The crisis: JetBlue’s operations collapsed after an ice storm hit the East Coast of the US, leading to 1,000 cancelled flights in just five days.
The company’s response: CEO David Neeleman never blamed the weather. He wrote a public letter of apology to JetBlue customers, introduced a customer’s bill of rights, and presented a detailed list – which included monetary compensation – of what the company would do to help all the affected passengers.
The result: JetBlue managed to quash much of the uproar by being as public and straightforward as possible. Neeleman went on YouTube, the Today Show, Letterman, and Anderson Cooper, not pleading his case, but apologising for his company’s faults. Though there was much reputational damage done, JetBlue’s comeback allowed it to regain some of its luster. For an airline that differentiates itself so heavily on customer service, it was crucial that they did. Taco Bell’s ‘seasoned beef’ meat filling lawsuit (2011)
The crisis: Yum! Brands, Taco Bell’s parent company, was sued over the contents of its taco meat filling. The lawsuit alleged that the company’s ‘seasoned beef’ contained only 35% beef, and that Taco Bell was lying in its advertising.
The company’s response: Taco Bell explicitly declared the claims false, and shared with the public its percentages (88% beef, 12% secret recipe), along with the ingredients in the secret recipe itself. The company quickly fired up a multi-platform PR campaign to shoot down the allegations and get the word out about its “not-so-secret” recipe. It included traditional local market newspaper ads, but focused on online marketing with a YouTube channel, Facebook page, and more.
The result: Taco Bell’s existing consumer base responded overwhelming well to the campaign. The social media platforms shined, with the vast majority of commenters supporting the company’s stance. Less than four months later, the lawsuit was dropped, and Taco Bell had completely averted a potential PR disaster.
Johnson & Johnson’s cyanide-laced Tylenol capsules (1982)
The crisis: Seven people died after taking extra-strength Tylenol capsules that had been laced with potassium cyanide, a deadly poison.
The company’s response: The company put customer safety first. It quickly pulled 31 million bottles of Tylenol – $100 million worth – off the shelves and stopped all production and advertising of the product. It also got involved with the Chicago Police, FBI, and FDA in the search for the culprit, and offered up a $100,000 reward. Post-crisis, the company reintroduced Tylenol with new tamper-resistant packaging and $2.50-off coupons.
The result: A go-to case study in MBA classes worldwide, Tylenol’s response to the tragic 1982 crisis is regarded as one of the most successful sequences of crisis management in history. The media appreciated the lengths the company went to and its concern for the public interest, so the company was portrayed generally in a good light, helping the Tylenol brand to recover.
Ideally every funeral home should have a comprehensive public relations and communications plan that will be enacted in the event of a crisis. In developing these plans, it would be helpful to prepare scenarios of possible disastrous events to allow management and staff to determine how to deal with them before they eventuate. The reality is that most funeral homes will not have such a plan in place and therefore we offer some insight into the 6 steps to take to manage a crisis situation.
Define the extent of the crisis
Take time to identify what has happened and why is has happened.
Try to understand how widespread the backlash will be. Local, regional or national.
How have other businesses responded in similar situations? Could you use a similar strategy?
Establish a unified response
Do not distance yourself from the issue. Own the problem and be upfront if you have made a mistake.
Develop and maintain a unified position and supporting messages and keep the messages simple, clear and consistent.
Be sincere when making apologies; empathy goes a long way in crisis management.
Designate one person as the company spokesperson for media and public contact. This can be the business owner/manager or a specialist consultant.
Staff should be made aware that they are to refer all incoming contact to the dedicated spokesperson.
Act promptly
Cooperate with media. Target communications to those affected by the crisis and those who can effect action (staff, stakeholders, government officials, media etc).
Immediately make a simple statement indicating awareness of the situation, action being taken and willingness to inform media and public of details when they are known.
Openly and honestly provide as much detail as possible.
If appropriate, arrange for a news conference for the designated spokesperson as soon as facts are known.
Offer help to those suffering where possible.
Use facts to quash rumours.
Keep stakeholders informed of developments (staff, funeral associations, media etc)
Establish media response policy
Schedule briefings to relay data, correct misconceptions and maintain positive media relations.
Do not stonewall or deny that there is a crisis.
Treat all media equally; no ‘exclusives’.
Stick to the facts.
Keep details well documented
Keep records of all replies (for example: media outlet, reporter name, date, time, respondent, summary of response, follow up requests etc).
Conduct a post-crisis review
Look to learn from the crisis. Get together with your team and breakdown the events to fully understand the how’s and why’s of the situation. Use this time to put policies and procedures in place to mitigate the likelihood of the issue reoccurring.
It is not always possible to avoid a crisis occurring, however if a situation eventuates, then the key to a good public relations strategy is to take responsibility of the issue; be sincere in your concern; and be available to speak with the media and public throughout the ordeal.
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