Where Media Meets Communication
Most of the crisis we manage are “slow burn”.
– They’re the issue ignored
– The complaint overlooked
– The employee concerns dismissed
So what should you be doing when you hear about an issue?
1. Do the groundwork, gather intel, fact check, craft key messages
2. Get into the detail, define the comms strategy
3. Anticipate it going live, plan for the ‘day in court’, prep those involved
Remember “slow burn” = prep time. Use it wisely.
Photo by Sebastian Pociecha on Unsplash
Media training unfairly gets a bad rep.
Why?
Because of the reputation of trainers who choose intimidation and aggressive tactics leaving leaders scared to speak.
Actually with this approach, everyone loses:
– the public who rightly expect to hear from those responsible when something goes wrong
– the comms team
– the spokespeople themselves
Our media training is supportive and empowering, it’s not always an easy ride but it will give you confidence.
And we do it like this because we know exactly what it’s like to be on both sides of the microphone.
Like Jess Mangold here, interviewing then Prime Minister, Tony Blair.
If speaking to a journalist feels daunting, you’re not prepared. Let’s change that.
A critical friend.
It’s the kind of friend, colleague and advisor I like to be.
It’s a balancing act advising CEOs when their business is under attack. Don’t say enough and you’re not worth the investment, push too hard and you can be seen as well….pushy.
So for me and Mangold Consultancy being a critical friend means being:
● straightforward by giving clear advice
● open and honest, even if it’s hard to hear
● invested in clients and their challenges, until issues are resolved
And when you look at it like that, it mirrors the relationships I have with friends too.
With special thanks to Ayesha Murray for being one of my very special and crucial critical friends.
When I listen to tabloid journalists talk about their trade, it is clear how well they know their reader. Their instinct first and last is to ask questions and write articles that matter to their audience and are worth taking their precious time to read.
Understanding who you are writing for is rule number one, whether it is a front page splash or an open letter to customers apologising for a product failure.
In a crisis there are so many people you need to communicate with; employees, customers, suppliers, unions, partners, regulators, the media to name just a few.
The key is to keep the essence of the message the same but adapt it depending on the audience.
Let me give you an example:
You’ve had to recall your best selling product because some people say it doesn’t work. Your media statement and social posts will contain the same information but the tone they’re written in will be very different. There should be no hint of “corporate” when posting on social media so you need to work with the social team to get the tone the same as all the usual posts, whilst maintaining the overall message you are communicating to the media and others.
The key, particularly in crisis comms, is to assume everything you write will end up in the hands of the media or others who may want to scrutinise it, so consistency is everything. And you need to treat each stakeholder individually, understanding their needs, expectations and mind set and how you want them to feel before you start to explain to them what’s going on.
As with so much of our work at Mangold Consultancy there is loads of cross over between the skills we developed as journalists and those we now use in communications.
A crisis can strike any business at any time.
Whether it’s a PR mishap, a data breach, or an operational failure, how you
handle the situation can make or break your reputation and have a dramatic
financial impact.
That’s where crisis communications come into play.
It involves preparing for and responding to unexpected events that could harm your organisation’s reputation. It’s about delivering clear, consistent and timely messages to everyone you need to talk to from employees to customers to the public.
But do you really need it?
● Is your business really likely to face a crisis?
● Will it even get media/social attention?
I say, yes. Every business needs to prepare for a crisis.
Here’s how it will help:
● Protect your reputation: a well-managed crisis can defend and even enhance your brand’s reputation.
● Maintain trust: keeping people informed shows transparency and builds trust.
● Minimise impact: quick, strategic responses can mitigate the negative effects of a crisis.
● Ensure continuity: effective communication helps maintain business operations and morale during turbulent times.
In uncertain times, having a solid crisis communications plan isn’t just an option – it’s a necessity.
Is your business prepared to handle the unexpected?
How to turn a visit from a film crew into a WIN
Your PR team has struck gold
A TV news crew are on their way…..what do you do?
Here are my tips to stop a TV filming opportunity turning into a disaster
I worked with Annie Robinson from the late 90s, initially as a researcher at BBC Watchdog.
What you see with Annie, is what you get in real life. She is tough and a class act. She knows what she wants and what she doesn’t want and it’s that approach which brought her success, originally on Fleet Street (at the time a heavily male dominated world) and latterly on BBC TV.
