The Dos and Don’ts of Communication in a Public Health Crisis
The new normal isn’t new anymore. Our lives have been this way for six months. We’ve spent half of a year wearing masks in public places, staying inside more than we’re used to, and being mindful of our distance between ourselves and the person next to us. The backbone of public relations is, and always will be communication. As master communicators, it is not only our responsibility, but it should be our priority to
Read the room:
The main part of being an effective communicator is truly just...reading the room. Now more than ever, evaluation of your public’s needs should be your number one priority. In a global pandemic, we’re not the experts. Too often we’re seeing companies and organizations make a quick shift towards reopening or rolling back on social distancing measures.
For instance, look at universities. Universities are pushing “wear a mask” campaigns while cases skyrocket. We’re seeing universities not answer valid concerns and pretend that they’re the exception to a pandemic that has killed over 800,000 people globally, with the U.S. leading in cases and deaths. Nobody is an exception, and to project your university, or company, as such makes you as a communicator look socially inept and like you don’t care about your public. I can promise you that the amount of cooperation with consumers that your brand, university, on behalf of your company will be noticed now and remembered in the future.
When I say read the room, I mean read what your consumers have to say. If there’s a good portion expressing their concerns in relation to your company, brand, or client, then you should take interest in what they are saying. Concerns aren’t less valid because we’re maneuvering through a pandemic. Prior to COVID, if 20 percent of your audience was unhappy with your performance, you would take action to close that gap as much as possible. You cannot blame nerves for the potential response you get on choices that may be counterproductive in fighting a pandemic.
At the root of talking is listening:
So here’s the thing, people are perhaps less scared than they were in March, but it doesn’t mean that they aren’t anymore. However, don’t mistake scared for stupid. The public can see through the falsities of a business that is projecting a campaign disguised as concern for public health but is really a decision to return to business as usual for the sake of financial gain. The truth of the matter is that “business as usual” may never come back to our vocabulary. During, and after COVID, we will constantly be adapting guidelines and social norms in order to grasp a little more what the term “usual” actually means.
What consumers and clients can see mainstream is a virus that has been turned on its head and politicized. The “truth” tends to become a bit more questionable daily, and it takes a good amount of context clues to find. What communicators and PR professionals need to be is an ear and a voice for consumers. Meeting our public with empathy and patience, as opposed to frustration and mayhem, needs to be our communication model at this point.
Your audience is bound to be critical of your decisions, mostly because nothing is set and stone. It’s hard to anticipate the results that will come out of any choice a company makes. However, if the choice is bold, then it’s likely that you can expect backlash. The last thing you want to do, as the voice of your company or client, is to ignore the concerns of your consumers. More than ever, these concerns are not petty and dismissable. Often, these concerns are coming across as a life or death matter, and in some cases, they are. Empathize, listen, and be ready to reevaluate.
So, what do I do?:
A piece in PR Daily written in March gives a few good approaches to good PR in a pandemic that is extremely PR heavy. Author, and PR pro, Lisette Paras lists 5 things to consider in your COVID-19 PR strategy.
Consider the timing when telling your story. Is it even the right time to do this? Or, are tensions too high?
Know the news.
Remember that resources are tight.
Does your story matter in the current climate? Or does it come across as insensitive? As Paras says, “Focus on the Fundamentals.”
Consider the long-term. How will your brand overcome and stay a long-term brand? What attitudes and communication will best preserve your brand?
With all of that being said, do not talk to people like they don’t understand what’s going on, and do not refer to yourself as an exception. Do listen, do be honest, and do communicate well with your consumers.
About Allison:
Allison (@allsncntr) is a senior in the Advertising and Public Relations program with an emphasis in Public Relations. She also has a minor in Political Science. Allison is President of GVPRSSA and serves on the GrandPR E-board. In her free time, Allison likes to argue that LaCroix does have flavor and talk about her beagle, Sally. You can find her hanging out in the living room, or reading tarot cards.