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Successful crisis communication: How to maintain your company’s mentoring role in challenging situations

While the timetable for crisis communication differs from the agenda for day-to-day PR work, both have the same goal: to establish the company as a unique mentor for the target group. The question that arises from this in calm waters: What task does the company take on for the self-realization of each individual customer in order to be a mentor:in? The question that arises in stormy times of crisis management: How do companies preserve this role? To answer this question, we first ask completely different questions at the beginning of a collaboration: What values and goals does the company pursue? What image should be conveyed to the outside world? How does the company want to be perceived by its target group? Because successful crisis communication can only take place once these questions have been answered. Because in a crisis, it is no longer about presenting yourself as a mentor or focusing on the self-realization of each individual customer. Rather, it is about damage limitation and building trust. In this situation, it is important to communicate transparently and react quickly to problems. Open communication with the people affected and a credible commitment to rectifying the problem can help to restore trust in the company.

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However, the role the company plays for its customers must not be forgotten here either – because ultimately they want to continue to benefit from the type of mentor the company is. Every measure should therefore be geared towards meeting this requirement. Successful crisis communication therefore requires both rapid action and long-term planning with regard to the company’s positioning in relation to its target group. This is the only way to ensure that even stormy times can be mastered without losing sight of the actual task of a mentor – namely to support its customers in their individual development!

References for PR, Social Media & Content Marketing

Is it a crisis?

In order to weigh up each action and reaction in the best possible sequence and impact, we need to know all the internal and external factors of your situation. The objective classification of a problem as a crisis and the subjective critical perception of a situation are worlds apart when creating a strategy. Only then can agreed measures determine whether the mentor reacts appropriately or not.

Where is the crisis internally?

When developing a crisis PR strategy, it is not just about the target group of your product or service. Depending on the type and extent of the crisis, all of your company’s stakeholders must be informed in order to be able to present the image of a mentor to the outside world. If business partners are not fully informed about your actions, it is not possible to guarantee certainty of action. If employees also find out about their employer’s situation in the face of a crisis through the press, they have made a mistake that is difficult to rectify.

Where is the crisis external?

A crisis remains a crisis remains a crisis – and yet it takes place on different channels depending on the industry and extent. Press conference or insta-post? The setting for crisis PR often determines the strategic starting point for suitable measures. To what extent do you show emotions and admissions? What specific fears and concerns do the readers of your statement have? How can the brand voice support you in maintaining your mentoring role?

Prepared for a crisis?

However, if you as a reader are in the fortunate position of being able to deal exclusively with our services as a crisis PR agency in a preventive manner, the questions raised are just as exciting. Whether it’s a fully designed darksite or comprehensively prepared wording: a plan for preserving your role as a mentor in the event of a crisis can be prepared for many scenarios and less pressure to act.

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