The Empathy Balance: Promotion in a Time of Crisis

As
Hurricane Gustav churned in the Gulf of Mexico,
public relations professionals across the country bantered about angles to
pitch the press to generate high-value editorial coverage for their respective
companies or clients.

At
Strategic Communications Group (Strategic), we moved quickly on behalf of
GovDelivery, a provider of Email and digital subscription management services
to government agencies. Our client had a
clear tie-in to Gustav because the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
relies on GovDelivery to send Email of emergency plans to Gulf Coast
residents.

Strategic’s
efforts produced the desired result as respected trade journal Government
Computer News published an article (http://www.gcn.com/online/vol1_no1/47058-1.html)
that discussed how FEMA was using cutting-edge technology to inform the public.

A natural
disaster can sure gin up public relations opportunities. The timeliness of the event enhances the news
value of a product or service that can help address the crisis. This window closes quickly, so it is prudent
for a company to evaluate how it can appropriately promote its interests when
it is most opportune.

Consider
the lightning sparked wild fires that plagued California this past summer. Providers of rugged tactical radios and
related computer products showcased how their solutions helped first responders
tackle the flames. The devastation
wrought by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 was a catalyst for a number of stories
about the reliability of satellite communications. Even a really big storm can’t knock a
satellite out of the sky, or so our specific pitch to the media went.

Admittedly,
there is a balance that must be struck by any company seeking to leverage the
timeliness created by a natural (or man-made) disaster to promote its
offerings. Step across this delicate
boundary and the promoter can be perceived as too opportunistic or even
cold-hearted.

Here are a
couple of best practices that can be employed to ensure promotion during a time
of crisis is handled professionally:

Make
sure the tie to your product or service is credible.
In the case of Hurricane Gustav and GovDelivery, FEMA implemented the
technology to serve the public good.
This was a point we stressed in our media outreach and the resulting
story appropriately positioned all parties involved as being responsive to the
information needs of Gulf
Coast residents.

Start with
the trade media. In many instances, they are open to
angles that will give them an opportunity to report about a big story in a way
that is consistent with the editorial mission of their publication. For instance, after the September 11th
terrorist attacks a number of technology journals wrote about how video
conferencing allowed companies to continue to conduct global business.

Monitor
media coverage to understand a publication’s approach. A PR practitioner’s failure to read the publication is perhaps
the most often cited criticism by journalists.
This is especially important during a time of crisis when an off-target
pitch comes off as callous, in addition to unprofessional.

Be
sensitive. If a particular pitch or angle feels too
opportunistic, than go with your gut and hold off. Yes…your job is to promote a product or
service, yet it’s also to demonstrate compassion and caring.

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Marc
Hausman is president and CEO of Strategic Communications Group, Inc., a public
relations consultancy based in Silver
Spring, Maryland. Read the “Strategic Guy” blog at http://www.strategicguy.blogspot.com.