Social Media Frenzy: Should Companies Keep Quiet in the Wake of Crises?

Crisis communication has always been a tricky thing to tackle in the PR world. When a tragedy strikes, companies must be careful about what they post on social media. If they don’t acknowledge the crisis, many people will perceive them as being insensitive. However, if they do post about the crisis it could be misconstrued as if they are jockeying for engagement during the crisis. 

Then there are some companies who go too far and turn crisis situations into marketing opportunities. For example, in the middle of Hurricane Sandy, American Apparel sent an email to customers that offered “20 percent off everything for the next 36 hours.” They also added to this email, “in case you’re bored during the storm.” They titled this sale the "Hurricane Sandy Sale" and have gotten a lot of heat on social media sites. 

Obviously, companies are in a tricky situation. They must find the correct balance of social media interaction. There is a fine line between being acknowledging a crisis and exploitation. In this type of situation, companies must be aware of their social media presence and the affect that it has on their customers. Everyone is a consumer, not just of products, but of information as well. In a society where social media seems to be taking over, companies must try to be a bit more sensitive with what they are posting. Eventually, the crisis will be averted and life will go on, but until then, we must all exercise sensitivity during crisis situations and remember the effect it has on everyone.

This guest blog post was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Virginia Laskowski

The Knot’s Smart Use of Sandy

Hurricane Sandy wrecked havoc and put life on hold for millions of residents on the East Coast this past week, destroying homes, flooding cities and causing millions to lose power. As I was sitting at work discussing the disaster and its repercussions with a fellow co-worker she mentioned something that really struck a chord; Sandy had completely destroyed her friend’s wedding venue. That made me think – there must have been thousands and thousands of fall weddings cancelled, venues ruined and churches flooded all due to Sandy’s destruction.

As I was on Twitter, I came across an article discussing how the most-trafficked wedding website called The Knot helped to salvage over 2,000 weddings disrupted by Sandy. The online company estimates nearly 2,300 brides-to-be had to put a halt to their wedding plans this week due to the inclement weather. 

The Knot created a Facebook page as an online forum to connect brides with venues and vendors to reschedule this week’s weddings and to keep the more than 4,000 November ceremonies intact.

“Helping Brides in the Wake of Hurricane Sandy” is the name of the Facebook page where East Coast couples can share tips, find available venues and talk to local experts. Helping couples “tie the knot” as scheduled is the main goal for The Knot.

From Nov. 1 to Nov. 25, vendors are asked to list their businesses, addresses, availability and contact information. Many venues in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut lost power and sustained damage from flood waters, forcing brides to make major adjustments.
This is a great example of taking a current event and using it to your company’s advantage. The Knot saw its opportunity and clearly took it. I believe this is a great lesson in marketing as well as public relations.

Can you think of other companies like The Knot that could benefit from a natural disaster like Hurricane Sandy? Let us know!

Seeing the World Through Sandy Colored Glasses

If you have ever taken a public relations class, you know that weather trumps any aspect of newsworthiness. If you are sending out a pitch to the local paper about your company's new website this week, think again. Sandy has officially taken over.

Rumors have taken over the news, when is Sandy coming? Where? For how long? Grocery stores have been rampaged and raided and people are preparing to hibernate, potentially without electricity, until mid-week.

However, for companies that sometimes depend on the weather (e.g. power companies, hospitals, schools, etc.), bad weather can provide an opportunity to spread awareness. Con Edison, for example, was recently awarded with PR Daily's Best Use of Social Media in a Crisis distinction. Last summer, during Hurricane Irene, Con Edison was in a bind. The company, which provides service to over 9.2 million people, had to restore power to its customers in a timely manner which required interacting with its many customers. To do so, Con Edison took to Twitter. By providing consistent updates, responding to rumors and issues and remaining engaged, Con Edison set a great example for similar organizations worldwide.

Have you seen a company that has set the bar for disaster/crisis response? Let us know below!