Crisis Communications Lessons From the Campaign Trail

From our colleague, Caitlin Rourk:

The 2016 presidential election has been nothing short of a spectacle, turning traditional political conventions (no pun intended) squarely on their head. And just as this election has forced the political establishment to alter its strategies, business organizations must reevaluate how to approach the unpredictable and unforgiving crises they face in today’s new media landscape.

Presidential politics is perhaps the ultimate model of a constant, high-stakes crisis and thus serves as an excellent case study. Candidates are scrutinized every second of every day, much the same way organizations are scrutinized during a crisis. The mainstream media, bloggers, and even citizen journalists write thousands of stories an hour, which are then shared across social media, proliferating so rapidly that it is nearly impossible to get ahead of bad news, or more frustratingly, misinformation.

By adopting tools and techniques common on the campaign trail, organizations stand a greater chance of ensuring their teams are ready when a crisis strikes.

Polling

While the basics of polling are a science, the heart of polling is really more of an art form. It can be a highly effective tool for organizations to inform strategy, guide messaging, and validate—or disprove—a team’s premonitions. If conducted the right way during a crisis, when clarity is in short supply, a poll can act as a barometer to measure reality.

When a crisis might be brewing—or an organization senses the proverbial “smoke”—polling can gauge public sentiment to determine whether there is indeed a “fire.” Is it really a looming threat, or is it less consequential than initially perceived? For example, your industry is facing tremendous backlash over labor violations. While your organization hasn’t come under fire directly, many of your competitors have. You fear it’s only a matter of time before you’re caught in the crosshairs. A highly targeted poll, crafted with help from an experienced pollster, can help determine if the public views your company in the same light as the other violators and how you can best prepare for the impending attacks.

“When something explodes on Twitter, people panic and are convinced there is a huge problem. But sometimes it’s just a vocal, very small minority,” says veteran pollster Regina Corso, former director of the Harris Poll and owner of Regina Corso Consulting. “Within a few days, a quick survey can be done to see if that small group has managed to influence others and provide real data to craft your response—or help you decide a response isn’t even necessary.”

During an actual crisis, polls can answer questions like: Is your message resonating? What does the public want to hear? Is your spokesperson connecting? Are you winning detractors or losing your supporters? Polls are ultimately listening devices that can be deployed quickly with impressive precision and stealth. Organizations should get in the habit of utilizing polls as a regular, routine communications tactic. By doing so proactively, they can address concerning findings and anticipate potential hot spots before a fire ignites.

For the rest of this piece, click here.