Crisis Situation - When is the right time to respond?

In a crisis management context, and regardless of the brand or organization in question, there is always a question: should we respond? And if we decide to do so, there is another question that must also be taken into account: when to respond?

Brands don't always have to respond when they receive a negative comment. In certain circumstances, the best answer may be silence. In other cases, it may be necessary to issue a statementbe it directly addressed to media or through social networks or other means. The social media are a very useful tool in this type of situation. Before making any decision, it is extremely important to understand what the public is commenting on and to carefully measure the pros and cons of any action.

Regarding timing is concerned, we must ask two major questions: whether my organization's reputation is being called into question and, if so, whether this is happening as a result of data manipulation or false statements.

If the two situations above are serious, then the time has come to clarify the facts and demonstrate our position. At that point, the most important thing is to clarify public opinion on the issue in question through facts that are unquestionable.

Incorrect crisis management can take on even worse proportions than the crisis itself. All of the above steps should be clearly described in a crisis management plan, including who the organization's spokespeople are, which media, how internal communication is managed, etc. In a crisis situation, we may not have the required judgment.