By Beatriz Carvalho
When companies are more concerned with immediate profits than the quality of its products and processes, ignoring the critical ability of its consumers, corporate crisis may be stimulated.
There is a vital characteristic associated with crisis: its inevitability. In this context, any organization is likely to go through a time of crisis. The consequences that a crisis brings to the organization can go from the loss of credibility and trust, reputation concussions, decreased profits, layoffs, lawsuits, excessively negative media exposure to the closure of its activities.
However, many organizations are not worried about elaborating and maintaining a plan for crisis management due to its high cost and choose to improvise, “putting out fires”, which often may cause irreversible damage to the company’s image.
The major access to information has helped people to know their rights and therefore to demand an appropriate posture from organizations. But when this does not happen, it is certain the interest in making public the institution’s misconduct, establishing crisis processes which can shake the organizational reputation. In this scenario, communication is presented as key element for managing these crisis, and in some cases the PR.
If crisis are seen as inevitable for a long time, imagine nowadays, when information reaches worldwide within minutes, and people or other technologies are potential generators of content, having even more access to the internet and cell phones capable of registering busted acts anywhere.
Throughout trade’s history, the consumers/costumes of an organization had limited access to a few feedback and communication channels. But the internet has come to break paradigms when it comes to communication. It is not only a new technology but also a tool that has created new ways of relationship.
The consumer generated media, or CGM, term created by the American Pete Blackshaw, highlights brands’ and products’ names. It is common for consumers/customers to use the internet exposing their opinions and their shopping experiences. This exposure can brings benefits since the experience is positive, but crisis situations when negative.
This way, the organization’s image is at risk, since the internet simply creates more exposure to organizations and brands. With this assumption, it is easy to understand that crises on the internet can easily establish and reach countless people.
Reputation is the most valuable asset of an organization and can be deeply shaken by crisis processes not managed properly. In these chaotic times, when public opinion on particular institution is negative, it is vital that skilled professionals manage the crisis, so that it has the lowest possible impact on the image and reputation of an organization.
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