She’s well known for her sharp wit on The Weakest Link, turning every contestant to jelly but that was nothing compared to her legendary performances on BBC Watchdog.
In every interview, she manifested the ‘killer opening question’, and I learned so much from those on camera grillings. Particularly since I sat in the chair opposite her during programme dress rehearsals, assuming the role of the company spokesperson.
During live transmission, I watched as nervous leaders tried, and often failed, to hold the corporate line.
So now I media train people to assume the unexpected from the moment they walk into the studio, or even before – remember the series The Thick of It and Nicola Murray’s faux pas as she left the national newspaper interview?!
It’s true that interview styles and approaches have changed but I wouldn’t be doing my job with clients if I didn’t channel a little of my inner Anne Robinson.
What are your favourite interview moments?
What do we actually offer?
That’s a big question that we explore often: what makes us and the business, Mangold Consultancy, different to any other crisis comms and media training consultancy?
We have many USPs but the two main ones are that we’re journalist-led and insight-driven.
Let me explain.
– With over 25 years of experience in journalism (BBC, national newspapers and regional media), social media, politics and communications, we provide unique insights into how the media works.
– We can identify and anticipate solutions to potential issues before they arise and bring a cynical journalist’s perspective to our work, always questioning communications to ensure credibility.
– Over the last decade, we’ve honed our approach based on client needs and the ever-evolving social and media landscape.
– Senior leaders find peace of mind knowing that we have faced challenging situations as both journalists and communications specialists.
– Our experience and resilience allow us to ask the tough questions necessary for complete crisis preparedness and management.
Why does this matter?
It’s a fact that no organisation is too big to get it wrong. Many of the largest ones miss the most obvious issues. Near misses and tragedies often stem from a weak culture or lack of prep.
That is why we put our all into preparation, covering every scenario to ensure our clients feel fully equipped and ready for any situation.
At Mangold Consultancy, we’re passionate about helping organisations communicate effectively and manage their reputations. Our insight-driven, journalist-led approach ensures our clients are always prepared, credible and resilient.
Some thoughts from Abby Mangold on what makes an apology work…
I’ve honed my craft working with and listening to journalists.
My most valued moments? One of them has to be working with David Frost on Breakfast With Frost.
His mantra was to ‘Make Every Word Count’.
New to BBC TV in 1997 with very little experience, I was fortunate to learn so much by being in the presence of this TV giant.
As a programme runner I got to watch him reviewing every script, red penning superfluous words. It is forever burnt into my memory.
And today preparing communications in a crisis, I remind myself to ‘be more David’ and chuck out every syllable that doesn’t reinforce what needs saying.
Where do you need to “be more David”?
Quite an odd statement to make but with all the experience I had during 15 years at the BBC and my time since then working on the other side of the media in crisis comms – I eat, sleep and breathe interviews.
My sister, Jess Mangold, is the same after years as a print journo. We’re both voracious consumers of news, media and social content.
And of course it helps growing up with a Dad in the business, where dinners are filled with ferocious debate about current affairs.
Listening to big interviews constantly, across a range of formats and setups, we digest and analyse content and ask did that work? What went wrong? Why did they approach the interview that way?
Take the infamous example of BBC Newsnight, Emily Maitlis and Prince Andrew. The work put into that – the preparation by the team including the fabulous Sam McAlister, meticulously researching and investigating – made for a jaw dropping interview. It’s not about attacking the interviewee as some have done in the past, it’s all about the preparation.
I approach every challenge from the perspective of a journalist and that’s how I deliver for my clients.
I can hardly believe Mangold Consultancy is turning 10!
– It’s gone so quickly, yet it feels like “Mangold” has been a part of my life forever because so much has been achieved.
– Over the past decade, we’ve had the privilege of working with some truly incredible brands, helping them transform how they communicate and manage their reputations. From navigating challenging media landscapes to global crisis simulations, our journey has been extraordinary.
– To celebrate this milestone, we’ve put together a video that sums up the last 10 years – our achievements, challenges and the wonderful clients we’ve partnered with. I’d love you to watch and share your thoughts.
Here’s to many more years of Mangold Consultancy.
And thank you to everyone who has been a part of our story so far.
Building a company’s reputation is a long-term investment which takes years of consistent effort, trust-building, and strategic communication. But the destruction of reputation happens in a matter of moments. We thought we’d take a closer look at how investment in crisis communications and risk preparation reduces the impact of a reputational hit.
