As a collective, our time spent behind our screens has gone up exponentially since the pandemic. As a repercussion of this, 87% of adults, and 79% of 8-15 year olds stated that they had concerns over the platforms they were using. This rise in fear over bullying, trolling and harmful messages show the rapid acceleration of the digital age.
When a mishap occurs and a moment of crisis is created, it is vital that you have the correct support network around you to help deflect any negativity. This support network becomes your very own `Ghostbusters’ because they become your go to contact in the face of a difficult situation.
Especially poignant in retrospect of the last eighteenth months, any business needs strategies in place to ensure that a crisis will not having a lasting impact. As we have had to move so much of our everyday lives online, it has become easier and more accessible for people to spout negativity whilst hidden behind a keyboard. Further issues have also arisen due to the ever-changing professional world, as it is far easier to make a mistake when you are unsure of the environment around you.
When posed with the issue of “Who you gonna call?” after a dilemma arises, everybody needs the Ghostbusters.
Who exactly are “you gonna call”?
When looking at the construct of “Ghostbusters”, it can be easy to stipulate that a team of people is needed to replicate the dynamic group in the films. However, key individuals are not always necessary in helping you to implement strategies to soften your fall. Whilst surrounding yourself with knowledgeable people can be infinitely beneficial, sometimes you can become your own Ghostbuster. By devising your own plan of action in the face of an emergency, you will be better prepared to fight your own supernatural battles. Sometimes, without having to rely on others. Therefore, seeking the tools to create your own crisis control, means that you will be in a far better position.
In order to realise exactly who you are “gonna call”, you need to piece together what you think would be useful in crisis control. You need to have your crisis team defined and their roles.
Perhaps certain executives, your PR and your legal staff might be who you want to eliminate the ghouls threatening your business. You will also want to nominate a spokesperson who will be able to face the public and vocalise anything that you want to say to salvage a situation. Social media is perhaps one of the best options for busting any ghosts as it is so good at providing a platform for getting information out quickly and efficiently. It is a vital part of communicating with others in order to avert a crisis because it allows for you to reach a wide audience. Through clear communication, a situation can be diluted with much more ease.
“We’ve got it”
PR becomes distinctly comparable to the Ghostbusters because both fields include working as a team in order to yield the most successful results. Whilst public relations doesn’t exactly involve fighting against supernatural entities, and the beige boiler suits might not be a necessity, they both represent how effective teamwork can be. A significant way in which teamwork can be utilised is that by working alongside others you will be able to implement a defence barrier to deflect any crisis occurring in the first place. By ensuring that you and your team are on the exact same wavelength with your ethics, your business values and with your online conduct, the reality of a difficult situation arising can be avoided considerably.
Monsters behind the screen and in the films
Much like how the Ghostbusters must deal with scary and mysterious creatures, sometimes within our professional and business lives we have to deal with issues that are largely unknown. When posed with negative or inappropriate messages, it can be confusing to know how to react, and it can be difficult to stop the harsh words from affecting you. By having someone else confirm to you that it looks like the person sending you hate is a spam account or a keyboard warrior, the hateful messages will be a lot easier to deal with. If you have the understanding that the account spreading negativity, does it a lot, you will be easier to detach personal grudges and realise that this is a sad pattern for whoever is hiding behind the screen.
Whilst the Ghostbusters have to deal with the monsters in the films, in a professional environment we might have to deal with monsters behind the screen. Sometimes it is just easier to block and remove these nasty accounts, but sometimes you might have to take the conversation into private messaging in order to stop your page being clogged by negativity.
A Happy Ending
Much like how the original 1984 film finishes with the ghost being banished back to its dimension, within the world of PR a happy ending can always be achieved. By learning from previous crisis’ and analysing what might have gone wrong in the past and what we can do to improve upon our situation, the chances of issues being resolved is largely increased. Through the acknowledgement of rights and wrongs, a higher success rate can be achieved.
It is always vital to realise that prevention is better than a cure, and so by educating yourself on how to act when a crisis arises, issues can be solved a lot more promptly and effectively.
At Admire PR we offer a PR Risk Assessment Package, that is an extremely useful tool in arming you with the information needed to prevent any long-lasting damage being done to your business. by addressing any weak points within your company that could be a potential PR risk and training your staff about social media use (to name a few), you will be much better suited to face any dilemma head on.
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Therefore, if you know “who you are gonna call”, crisis management can be obtained, even if you do have to encounter a few ghosts and ghouls along the way.
