Crisis Communications with Umpf
Let’s be honest, no one ever wants to use their crisis communications plan.
But at Umpf, we know that things can happen whether they’re in your control of not, which is why for over 15 years we have been supporting our clients navigate every stage of a crisis. Responding to a crisis isn’t about spinning and talking your way out of a situation – it’s about being ready to respond quickly, calmly and with honestly.
What is Crisis Communications?
How your company responds when things go wrong, and your reputation is at risk, is crisis communications. It’s one part of a wider ‘issues management’ public relations discipline and could involve issuing media statements, updating customers, or reaching out to key stakeholders.
At Umpf, it’s a service we hope our clients never need but if they do, we’re ready. Because ultimately, crisis communication is about being prepared, responding with clarity, and protecting the trust you’ve worked hard to build.
How can Umpf help with crisis communications?
Whether you are in the midst of a crisis or issue and need immediate reactive PR support, or you need a contingency plan drawing up should the worst happen, we can help. We have crisis management experience across a range of sectors and at varying degrees of emergency. Whatever the situation, or potential situation, we can advise you on the best steps to take to manage the media and your reputation. This applies to both traditional and online media reputation management.
What we can offer:
- Strategic planning: Crisis communication isn’t just about responding when something goes wrong, it’s about having a clear plan to manage the message from the start. We can work with you to ensure we’re prepared, just in case the worst should happen.
- Immediate reactive PR support: At Umpf, our team is ready to respond quickly and confidently to unexpected events, breaking news, or even fast-moving trends that could impact your brand. We keep a close eye on the news cycle, spot potential risks or opportunities early, and help you jump in with the right message at the right moment.
- Internal and external comms: Crisis comms strategies should address both internal audiences (employees) and external audiences (media, public). We can tailor our support for you depending on the situation.
- 24/7 availability: Problems don’t just arise during the regular 9 to 5. Our team is on hand 24/7 to identify any emerging issues and provide updates and support.
- Monitoring and evaluation: Part of what we offer is making sure you’re not caught off guard. We’ll help monitor for early signs of trouble and check that your comms are clear, strong, and ready to go – just in case.
Our Top 3 Favourite Crisis Comms Campaigns
1. Kentucky Fried (no) Chicken
In 2018, who can forget when KFC ran out of its main ingredient – chicken – which led to the temporary closure of some of its restaurants. Sounds like a recipe for disaster does it not?
The fast-food company responded in its usual tone of voice – bold, confident, with side of humour. It was honest, explained what had gone wrong without blaming stakeholders and suppliers. It also set up a webpage to help customers find their nearest restaurant and took out full-page newspaper adverts with a cheeky variation of its name.
Key learning points?
- Its TOV was spot on and ended up being crucial to how the court of public opinion reacted
- It made its brand sound human – which helped people almost empathise with how the people handling it were feeling.
- They accepted there was an issue but didn’t jump to blame others.
2. Free Cuthbert: Aldi vs M&S
Aldi’s social media team is practically famous these days – they’re quick, fast and match the tone of each situation perfectly. When the news that M&S were taking legal action against Aldi over its “Cuthbert the Caterpillar” cake, claiming it infringed on their trademark for the beloved Colin the Caterpillar – most people would have seen a PR nightmare heading their way.
Packaging update. #FreeCuthbert pic.twitter.com/XDSnhpvjmj
— Aldi Stores UK (@AldiUK) April 16, 2021
But not Aldi – they quickly removed the cake from shelves before any legal proceedings took place and took to Twitter to make light of the situation. Thanks to strong public support, Aldi was able to launch a limited-edition Cuthbert cake, with all profits going to its charity partner, Teenage Cancer Trust. They even invited rival caterpillar cakes from other supermarkets to join the cause with the hashtag #CaterpillarsForCancer.
Although the legal case was ultimately settled out of court by M&S, it’s fair to say Aldi came out on top in the court of public opinion. With a quick-witted and playful social media campaign, they transformed a potentially tricky situation into a viral win and even managed to raise money for a good cause along the way.
3. Balenciaga’s teddy bear mishap
Back in November 2022, Balenciaga unveiled their latest ad campaign which spark instant backlash. The images showed children holding teddy bears dressed in outfits which looked a lot liked bondage gear. Unsurprisingly, social media erupted with criticism – accusing the brand of sexualising children and completely crossing the line.
The fallout was quick: Balenciaga lost around 100k Instagram followers and reportedly saw a significant dip in sales.
Balenciaga’s responses wasn’t great. Initially they denied responsibility – blaming the production company. But after nearly a week later, intense backlash was growing, so they issued an apology and took responsibility for the “grievous” errors, announcing new procedures to prevent future mishaps.
Key learning points?
- They didn’t own their mistakes and apologise. It also took them almost a week to say sorry which in this fast-paced digital world, is far too long.
- They had to resort to getting the company’s leadership to get involved, which when dealing with a crisis is always a good idea.
- Putting plans in place to avoid a similar situation in the future was essential, however the damage was already done, and the brand continues to face ongoing issues.
Our Crisis PR Communications Expertise In Leeds and London
Since 2009 we have been providing crisis communications and issues management services for a range of clients – we have provided some level of support for all of our clients, past and present, in one form or another.
At a simple level, it may be a straightforward customer complaint raised on social media, at the opposite end of the scale, it could be a widespread incident of national importance. The range of issues and crisis situations we have worked on is broad and the issues complex.
Generally speaking, we’re often trying to keep our clients’ issues out of the news, so whilst for obvious reasons we can’t list specific brand case studies, we have advised on issues ranging from product recalls, brand closures, protests, police inquiries, weather-related incidents, transportation issues, personal injuries, illnesses and fatalities, right through to terrorism and, of course, pandemics. We recognise how fragile reputations can be in today’s fast-moving world. While every business or brand is different and can require different levels of support, we can work with you at any stage of a crisis. Anything from proactive planning and future proofing your reputations to ensure you’re prepared for any possible eventuality – to fast, real-time responses which need calm, considered messaging.
Sometimes it means working quietly behind the scenes to help your team prepare for a tough conversation. Other times it means drafting a holding statement at speed, managing media enquiries, or advising on a high-pressured social media situation.
Let’s break it down – we tend to work with on clients on the following two scenarios:
- Do you have a current PR crisis?
- Are you prepared for a possible PR crisis?
Dealing with a current PR Crisis
When the unexpected happens, speed and tone are everything, so you’ll need a fast, clear plan to get things back on track. That’s where we come in. At Umpf, we know how to handle tricky situations. Our team has plenty of crisis comms experience helping brands bounce back, rebuild trust and protect their image. We’ll work with you to calm the storm, minimise the fallout and shape a fresh, positive story for the media.
Are you prepared for a possible PR crisis?
While we hope to never have to use a PR crisis comms plan, you also don’t need to be in a crisis to get your ducks in a row. We often work with businesses who may just want to feel more prepared should a situation ever arise – whether that’s preprepared statements, FAQ documents, key message refinement or detailed media briefings. We can also take a look at potential risks – both online and offline – to help brands stay in control if and when issues arise.