The communication model used by New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani in the days following 9/11 is widely regarded as the pinnacle of good crisis management. The model followed a simple four-step formula: This is what we know. This is what we don't know. This is what we are doing. This is what you can do. More than a decade later, the way Malaysia Airlines has dealt with communication in the days after flight MH370 first went missing is seen by many as an example of how not to do it.
To be fair, the airline did try to keep to a crisis plan checklist: The CEO issued a statement. The airline quickly put up a microsite and yanked off all promotional content. But from then on, it seemed to hurtle from one goof-up to the next. Granted, you can't be totally prepared for an incident like this - they play out quickly and in a very public way - but it is absolutely imperative you have a basic plan of action in place as well as a communication pipeline. Perhaps the only good thing about such high-pressure situations is that the inevitable missteps that follow offer ample lessons in crisis management, many of which apply equally to other industries.
So the first lesson: do not surrender ownership of a situation. Once there is a mishap - whether because of a human or technical error - as a brand owner you have to act swiftly and stay on top of the issue. A situation like flight MH370 is fodder for speculation and a media firestorm. So keep in mind that as a brand owner you are responsible for meeting the communication and emotional needs of the affected relatives and friends. You are the one who must provide updates, even when it means just saying there are no new developments. The task will be challenging. But you must ensure that family and friends are informed about every new development before the media is briefed.
Second, be human; don't substitute a checklist for good judgement. A crisis plan is just that - a checklist designed to remind you of the key steps. So anticipate the questions and concerns of the family and friends - if the answers are not known, acknowledge it. If you think it is a good idea to keep specialists on hand to offer support to those affected by the crisis, do it by all means. The Singapore Airlines crash in Taiwan in the year 2000 is an example of how some of this can be done without wasting time. That incident was the first involving fatalities in SIA's history, but the airline was quick to set up counselling services at the destination airport for relatives who were waiting for news. It was actively involved in cobbling together a support group for relatives/friends of the passengers. That incident is material for marketing case studies now.
That said, even the best crisis communication plan will not work if there is no collaboration among all the parties involved. Speaking in "one voice" is critical because conflicting information adds to speculation and destroys the credibility of the message coming out from the corporation in the middle of the storm. This is one area where Malaysia Airlines seems to have tripped badly. The government and airline's responses to the tragedy make the Delhi traffic police appear organised and very much in control.
First, the news that the flight was missing was announced much later after the flight was supposed to reach its destination. Then there were all kinds of information coming out from the so-called "official sources"- be it the last message from the cockpit, who gave the last bytes, when were the communication systems from the flight switched off and so on. Almost every bit of news given by the airline one day stood corrected the very next day.
Even the countries involved in the aircraft search operation seemed out of sync at various points. So there were separate media briefings by the airlines, the government, the search partners and - inevitably - many of the various authorised sources ended up contradicting each other. The whole thing added to all the speculation circulating on social media. The danger is that rumours can hijack the communication agenda.
Now, one hears that Malaysia Airlines has roped in PR agency Ketchum Icon to steer it through the crisis. According to the Holmes Report, the airline is being advised by a team of seven Ketchum staffers drawn from the firm's Singapore, London and New York offices. Will it add to the confusion? Is the PR team coming in too late?
The world is watching. The problem is, people will be patient only for so long.
Disclaimer: These are personal views of the writer. They do not necessarily reflect the opinion of www.business-standard.com or the Business Standard newspaper
