Forbes published an article on the importance of crisis communication in response to Tesla’s silence on recent lawsuits. The article features commentary from experts in the field of crisis communication, including The Cyphers Agency’s Public Relations Account Executive, Scott Bovarnick.
In “Tesla’s Silence About Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Underscores Importance Of Crisis Communication,” Scott stresses the significance of businesses not remaining silent:
Scott Bovarnick, a public relations executive with The Cyphers Agency communications firm, noted that, “It is tempting for business leaders to maintain silence when a crisis breaks out, as many want to believe that a late breaking crisis will blow over quickly.
“This, however, is a terrible idea. No matter what time a crisis breaks, businesses must be ready, able, and willing to respond to it. Not responding in a timely manner to an inquiry or a reporter during a crisis will always make a business look like they don’t care, and consumers have a longer memory than people would like to admit.”
Bovarnick said, “Image and perception are incredibly important in the modern business environment. Consumers are much more likely to avoid businesses that do not handle a crisis well than they were in the past. Even if the crisis seems unimportant to a business leader, they need to be prompt in their communications.
“Handling a crisis well costs a lot less than handling one poorly, and it is a lot less expensive to pay people to respond to reporters at odd times than to pay for clean-up. Plus, good relationships with reporters are great for any company to have, and promptly responding to their inquiries is a great way to build them,” he said.
Read the full article here.
