We had a great day working with the team at Alexandra Palace and Park.
So lucky to have the chance to be in such an iconic British building, steeped in so much history.
The rain actually stopped!
Crisis don’t come out of nowhere
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
A critical friend
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.
What we can all learn from tabloid journalists…
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.
What the **** is crisis communications and does your business need it?
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
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
What do we really offer?
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.
Journalist-led:
– 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.
Insight-driven:
– 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.
The art of an apology
Some thoughts from Abby Mangold on what makes an apology work…
What David Frost taught me
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”?
Counting the cost of a reputational hit
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.
Building a reputation: The value of long-term effort
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.
Communicate well in a crisis
Watch this for a simple and effective way to communicate in a crisis.
We train award winners!
🤗 Huge congratulations to our 4 fabulous clients recognised as inspiring industry leaders. Well-earned, richly deserved.
👀 Discretion prevents a public shout-out, but you know who you are!
For clients on the journey to awards, our media training is still a win – why?
💭 Reconciling opposing views in the office
👊 Confidence to answer difficult questions in front of an audience
⚖ Diplomacy to find centre ground in a professional stand-off
🏋♂️ Clarity to sell strengths in a VIP meeting
👉 Media training is a recipe for success in these situations and more.
🐶 Thanks to Betsy for wearing her award with such good grace.
Space Shuttle Learnings
Tell your boss to watch this Space Shuttle documentary…
📢 Are you the lone voice nudging senior colleagues about crisis planning?
🤔 Are there known issues too trifling to confront amongst all the “business as usual”?
Watch ‘The Space Shuttle that Fell To Earth’ on BBC iPlayer and tell your bosses to do the same, if you want to get crisis communications at the top of the agenda.
👍 Congratulations to Mindhouse Productions, this brilliant 3-parter, sensitively told a difficult story, which among many things shows why a culture of open communication matters. And is as important as crisis preparation.
🚀 Even if you are not in the business of space flight, speaking out, seeking answers and encouraging conversations, will help avoid issues becoming devastating crises.
And give me a shout if your crisis comms nudge could do with a shoulder.
Thank you Leslie Nielsen (Dr Rumack) and the iconic Airplane!
Comedy is a useful ice breaker in crisis communications planning when we ask everyone to think the worst… no… the very, very worst.
And this quote is a reminder of everything that shouldn’t happen when things get serious. Why?
- Doctors don’t fly planes. If you want to know who is at the helm in moments of difficulty, do the thinking before the bad stuff happens.
- Preparing for the worst improves the likelihood of a better outcome, I promise you it’s worth the investment.
- Crisis planning is seriously fun, but never funny. Being invited to join companies at the start of their crisis comms planning is the best part of our job.
If crisis comms planning is making you seriously nervous, let us help you move it off the to-do list.
New clients within our grasp and new projects to get our teeth into.
It is weeks like this which keep us chomping at the bit.
*No puppies were harmed in the making of this film. In fact, they inspired this film, just by doing what puppies do best, when presented with a bone.
The press doorstep – can you handle it?
Only watch this if you KNOW how to handle a doorstep*
The infamous doorstep only ends when the journalist leaves with something.
A no comment, a closed door, or in this case a response.
Managing a doorstep takes some well thought through choreography.
*Full disclosure, this one features my Dad, Tom Mangold, in action on BBC Panorama in 1997 so I may be biased.
Some favourite things that clients have told us recently
Good Vibes only.
I’ve started the year with a short stay in hospital and am determined to stay positive and come out the other side smiling.
So as my starter for 10, I unapologetically share some of my favourite things clients have told us recently.
“Fantastic training experience from industry experts…delivered in a safe environment…”
Head of Retail, Leading UK Retailer
“Making it in real situations with feedback, watching our performance after the media interview was a great experience…Highly recommend this training.”
Head of Sales, Global FMCG
“…well tailored to my practice and area of focus which made a big difference from training where we deal with generic issues.”
Partner, International Law Firm
The Post Office, Boohoo and the moments I miss investigative journalism
It’s times like these that I miss making TV.
Watching Mr Bates vs the Post Office and the long overdue response from the Government I’m reminded about the power of TV and its reach – 9.2 million people watched the first episode, and that was before people started really talking about it.
Yes, there are lots of means to get publicity for your cause these days but there is nothing more convincing than real human stories, told well, through public service broadcasting.
Meanwhile, a BBC investigation has found that Boohoo put ‘Made in UK’ labels on clothes made overseas.
Ooooh to have been part of the team uncovering that little nugget.
These dramas and investigations take big teams of highly talented individuals, they take money (so lacking in journalism these days) and they take a collective will to ‘out the truth’ even when it can be months and years to gather the evidence you need.
My advice to any business on the receiving end of one of these investigations is take it seriously, if they’re coming for your response, they’ve already got the evidence they need and the truth, well the truth will always out, even if it takes 25 years.
Tips for engaging leaders on crisis communications preparation
How do you get people to engage and invest in crisis communications?
Show and Tell!
When I hosted a Crisis Communications webinar for Brandwatch together with our Social Media Director, Justin Clark, he revealed top tips for engaging leadership on crisis comms preparation.
Nothing like a bit of competitor insight to jump start collective action!
‘I really don’t want to speak to you again this year’.
No offence intended. None taken.
When clients chose us as their 24/7 crisis comms support, we get that a good Christmas for them means not speaking to us.
But if they do, we’re here. Poised with slightly wonky paper hats.
And to anyone else in need of 24/7 crisis comms support on speed dial…You know where to find us!
Happy Christmas to our wonderful team, clients and wider network – may 2024 be everything you wish for.