1. Consistency and Trust:
– Years of reliable performance, transparency, and delivering on promises
2. Quality and Excellence:
– Continuous provision of high-quality products or services and maintaining high standards
3. Positive Relationships:
– Nurturing relationships with customers, employees, and the wider community
4. Strategic Communication:
– Regular, strategic engagement and storytelling to highlight successes and values
5. Resilience and Adaptability:
– Demonstrating strength in handling challenges and adapting to changes
According to research from Pentland Analytics (pdf), companies recover from share-price losses faster when senior management communicates with stakeholders swiftly and launches an active program of social responsibility that directly addresses the damage associated with the crisis.
Don’t waste years of hard work. Prioritise proactive reputation management and effective crisis communication to protect your brand integrity.
To help you we’ve created a tool to discover how safe your company’s reputation really is. Think of it as the first step of a Reputation Audit.
To take a look, please visit our Reputational Audit page.
Media training is often misunderstood.
How many of the following would you say are true?
All of the above are in fact FALSE.
Let us explain why and set the record straight on a few other misconceptions.
Learn more about our media training services here or contact us to find out more.
Having sent undercover BBC camera teams into food businesses and having produced many programmes on failing food and production standards, we know what visiting journalists look out for on busy production lines. And the good, the bad and the ugly discoveries that can undo reputations.
But done in the right way, inviting cameras in can be a big win. Ahead of filming for BBC Inside the Factory, we visited one client’s production floor, before the crew and host Greg Wallace arrived.
Using our documentary maker’s mindset and an experienced camera operator, we spent the day filming with each team member on location giving them on camera experience and answering questions in the busy factory.
This hugely successful British snack company knew a prime-time TV slot was a huge opportunity, requiring careful prep to showcase the brand and its people. How did we help?
As the PR and marketing lead said: “Abby and her team put everyone at ease. The thought and preparation they’d put into the session meant that we got straight on with focussing on the team and making sure they had the practice and insight they needed to speak with confidence.”
Similarly, Channel 4’s Food Unwrapped asked to film with one client in their European factory. It was not an easy decision so our client asked us to help them take their assessment to the Executive Management Team.
First we:
Next we:
The client was thrilled with the final result which showed their manufacturing standards, their people and their brand in very good light.
Undercover filming is a very different experience but whether positive or negative we know how to advise, support and work with clients to achieve the best outcome possible because we’ve been on both sides of the camera.
Picture the scene – the original BBC TV Centre, we’re hours away from the latest episode of BBC Watchdog being broadcast.
Anne Robinson and I are on the hunt for a Diet Coke as we talk strategy for the imminent live interview with a nervous company spokesperson. And then we see the ACTUAL Ronnie Wood from the Rolling Stones…
It was a real joy to reminisce on the Godolphin and Latymer podcast – The Pod.
Hear this and other less name-dropping stories on The Pod, Old Dolphin Network.
How do you live through crises?
You know, the ones in real-time, vivid colour, surround sound, no let up.
When I talk about living through crises, plural, I mean it. The horse meat scandal was one.
Back in 2013, relatively new to crisis communications, my brief was to support a client facing the force of media scrutiny, after processed beef products sold by UK supermarkets were found to contain horse meat.
Rooted to one room, the phone an extension of my ear, time dictated by challenging media calls, social media chatter and client needs – it was the most exceptional 10 days of my life.
I discovered:
If you want to talk lived crisis experience, please give me a shout.
I’m told it’s time for a (re)introduction.
Press play and let me begin!
How do you make people stop and listen?
After years spent preparing for interviews, both asking and answering questions. And even more following the big news interviews, I wanted to summarise what makes me really listen:
1. Paint me a picture – literally. Use language with colour, imagery and stories to help me make an emotional connection with what you are talking about.
2. Vocal power. Use your tone of voice, pauses and stress on critical words, to make it feel like you’re talking directly to me.
3. Hold my hand. Lead me through what you’re saying by keeping it simple, impactful and ultimately memorable.
Image credit: Magda Ehlers
And I know lots of people feel exactly the same way.
Given that I train others how to speak on camera I’ve forced myself to take my own medicine and now – I’m actually starting to enjoy it, a little!
Here’s what I’ve learnt and what you need to know…