Crisis!

A lot has been written about Edelman’s handling of the Wal-Mart crisis. Since my last post focused on authenticity, I will skip repeating that they did not maintain authenticity, the most important attribute of communication today. For that, for shame.

However, I believe that how companies should handle crises has fundamentally changed as niche media gains power. The old way of handling crisis was to restrict the flow of information through a single spokesperson with a consistent set of messages. Toe the line. React as necessary. Now, that information speeds more quickly, communities foster word-of-mouth more closely, it is actually better to arm multiple spokespeople who have credibility and authenticity within each of the niche communities most affected in the crisis, and have them individually address the community. Customer to customer. Employee to employee. CEO to investors. And on down the line. Then, draw out threads in one community to show to the other by linking and sharing.

As a veteran of the Enron crisis, I wish I had known then, what I know now.