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In the world of public opinion, information (and, it should be noted, not always accurate information) moves fast. Like, lightning fast. But the world of law? Not so much. When your company takes a reputation-threatening hit, your communications team might indeed be able to react swiftly and strategically to grab hold of the narrative.<\/p>\n
But the lawyers in your corner are playing on a whole different ball team \u2014 one that is situated in a courtroom instead of a newsroom, one that moves at a markedly slower pace and one that\u2019s geared toward the long term over short-term outcomes.<\/p>\n
And yet you\u2019ll need both perspectives to get you out of a jam: the agile skills of a communications specialist and the litigation tactics of a savvy lawyer. In a time of crisis, therefore, it\u2019s essential to have both sides aligned, not in spite of their differing focus points and time frames, but because of them.<\/p>\n
Related: What Are the Best PR Tactics to Handle a Crisis?<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n Think of your image handlers \u2014 whether that\u2019s an internal PR staff, an external PR firm<\/a>, or yourself sitting at your desk \u2014 as being on the offense for you. The communications you make public about your company, especially when they\u2019re crisis communications, aim to get ahead of the problem and gain control of the story being told about you by ensuring that you\u2019re<\/i> the storyteller. Not some stranger on Insta or TikTok.<\/p>\n Comms is focused on protecting your image, managing your reputation<\/a> and sustaining or rebuilding credibility and trust when they\u2019re at risk. All of these objectives are obviously of the utmost priority when your business is facing a significant challenge. To handle it properly and adeptly, you want nimble actions, sharp thinking and informed communication practices.<\/p>\n Your legal team, on the other hand, plays defense for you. Heck, any lawyer\u2019s prime objective is defending their client. In the case of defending your business reputation, this translates to having a legal ally in your corner who recognizes the value of PR crisis management and who understands the necessary steps that must be taken as the process unfolds over the long haul.<\/p>\n For example, you may be tempted to post \u201cyour side of the story\u201d on your social platforms, paint yourself in the best possible light when people are questioning your integrity. But a sharp legal team knows that restraint is critical at this time and will analyze every single word of your posts to ensure that you\u2019re not exposing vulnerabilities that can be used against you in court.<\/p>\n The primary distinction between your two teams, then, comes down to the specific audience they\u2019re catering to. Your comms specialists are appealing to those who want to support you, aiming to build you up. Your legal team is on the lookout for any possible detractors, those who may have a vested interest in impeaching your character or credibility<\/a>.<\/p>\n To effectively align both your offense and your defense, it\u2019s vital that each team understands what the other is trying to accomplish. This is made more problematic because, as I said, they\u2019re each working to target different audiences, with different objectives in mind, and on different timelines.<\/p>\n As the bridge between them \u2014 the glue that\u2019s holding them together with the ultimate shared goal of protecting your company<\/a> \u2014 there are steps you can take to have them meet in the middle for double the impact. These steps are intended to alleviate the friction in the midst of a live crisis, mitigate obstacles in your crisis management campaign and nurture a healthy partnership between comms and legal.<\/p>\n Related: A Reputation Crisis Just Hit. Here\u2019s What Smart Leaders Do in the First 24 Hours<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n When you encounter a PR crisis, equally value your PR communications team and your PR legal team. One working without the other is only going to lead to additional problems you don\u2019t need right now and stymie your progress in navigating the crisis.<\/p>\n That said, PR crisis management is more of an art than a science, needing practice to get things in place and get things on track. With a rise in legal disputes<\/a> being predicted for the immediate future, it\u2019s more important than ever to prepare for the worst as you work toward the best possible outcome.<\/p>\n And the way there is to establish consistency between your cross-functional teams. Because consistency is what creates success, and internal alignment is what creates consistency.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nWhat you need comms for<\/h2>\n
What you need legal for<\/h2>\n
Bridging the gap between them<\/h2>\n
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Skillful crisis management requires both<\/h2>\n