Mistakes are an inevitability in business
Accidents happen. Maybe you spill your coffee on the way to work (I’m going to get a lid today, I swear), step on the dog’s tail, or rear-end Jack Nicholson at a stop sign (reaaaar’s Johnny).
The consequences of all of the above vary in degree of severity, but one theme is consistent: the actions – and their repercussions – are on you, the perpetrator. In a workplace environment, this dynamic is radically different.
Maybe today, instead of staining your brown khakis with slightly browner coffee, you tell an off-color joke by the water cooler. Your colleague finds it entertaining, and posts it on Twitter. Unbeknownst to the both of you, your joke has just become a PR case, and while the original poster (and, to some extent, you) will have to own the content itself, the true fallout in this case comes to rest on the shoulders of the company that you represent.
Handling any sized public relations nightmare
This scenario is a PR nightmare. Luckily, the Crisis Communications Playbook has your back. PressFriendly specializes in startup PR, citing crisis management as one of startups’ generally weakest links.
The site offers examples of common (or not-so-common) workplace goofs, from the jovial “made a joke about dongles” to the less hilarious “stored passwords in plain text”; it then asks, on a scale of “not sorry” to “very sorry”, how apologetic you are. Finally, based on your feedback, the site generates a series of pre-written tweets as guidelines for how to react to the public (or as shameless plagiarism material, depending on your ethics).
Think of crisis management as insurance
There are a few different levels of service provided by PressFriendly. Their entry-level, basic plan (starting at $149/month) includes their automated media lists mentioned previously, as well as press CRM and an online editorial calendar, and a monthly consultation with a PR pro. The next level up runs $449/month, but comes with an additional myriad of services, such as custom media lists, PR plans, and training sessions, as well as a bi-weekly meeting with aforementioned PR pro. Finally, the “pro” level runs a whopping $999/month, but showcases a weekly consultation, as well as tons of opportunities, social media applications, and support. There are also discounted annual plans.
Think of PressFriendly’s services as insurance: you don’t want the thing for which you’re paying for protection to happen, but if it does, you want to be covered entirely and without a doubt. With that in mind, the Crisis Communications Playbook is an incredibly strong contender in an ever-growing market of PR-related guides and self-help. Though pricey, its easy-to-use interface, scenario support, and wide variety of tools to help prevent further situations from occurring make it worth the cost.
Note from the Editor: it remains our firm belief that companies should budget for a full time public relations team member, or at least keep a consultant on retainer, as the experts can do your business a tremendous service. The above option truly is for brands on a budget.
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