The way a crisis is handled, can often make or break a brand. A crisis is a very delicate situation, and the factor of time is very important in its management. Let’s discuss why brands should not neglect the factor of time when it comes to crisis management.
Firstly, let us discuss what exactly is a crisis. In simple words, crises can be defined as “unexpected events that threaten a brand’s perceived ability to deliver expected benefits, thereby weakening brand equity.”So any unexpected and unplanned event that might cause damage to the reputation of the brand and can cause a temporary hindrance in the daily operations, is a crisis for a brand. The management of such crises comes under the process of crisis management. In simple words, crisis management can be defined as the process of identifying any threat that might be considered as a crisis for the organization, and managing to effectively respond to it. This means answering and taking care of the impact of the crisis on various stakeholders of the brand. When it comes to crisis management, time is an important factor. Let us discuss why:
Can be a sign of poor management
When a brand is hit by a crisis, one of the things that can make the situation worse for brands is the way that they are seen by their stakeholders. A timely response by the brand will make the stakeholders see them as responsible. Whereas if the response is not given timely, the stakeholders might see this as a sign of mismanagement of the crisis. It might make them see the brand as irresponsible, infact. A timely response here does not mean that the brand needs to fully solve the crisis at hand. Instead, it means providing regular updates about what is going on to all possible stakeholders.
Stakeholders are one of the priorities
Even in a situation like that of a crisis, the stakeholders are one of the priorities for the brand. The way the crisis is handled, and the way the brand takes care of the stakeholders in such times can really alter the way they feel about the brand. If a timely response isn’t made to the various different stakeholders of the company, they might end up thinking that you do not care about them. Especially if the crisis can directly impact any of the group of stakeholders of the brand, the brand needs to provide a timely response to the stakeholders. This will not only preserve the reputation of the brand in the eyes of the stakeholders, but can also decrease any tension and panic in their minds, about the crisis.
Better image in the media
The way the crisis is covered by the media can really alter the way the audience sees the brand. There are various things that the brand and their PR team can do to ensure that the coverage is positive. One of these things is again, giving a timely response to all the stakeholders. Even if there is no development in resolving the crisis, keeping the audience and the media updated about what the brand is upto and what they are doing to look into the issue is important. Being the best PR agency in Delhi, we understand the importance of timely responding, when it comes to crisis management for our clients.
Media can help out
One of the important things that media can do for a brand, when it comes to a crisis is analyze the situation at hand and come up with any possible solutions for them. But this would not be possible if the brand does not provide regular and timely updates about the crisis to the media. Often the solutions and analysis done by the media when a brand is stuck by a crisis can help them manage the crisis better. But in this situation too, timely response and updates are important.
Better image, regardless of the outcome
Any brand can be hit by a crisis at any point. Crises often arrive without any warning or signs. This can also mean that the brand did not plan for the crisis at all. Even if this is the case, how a crisis is managed can really alter the way the people see the brand. Even if in any way, the brand fails to fully solve the crisis and some level of damage is done, if the brand is honest with the stakeholders, and was giving regular and timely updates, it can still manage to emerge with a good image.
