When a non-governmental organisation attacks, a company is often judged as much on its response as the substance of the claims against it. What are the best ways to counter this? Here are some ideas.

Get your facts straight Never respond with any rebuttal that can later be shown to be at best economical with the truth, or at worst, false. In the rush to defend a brand, communications departments often fail to check the substance of the NGO claims with the right person internally. Often, it is only after the damage has been done that a business admits that there was in fact some truth to the accusation – usually by then everyone has stopped listening and it’s too late to repair the reputational damage.

Get on the phone One of the great mysteries in corporate PR is the extent to which an NGO ambush makes a brand retreat to the bunker. For some businesses, the idea of actually ringing up the NGO in question is an anathema. It shouldn’t be. Often, the stand-off is a direct result of a lack of proper engagement and dialogue before the ambush. So why reinforce that failure now? Sophisticated companies are able to conduct a civilised and transparent exchange with critics even when the media storm is swirling around them.

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