Brendan May suggests how to handle an ambush against your brand by a determined campaign group
Brendan May suggests how to handle an ambush against your brand by a determined campaign groupWhen 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.
Don’t speak legalese Lawyer-speak is usually guaranteed to heighten rather than lessen the suspicions of activists and media. Bland vague legalistic statements – “we have never been found to have broken rules” and “our activities are in compliance with local laws” are particular favourites – can be lethal. Campaigners love it when companies get lawyers involved – it raises the spectre of lengthy litigation which can keep a story running for months, or even years.
Don’t be aggressive This one takes some psychological sophistication. There are unquestionably still people high up in major companies who think NGOs are little better than terrorist organisations. It’s not a worldview that benefits their brand’s reputation. The worst thing you can do when an NGO is attacking you is to be arrogant, rude, and dismissive or start criticising people who have sympathy with the claims being made. If they’re wrong, prove it. Nicely.
Field humans When the negotiations begin with the NGO (they nearly always do these days), send people you’d want to have a drink with, not people whose mindset is that the NGO is some renegade group of hippies who don’t wash. Leave the tie at home, and imagine you are talking to a difficult relative, not a criminal. Tone of voice is often what determines how quickly you get yourself out of the mess you’re in.
Actions speak louder than words If there is any merit at all in the claims being made against your business, you’ll want to set about fixing the problem. Fast. Don’t assume a couple of meetings that passed without incident means the end of the episode. Good campaign groups will keep attacking your brand until they see you are serious about changing your business practices. If and when you do change, any decent NGO will not just stop attacking you, they will praise you publicly and ask their members to thank you. It really does happen. Ask McDonald’s, Kimberly-Clark and Nike.
Turn the negative into a positive For enlightened businesses, the moment when reputation hits rock bottom is actually the moment progress starts to occur. Many of the most recognised and applauded sustainable business initiatives began life as a PR crisis of epic proportions. The challenge is to turn the problem into an opportunity – tackling the issue head on and using the enforced NGO dialogue to build sector-leading change. This means building on the dialogue when the immediate crisis has passed. Never assume you’ve done enough just because the NGO has moved onto someone else. They’ll be back.
Share the spoils Use the problem to create a better business model, more transparent communication and a PR strategy that engages rather than antagonises. Do this and it’s likely your sworn foe will become a critical friend you can not only persuade, but actually team up with. You may well find yourself sharing platforms together, lobbying with a common purpose, and pursuing joint advocacy to drive seismic progress towards sustainability in your sector. Why can’t the chief executive of Amnesty or Greenpeace appear on a platform with your chief executive? They can. However much you hoped to avoid a direct relationship with your enemy, now you have one, use it, and old divisions will gradually be forgotten.
Brendan May is founder of the Robertsbridge Group and a contributing editor to Ethical Corporation.