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How NOT to handle a communications crisis. Lessons learned from Komen for the Cure
If you have been following the backlash that started yesterday afternoon, sparked by The Susan G. Komen for the Cure’s withdrawal of funding for a pro-life group in America, and watched as it quickly escalated across social networking sites, you will have witnessed what Kivi Leroux Miller calls “the accidental branding” of a non-profit giant.
Now I am not going to debate the rights or wrongs of SGK’s decision here, but I do want to point out to you the inevitable fall out for any organization which chooses to jump into a highly controversial area of public debate (and the abortion debate is hugely divisive in American politics) without a communications strategy; then compounds the damage by staying silent, thereby losing control of the dialogue while others take it over. It really is a fascinating study in how a communications crisis can escalate, particularly given the power of social media.
Kivi Leroux Miller has written a great post outlining the sequence of events which unfolded yesterday and it serves as a timely lesson so you don’t make the same mistake on whatever hot button issues your organization might be wading into.
Related
How the Susan G Komen Foundation just torpedoed their brand
3 nonprofit PR lessons from the Susan G. Komen debacle
7 PR Lessons Komen for the Cure Didn’t Know It Was Giving You
What is the most commonly over-used word in marketing?
Is your product “unique”, “award-winning”, the “leading brand” in your market? If so, you are not alone in promoting your award-winning, unique talents. According to PR strategist Adam Sherk, who conducted his own desk-research last June to determine the 100 most overused buzzwords in marketing and PR, the top five were “leader,” “leading,” “best,” “top,” and “unique.”
Last month, Sherk ran 25 of those overused words through PRFilter, a new website that aggregates press releases, to see how they performed. The most popular word on the site was“leading,” which appeared 776 times in one 24 hour period alone.
So where do you think the majority of these “unique” press releases chock full of meaningless buzz words end up? That’s right. Straight in the delete file, or the waste paper bin. So folks, if you want to generate interest with your press release, start by avoiding some of these
Top 23 most over-used words
1. leading (776)
2. solution (622)
3. best (473)
4. innovate / innovative / innovator (452)
5. leader (410)
6. top (370)
7. unique (282)
8. great (245)
9. extensive (215)
10. leading provider (153)
11. exclusive (143)
12. premier (136)
13. flexible (119)
14. award winning / winner (106)
15. dynamic (95)
16. fastest (70)
17. smart (69)
18. state of the art (65)
19. cutting edge (54)
20. biggest (54)
21. easy to use (51)
22. largest (34)
23. real time (8)
Why social media is a key component of not for profit marketing
Social Media is a key component of a charity’s outreach and fundraising programme. Its emergence has opened up a lot of doors for getting messages out there and spread wider than was possible before its advent. It provides charities with greater opportunities to share more information about the important work that they do, and to seek and receive feedback. When you need to raise awareness for an issue you need to be able to communicate it and social media is a powerful way to tell your story to hundreds of thousands of people.
Social media marketing is about leveraging your online presence to maximise the spread of your message and support for that message. The emergence of social media platforms and social networking has been the most exciting thing I have seen happen in the field of marketing and PR since I started working in this area. It has opened up new avenues for everyone, regardless of location and finances. It has levelled the playing field for all and with dedication, commitment and passion, anyone can make it work for them.
Fundraising, volunteer recruitment, educating your market, increasing brand awareness, connecting with other nonprofits, and getting to know your audience better can all be addressed effectively and economically through social networks.
In forthcoming posts, I will show you how to navigate the social media waters, offer practical steps and advice on developing your own social media strategy, illustrated with personal success stories and case histories. So check back in often for regular updated content and please do join in the conversation by asking a question or leaving a comment in the comments box.
Let the learning begin…
