The unprecedented outbreak of
the coronavirus disease of 2019 is
disrupting everything from travel
and tourism to large events and school
programs. It has also had a significant
impact on companies and their revenue
owing to lockdowns and border closures
paralyzing economic activity and resulting
in the laying off of millions of workers
globally. Indeed, to fight the pandemic
and minimize the impact of a catastrophic
economic downturn, Governments
globally are rolling out fiscal stimulus
measures that roughly equal 10% of the
world’s Gross Domestic product (GDP).
Although new infections and Covid-19-
related death rates are in decline in most
parts of the world, the pandemic’s future
course remains uncertain, as does the
economic and social consequences that
will follow.
Torn between saving lives and reviving the
economy, some governments are already
beginning to cautiously lift restrictions
to jumpstart their economies. But
recovery will largely depend on how well
public health and fiscal measures work
PUBLIC RELATIONS
Striking The Right Tone
In Crisis Communication
together to stem the spread of the virus,
minimizing reinfection risks, safeguarding
employment and restoring consumer
confidence, so that people start spending
again.
Two Important Themes
Beyond its effect on business and
operations, what lessons can coronavirus
teach companies and Governments about
how they share information and interact
with their key stakeholders, both today
and in the future? This is a vital question.
People will judge companies and their
respective political leaders on how they
handle the emergency for years to come.
Two important themes rise to the top:
the criticality of empathy and clear
communication.
Showing empathy during a crisis is
simply the right thing for companies
and Governments to do. Empathy is
key. Leaders must be respectful of the
situation. Many people are suffering, and
many businesses are, too. Meanwhile,
some brands are having huge surges of
demand. Whatever your situation, you
Communication in times of crisis and response
to an ever evolving situation calls
for a well-coordinated approach to messaging;
carefully mapping out the different
demographics as well as the best
channels to deliver the message without
losing its intended meaning.
By Irene Mbonge
must show that you care and back it up
with deeds. It is of no use to say you care
and then carry on as though its business as
usual. Demonstrate how you are helping
the people that could use a little helping
hand during the difficult times.
Think about the balance between
informing and entertaining. In the early
stages of the crisis, informative content
has been key. As we all self-isolate for
weeks and weeks, will the balance tip back
towards entertaining your audience? In
the same vein, it is important to review
the imagery you are using, too.
However, businesses and Governments
ought to make sure they’re going the
extra mile to anticipate customers’
circumstances, worries and questions.
“We truly care about our customers”
cannot stand as another platitude; it must
shine through in absolutely everything a
company does during this emergency.
For example, several major airlines - in
the United States - have decided to waive
cancellation or change fees, regardless of
when tickets were purchased. Airbnb has
also made an effort to reward hosts who
are more flexible or generous with refunds
during this time. Software companies
such as Microsoft, Zoom and Google have
offered free licenses to public schools and
education customers so classes can remain
connected.
By employing tactics such as these,
companies and Government agencies
are able to truly put themselves in the
customers’ shoes and make a tough time
easier. While, again, this is simply the
right thing to do, an ancillary effect will be
long-lasting loyalty and confidence. Who
forgets an organization or a leader that is
really there for them when they need them
the most?
Clear Communication Is
Critical
The pandemic has raised the stakes on the
importance of communicating effectively
with consumers as well as citizens. To
this end, it is vital and indeed critical for
leaders and organizations to engage in
proactive, clear, regular communication
that puts minds at ease.
This is uniquely true for official sources
of health information such as the
World Health Organization (WHO)
and the Centers for Disease Control
(CDC). Notably, recent research posits
that only 54% of readers of the WHO’s
documentation on coronavirus rated
the information as “easy to understand.”
Furthermore, only 58% reported that
they felt confident they understood the
symptoms of coronavirus.
Data pulled from the CDC showed similar
lack of clarity and comprehension. Only
52% of readers noted they were confident
they understood the information on what
coronavirus is, and just 54% said it was
easy to find information on how the virus
spreads.
Businesses and Governments
ought to
make sure they’re
going the extra mile
to anticipate customers’
circumstances,
worries and questions.
“We truly care
about our customers”
cannot stand as
another platitude; it
must shine through
in absolutely everything
a company
does during this
emergency.
The pandemic has raised the stakes on
the importance of communicating effectively
with consumers as well as citizens.
To this end, it is vital and indeed critical
for leaders and organizations to engage
in proactive, clear, regular communication
that puts minds at ease.
Since the WHO and CDC are considered
the go-to resources for details on
coronavirus and other serious public health
issues, those organizations might want to
take another look at how they’re presenting
information and make sure it meets the
standards that the current crisis demands.
This includes making information easy to
find and easy to comprehend - which is
extremely important in times of stress and
uncertainty.
Governments around the world have
stumbled in major ways in the face of
the Covid-19 crisis. ‘An absolute chaotic
disaster’ is how former US president
Barack Obama has described the
response to the Covid-19 pandemic by
the US government. He went further to
imply that similar situations are being
witnessed in other parts of the world as
well, and indeed they are. While there
are several underlying causes to this poor
response by global super powers - the
politics of nationalism being key among
those, well thought out messaging and
communication remains top in that list.
Communication in times of crisis and
response to an ever evolving situation
calls for a well-coordinated approach to
messaging; carefully mapping out the
different demographics as well as the best
channels to deliver the message without
losing its intended meaning.
However, this is a far cry from what has
been witnessed in many governments, and
while there are a lot of grey areas to the
whole crisis (such as saving economies
from total collapse versus prioritizing
the people’s safety), the chaotic nature
in which seemingly ‘mature democracies’
have handled the Covid-19 crisis will
go down in history books as just that; an
absolute mess - and one that in some cases
citizens have had to pay dearly - with
their lives.
But just how did it get so far and so bad?
From jumbled up messages followed
by hasty retractions; to half-truths and
blatant lies - it has indeed been a cocktail
of issues. And at the worst possible time.
The question therefore begs; Is it the era
of a total professional communication
collapse? Has the profession failed its
people or has it been failed by the people?
The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic
will serve as a defining moment for how
brands, organizations and Governments
interact with their customers and
constituents for a long time to come. It
is important for institutions to focus
as much as possible on engaging with
existing customers, and providing them
with helpful, empathetic service and
messages to build trust and loyalty. If this
is done well, existing clients will choose
to remain loyal and hopefully act as
advocates, sharing the positive experience
with others.
Now is not the time to be seen to be
aggressively pushing sales messages to
new customers and neither should an
institution be perceived as trying to exploit
the situation for selfish gain. Ultimately,
you want to be seen as a helpful, caring
part of your community. It is not only
time to step up communication efforts but
also an opportunity to ask some important
questions around their tone and content.
Irene Mbonge is a Communications
Expert and a current affairs enthusiast.
She is the interim Chair, CIPR-Kenya
chapter. You can commune with her
on this or related issues via mail at:
[email protected].
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