Top 3 Secrets For Reputation Recovery

We’ve all had moments we wish we could erase completely. Maybe for you it was a speech you gave that went embarrassingly wrong, or a throw-away line you dished out that caused offence, or a PR disaster in your business that spiralled out of control.

When your reputation is on the line, what’s the smart crisis management strategy to repair the situation? 

This topic takes me back to 2001 when I saw a man I love, and respect, ruin their reputation by turning a speech at a formal occasion into sharing inappropriate jokes and embarrassing private information about others. As he wrapped up the long, rambling speech, the audience was silent, people looking sideways to see how others had reacted. They all were shocked and the price he paid was loss of credibility and their respect. 

With my background in Public Relations and reputation management, he asked "What should I do?" He was on the right track, to be thinking about taking reputation rescue action steps. During a PR crisis it's important to remain hopeful and focus on what is true about the situation, not the shock factor that may be rippling out. 

No brand is immune to a Public Relations crisis and recent public controversies highlight what works—and what doesn’t. Public ones are the best to learn from because the scale gives us many flavours to learn from ranging from negative discourse, trolling, spontaneous over-reactions and often, media reactions too. 

In life and in business, it’s not what you SAY it’s the WAY that you say it and further to that, your ACTIONS are the most potent reflection of your values. 

Public Figures Crisis Management

Take Elon Musk’s enormous brand blunder on the global stage. Musk’s inappropriate gesture was made without forethought or planning, followed by casually shrugging off the backlash, like a static on his valuable airtime. It was clearly a missed opportunity to repair trust. 

If for one moment, we turn our attention away from the gesture itself, what has deepened the wound is how Musk managed the situation, going for sarcasm rather than acknowledging what’s happened and taking any accountability for his role. 

The casual dismissal of his critics meant Musk missed the opportunity to restore trust or gain ground through acknowledging the impact of his actions. This highlights a flawed method of Public Relations crisis management: ignoring the emotions and perspectives of the audience. 

How to Apolgise to the Audience

On the other hand, Australian Open commentator Tony Jones appeared to give more thought on how to approach the crisis his reputation was facing. After backlash to his inappropriate remarks about Novak Djokovic, Jones made both a private and public apology. He was right to be open and transparent with the affected individuals as it’s a chance to recover whatever relationship or reputation he could salvage.  

While his response wasn’t unanimously praised, it demonstrated an effort to acknowledge the harm caused. His steps included taking accountability, acting promptly, and addressing those directly affected.

Steps to Repair Brand Reputation

What’s the key takeaway? In a Public Relations crisis, where you're facing public criticism, first assess the situation, acknowledge your role, and act swiftly. Use your public platform wisely and know that people value sincerity over defensiveness, which only fans the flames. Accountability and meaningful action are the way forward.