to avoid communication gaps with the audience, media teams may place messaging on paid social media channels quickly while a press release is under review. 84% of business leaders agree that social data and insights positively impacts risk management.
- Damage control: Both strategies can work in tandem to control the narrative, keep the public informed, and manage perceptions.
Rebuild Trust with Paid Media and Public Relations
From crisis management to media relations, Marketing Doctor offers PR services to complement our paid media tactics for a holistic, impactful media strategy.
If you’re looking for a partner to share a compelling story or important information, we’re your team! To learn more, check out our website.
