What to do when you’re getting bad publicity.
Chicken Republic, some weeks ago, trended for the very wrong reason.
It was a case of what I ordered versus what I got.
A tweep expressed his displeasure at what he got from Chicken Republic, and it spiraled out of proportion.
Like every bad publicity, they got mocked and battered, many insinuating they were en route to bankruptcy.
Despite all their effort to do damage control during the crisis, no one was willing to listen to them.
But yesterday, they trended again. This time around, for the right reason.
In a video, a mammoth crowd was spotted in one of their branches in Surulere, Lagos, getting free meals.
This Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative pushes them up the trend table, with people singing their praises.
When you or your brand is getting bad publicity, do the following:
👉 Don’t panic.
👉 Access the situation and look for the cause.
👉 If it results from a misunderstanding, try to clear the air.
👉 If clearing the air isn’t working, don’t try forcing people to come to terms with you.
👉 Think of a countermeasure to shift people away from the bad publicity.
After saving yourself from the mess, ensure you never commit a blunder that will make people uncover the previous deeds.
What other ways can brands redeem themselves from bad publicity?
#brands #publicrelations #publicity
