What’s Your “Holy *^%$$” Plan?

In the best of all worlds, marketers are representing wonderful products to a receptive audience that will award their diligence with positive stories across a variety of communications platforms (print, digital, TV, social media).

Were it only that simple. A major problem for marketers is when all their hard work goes up in smoke due to something beyond their control. What can go wrong? Virtually everything. The product isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. That’s not hard to overcome, improve the product. The audience is indifferent. We’ll just have to work harder, and be more creative, so someone will pay attention to us.

Integrity Scare

The sure-fire, french-fried horror story, however, is when the company has done something wrong that beings into question its integrity. Maybe the marketer didn’t even know there was a problem as it’s highly unlikely that the company would have its marketing reps in the room when plotting some nefarious deed.

For example, if you are marketing yourself, you know or should know if you’re doing something that would cause your integrity to be called into question. The further away the marketer is from the decision makers, the less likely it is that they will be aware of the problem.

Of course, everyone likes to say it can’t happen here. We have good people. We do good deeds. We’re a “trusted name brand.” Trusted name brands that have recently had their integrity called into question include Toyota (the locking breaks affair), GM (both the Chevy Volt and Cruze are alleged to have had fire problems), and Penn State University.

Have a Disaster Kit

The latter was perhaps the most damaging incident because the university’s only product really is its relationship with its students and the surrounding community. The major lesson to be taken away from Penn State is the well worn saw “It’s not the crime so much as it is the cover up.” In the old days, there might have been a closed door committee that would have worked through some of the issues before matters got out of hand. Now, there’s an article on a Website, a few Tweets, and you’re viral.

Obviously, the best defense against being blindsided is to be informed. Next, marketers need to have a “First Aid Disaster Kit” in case a big, bad story rears its ugly head to avoid being flat footed. Finally, the marketer needs an extra supply of patience and goodwill to be able to successfully live “in the middle” between the stressed-out client and the rapacious media looking for dirt.