When people are faced with bad news, even if they are not at all impacted, doubt can set in. That doubt grows, unaided, like a nefarious seed, creating PR issues for groups and organizations completely unrelated to the initial issue. When any entity fails to grasp the public relations fallout from a significant PR crisis and allows that message to spin out of their control, the trouble can expand exponentially.

Consider the impact of the water crisis in Flint, Michigan. The news stories coming out of that beleaguered city are distressing. Tens of thousands of children poisoned, permanently disabled by ingesting high quantities of lead-infused water. There is no doubt the leaders in Flint didn’t take the problem seriously enough, and certainly have not acted quickly enough in the wake of the reveals.

Initially, people outside of the crisis looked on with horror, sorrow, and empathy for the victims. They felt anger at the inaction and bad decisions of the leadership. They looked on with loathing. And continued watching while, essentially, nothing was done.

Now internal loathing from afar is morphing into distrust and fear directed at their own leadership. In a recent Associated Press poll, less than half of respondents said they trusted their own city’s water supply. Most filter their water, many won’t drink it at all.

Worse, because of the racial makeup of Flint, many minorities and individuals of all races at the lower end of the economic spectrum are even less trusting of their own water supply. They may live half a continent away, but they identify with the pain felt in Flint, and their distrust for local governments has grown as this story drags on.

Put simply: bad news landed in Flint, and, like a rock tossed into a pond, the ripples of that PR crisis has caused people totally unrelated to the situation to feel doubt and fear of governments nowhere near Flint.

Take note, PR teams and brand managers. When something negative hits your industry, whether you were involved or not, you need to be prepared to protect your clients and protect your brand. When others are seen as uncaring and slow acting, you must increase your care and speed of action. You must visibly and consistently connect in positive ways. Don’t just sit by and watch a competitor burn. If you do, that fire might singe you before it burns out.

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Ronn Torossian is the Founder & Chairman of 5W Public Relations, one of the largest independently owned PR firms in the United States. Since founding 5WPR in 2003, he has led the company's growth and vision, with the agency earning accolades including being named a Top 50 Global PR Agency by PRovoke Media, a top three NYC PR agency by O'Dwyers, one of Inc. Magazine's Best Workplaces and being awarded multiple American Business Awards, including a Stevie Award for PR Agency of the Year. With over 25 years of experience crafting and executing powerful narratives, Torossian is one of America's most prolific and well-respected public relations executives. Throughout his career he has advised leading and high-growth businesses, organizations, leaders and boards across corporate, technology and consumer industries. Torossian is known as one of the country's foremost experts on crisis communications. He has lectured on crisis PR at Harvard Business School, appears regularly in the media and has authored two editions of his book, "For Immediate Release: Shape Minds, Build Brands, and Deliver Results With Game-Changing Public Relations," which is an industry best-seller. Torossian's strategic, resourceful approach has been recognized with numerous awards including being named the Stevie American Business Awards Entrepreneur of the Year, the American Business Awards PR Executive of the Year, twice over, an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year semi-finalist, a Top Crisis Communications Professional by Business Insider, Metropolitan Magazine's Most Influential New Yorker, and a recipient of Crain's New York Most Notable in Marketing & PR. Outside of 5W, Torossian serves as a business advisor to and investor in multiple early stage businesses across the media, B2B and B2C landscape. Torossian is the proud father of two daughters. He is an active member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO) and a board member of multiple not for profit organizations.