HOUSTON— Within the past few years, a handful of brands such as United Airlines, Toyota, Chick-fil-A and many more have experienced brand crises, placing businesses, stocks and reputations in a dangerous position. Anything from property damage to severe weather conditions to a bad customer service experience can possibly ruin a brand's reputation and credibility unless there is a crisis management plan in place.

Melissa DiGianfilippo is the co-owner and president at Serendipit Consulting, a creative agency that takes a boutique approach to marketing, public relations, branding and event planning. DiGianfilippo leads the firm's clients' public relations and communications efforts including traditional media relations, crisis communications, internal communications and community outreach. She recently outlined what is involved in a typical crisis, key aspects of a plan, and short- and long-term crisis effects in this exclusive.

GlobeSt.com: What are some examples of brand crisis situations?

DiGianfilippo: A crisis can be almost anything, from something as small as a negative post on Facebook that spirals out of control, to a major natural disaster or shooting. More often than not, brands don't take the small stuff as seriously as a major crisis, which is a huge mistake. Typically, small mini-crisis is what negatively affect the perception of a business. As for multifamily and student housing communities, the most common types of crisis tend to be construction delays (which impacts move-in), crime, suicide, shootings and natural disasters.

In light of the most recent hurricanes across Texas and Florida, natural disasters are top of mind for many brands right now. The good news is that in almost all cases, a natural disaster doesn't negatively affect the reputation of a community because it is entirely unavoidable. Granted, the company will still most likely experience financial losses, but there won't be as many hurdles to overcome when it comes to negative perceptions post-crisis.

GlobeSt.com: What is the first step a business should take when dealing with a brand crisis situation?

DiGianfilippo: The first thing to do is take a deep breath and stop whatever gut instinct you have to respond quickly. Those emotions that most managers or owners feel when something first happens can translate into poor communication that makes the crisis management harder to resolve. It's always recommended that brands have a crisis plan that spans an entire portfolio and on which all teams are trained. This will ensure that every person is ready to jump into action when appropriate.

GlobeSt.com: What are some long-term effects a business can experience if appropriate action isn't taken?

DiGianfilippo: For any real estate business, whether that is student housing or multifamily, not taking appropriate action can cause the property to miss its leasing and sales goals. Social media plays a huge role in how real estate communities are leased or sold. With that being said, if a community was to experience something negative, it will most likely be posted on social media. Avoiding conversation online or even deleting comments will only make it worse. It is critical to come up with a plan of attack for responding to negative comments online to quickly shift the message to a positive light. Additionally, it is crucial for pre-planned social media content to be placed on hold during a crisis. Many brands have received backlash from posting something lighthearted during a serious situation.

However, if a property cannot gain control of a crisis and take the right actions to navigate through it, a company risks losing so much brand equity that a rebrand is the only option. This isn't always the worst thing, but it's critical to wait to implement any re-brand until well past the crisis. If you do it too soon, it may not be impactful.

GlobeSt.com: How long does it typically take for a business to recover from a brand crisis?

DiGianfilippo: It depends on the severity of the crisis and what unfolded online and in the media to understand how long it will take to recover. Sometimes, it can be a few weeks, other times a few months and in some cases when it requires a rebrand, more than a year. There is no real guidebook for this, but having the ability to identify a crisis as it's happening and swiftly take action, and implementing a well-thought out plan will make all the difference.

GlobeSt.com: When building a crisis management plan, what are key things the plan must have to be successful?

DiGianfilippo: A crisis plan should outline and define the different types of crisis situations with a how-to guide to handling each case. It should detail who is on the crisis management team and their roles including any outsourced team members such as a public relations agency and attorneys. Often, the media will come knocking on your door right when a crisis hits, before you feel like you have had time to formulate your thoughts and come up with a concrete action plan. The crisis plan should outline exactly how to respond to media in the early stages of a crisis before any real information is available and should break down who is allowed to speak to media. It should also outline how to monitor social media and the process of turning off pre-scheduled content during a crisis.

GlobeSt.com: What are some examples of brand crisis situations?

GlobeSt.com: What is the first step a business should take when dealing with a brand crisis situation?

GlobeSt.com: What are some long-term effects a business can experience if appropriate action isn't taken?

GlobeSt.com: How long does it typically take for a business to recover from a brand crisis?

GlobeSt.com: When building a crisis management plan, what are key things the plan must have to be successful?

Instant Insights /

How to Recover a Brand After a Crisis or Disaster

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