Is a media crisis also an opportunity?

Throughout the years I have seen my fair share of media crises, particularly in the tourism industry.

In 2009 I was in charge of Canadian media for the Mexico Tourism Board at Tianguis, an international tourist trade show in Acapulco. Mexico was already dealing with reports of violence, plus the tour operator Conquest had just ceased operations, stranding thousands of tourists in destination.

Tianguis started on Sunday and then the unthinkable happened: an earthquake hit on Monday. The situation became the “perfect storm” of a media crisis on Tuesday when the H1N1 flu developed in Mexico City. I have never experienced another situation dealing with four different crises at once, and I hope I never will again. The experience taught me to put challenging situations in context and develop a calm mindset for those extremely stressful times.

Remarkably, a valuable opportunity presented itself to the Mexico Tourism Board. The massive hype provided direct access to international travel media on-site. The appropriate response would have been to deliver immediate, properly positioned messages through the appropriate spokesperson. Unfortunately, the opposite happened. No direct response from the tourism officials also created a lack of communication with key commercial partners directly affected, such as airlines and tour operators. A valuable opportunity was lost because of lack of damage control.

 

On a positive note, leadership was taken by Mexico’s federal government. Their response to the health crisis was fast, direct, and effective. The pandemic measures put in place were praised by the World Health Organization and set the bar for the rest of world when dealing with a health crisis.

A crisis comes in all shapes from a hurricane destroying a beach paradise, a tourist being harmed in destination, confidential memos leaked to the press, a virus outbreak at a meat packing facility, sex scandals, a damaging video going viral or international diplomatic issues.

Consider that not all crises, especially isolated incidents, have an immediate economical impact on your client’s business. A media crisis, just like hard times in our personal life, can certainly help build a company’s character. This might be an opportunity to strengthen crucial relationships.

Preparing a crisis management plan is as important as proactively pitching positive stories to the media. We all know that crises are inevitable. The best you can do is to be prepared.

A media crisis allows the well prepared professional to shine as a respected leader in their field:

1. Stay in contact with key partners. Perhaps they are also affected by the same crisis.
2. Deliver as much information as possible in a confidential manner. This demonstrates you care about their business.
3. Take control of the situation. It’s always better to hear the facts straight from the horse’s mouth. Use this same approach for internal communications and be proactive with your team.

Yes, a crisis can also be an opportunity as long as you are willing to learn. Document, analyze and be better prepared for the next time. This is one of those “If not now, when?” moments.

About Entry:
I contributed with this article to my friend's Laura Tetzfal site a while a go but I thought it was worth sharing it.