Building trust between PR and top executives
Everyone makes mistakes, even CEOs. If you read the headlines, it’ll be apparent that top executives tend to make mistakes a lot. Even the best leaders can slip up. From unfortunate remarks to blurting out inaccurate information, there are many ways in which top executives have become headlines. This is when PR has to step in to fix the problem and mitigate the impact. If you prepare ahead and build trust between PR and executives, these problems become easier to handle.
Just looking at the past few years, you’ll notice that executives from companies like Uber, Amazon and Papa John’s have had a negative impact on their business, with off-putting comments and not-so-great decisions. As a result, PR teams have had to quickly mobilize and go into crisis mode.
PR teams need to be ready for situations in which an executive has created an unfavorable and unexpected situation for the business. This means not just being reactive, but having CEOs that are prepared for such circumstances. CEOs need to be prepared and trained for crisis situations.
While an executive might lean towards hiding a crisis or a bad situation, PR professionals should push for honesty and addressing the issue. Don’t hide or wait.
Thus, it is extremely important for executives to be on board with the PR train from day one. This mainly means two things. First of all, the CEO should be aware of his or her position as the default brand spokesperson and should be trained to take on this role effectively. Secondly, there needs to be ample trust between the CEO and PR. While everyone can make mistakes, not everyone is capable of owning up to it and claiming accountability. Make sure your executive knows you are here to fix mishaps and that working together is the best way forward.
Just remember, this trust can’t be built immediately when a crisis arises. It needs to be an ongoing process of working together and listening to each other from the get go. CEOs and executives should be working together from day one on building a strong brand. They should also work together when it comes to formulating a crisis management plan, so both are on the same page when things do go sour.
Ronn Torossian is the CEO and Founder of 5W Public Relations (5WPR).
