Is silence the best way to rid a PR crisis?

How do you manage a pesky thing like a Public Relations crisis?

For those whose background is marketing, that's a nightmare. Most marketing and advertising managers hate having this kind of situation. But, if shit really falls and it falls heavy on your product and service, will your silence solve anything?

In my experience (i've been in this PR management thing for many years now), maintaining silence is NOT, I repeat, NOT a very good practice. Why?

First, in this game called PR CRISIS MANAGEMENT, the first thing that you need to do is MANAGE THE INFORMATION FLOW. You're expected to manage it with alternative facts, views and opinions NOT keep silence about it. Because if you do, you'll appear GUILTY. How do you do that?

Think of it this way. Your ship sank. The 1st thing that you need to do is communicate to the public about it. Tell them everything that happened. Why?

Because that's the most excellent time to do that. Seize the first initiative. When you're the 1st to tell people about this problem, and you seem to be very honest, very sincere and very forthright about it, they will believe it. Don't hide. You may really look like you're guilty as hell.

The second thing that you need to do is know where the info is going. In what direction? Is it mostly print media? Radio? Television? Internet? If the info is going the radio route, go that route. If it's limited to one television station, go to that network and explain but NEVER GO OUT TO THE OTHER STATIONS. If its just print, where? Who actually published it? If its a dingy, unknown tabloid, better to just send a statement addressed to the reporter or editor and that's it. You don't want other newspapers to know about it, right? 

And the third thing that you need to do is always think of an exit strategy. Meaning---image restoration tactics. If there's a problem, think of a solution and fast!

One tip--when you're doing image restoration, it's better to do it thru word-of-mouth marketing. Yes, word-of-mouth. Don't try to print your statements. Try to change the information environment to favor your products, your clients. In that way, you'll maintain your momentum, you still hold the initiative and you control the situation.

Are we being given overpriced gasoline & diesel?

I just got this info---giant oil companies will not rollback their gasoline and diesel prices this weekend. Reason? Madame Gloria is doing her thing before Congress this Monday and they don't want to snatch the limelight from her. 

Well, well, well! I thought these oil companies are doing these price hikes to recover "losses"? And I thought they're really on the brink of bankruptcy that's why they're jacking up those pump prices?

Now, this? 

Hey, people, we're being fooled by these oil companies. If they're really on the red then, what the hell are they saying now? That they can still hold their horses just because Madame Gloria is doing that stupid SONA?

If that's the case, should'nt we pray that Gloria does this SONA thing everyday? If Gloria makes those speeches which are obviously just lies anyway, then, it could be the most effective price deterrent strategy ever!

Global oil prices are going down, yet, our pump prices are still going up. Is that what you call "the dictates of market forces"?