7 timeless tactics to mitigate PR crisis damage

What’s the cost of a PR crisis?

In a word, incalculable. And it takes only a few moments for everything to unravel.

Today, the outrage machine is always ready to get cranking, and the social media mob is more than willing to pile on—even before all the facts are known.

Unfortunately, there’s no way to truly “crisis-proof” a corporation or brand, but there are seven steps you can take to protect your reputation and mitigate fallout.

1. Crisis-proof your business first.

According to the Reputation Institute, most crises are “simmering” rather than sudden. Firestorms are more likely to arise from a pattern of misbehavior rather than an isolated incident.

One way an organization can protect itself is by empowering and educating its employees to defuse situations quickly. This is particularly important for retailers, restaurants and airlines—and other companies with large, decentralized workforces that may experience high turnover. Those types of businesses are vulnerable to local situations that quickly spiral out of control.