The GoDaddy Doggy, Crisis Communication 101
Posted on Jan. 29, 2015 / Subscribe 0
By Melissa Reel, Key Account Specialist at Premier Beverage Company
Understanding how to effectively manage a crisis in the realm of public relations is imperative to maintain the integrity of any company, as well as its future reputation. On any given day, any company can be subject to an immediate crisis and having a solid contingency plan in place can make the difference on how the company image can recover unscathed.
GoDaddy is no stranger to controversy; their edgy and sometimes zany commercials are evidence. However, their ads do deliver the publicity they are looking for. This years Super Bowl XLIX ad is an example of their reach for publicity gone awry. The commercial is spoof on the current Budweiser ad that features a lost puppy, who was safely delivered back to his home. The GoDaddy version titled “ Journey Home” features the puppy safely making it home, however only to be sold on the family’s GoDaddy website.
While fans love the commercial, GoDaddy has fallen short according to many animal lovers and activist alike. More than 35,000 people signed in an online petition and took to social media outlets like Twitter and Face book on Tuesday and demanded the commercial be removed citing concerns over animal cruelty. In response to the ad and the out pour of support for Buddy, GoDaddy quickly responded by pulling the commercial.
GoDaddy's reaction to pulling the commercial was a swift and expedient move in crisis communication tactics. GoDaddy CEO Blake Irving immediately issued and an online apology statement titled “We’re Listening, Message Received”, he expressed the intention of a play on the current Budweiser “Lost Puppy” commercial.
In crisis management providing accurate and timely information to your stakeholders is imperative; however the information must be disseminated on the platforms which reach your current audience.
Below are some tips to consider when planning a Crisis Communication Strategy
- Prepare a contingency plan which can customize according to your industry.
- Develop a “Dark” Website, this website will help communicate pertinent information to your publics, as well as tell your side of the story and be launched within minutes of the crisis taking place.
- Create a stakeholder list, this information provide a list of key persons which are affected by the crisis
- Create a list of key media, bloggers, and social media to quickly communicate information to your audience.
- Train a company appointed spokesperson on how to face media and online scrutiny
- Develop team roles
- Integrate the crisis plan with company plan
For more information on Crisis Communication, the PRSA Website offers free On-Demand Crisis Communication webinars http://www.prsa.org/Learning/Calendar/list/all.
You can also visit the website to register for the upcoming Strategic Collaboration Conference on March 19th, which features Key Note Speaker Melissa Agnes
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