What Should You Ask a PR Agency Before Hiring it for Crisis Management?

If a crisis occurs, don’t hesitate to call the PR agency you’ve hired. Ask them how they plan on helping you and what can be done to keep the situation from spiraling out of control. Ask your Public Relations agency under what circumstances they would recommend using a “damage control” plan.

Things to Ask a PR Agency Before Hiring

When looking for a PR agency, discuss how long it will take them to get started and whether they have the resources needed to help you in this crisis. If you need help with product recalls, ask whether they have a team to help monitor the situation.

A robust agency that can come up with innovative PR strategies can help keep your brand reputation intact.

How Do You Plan to Handle a PR Crisis?

When you are looking for the best Public Relations agency to handle your crisis management, make sure to ask what they plan on doing to prevent this from happening again in the future. They should research your company and how it works to learn how to avoid similar problems in the future.

What Type of PR Work Do You Specialize in?

Many consumer complaints may have been lodged against a particular product your company makes, and it’s being recalled due to safety issues. Suppose a horrible event has occurred in a community where a company has a branch or an office. In this case, the most important thing is for crisis communications professionals to be proactive.

Creative ways to get your message across, such as newsletters or email blasts, can also help. PR agencies know how to create strong messages and reach the public, no matter which forms of media they use. For example, sending letters of apology and compensation can go a long way in calming down angry customers. Whatever the case, the message must be clear and concise.

The goal is to resolve the emergency that caused the problem and prevent it from happening again in the future.

How Do You Tackle Product Safety Concerns?

Everyone receives complaints about products, even if large companies manufacture them, but there are times when these complaints turn into something much more significant than usual. This is usually the case when customers feel their lives or well-being may be in danger.

If you receive numerous complaints about one particular product and it’s not so easy to recall, you may want to consider hiring a PR agency.

Do You Have Sufficient Legal Knowledge?

Even though this may not be an emergency that concerns your customers directly, it will still need to be addressed because of the negative impact on the company as a whole. When you receive a legal notice, inform your PR agency right away.

They can help you find a way to deal with the situation as professionally as possible and avoid future problems.

Do You Help with Advertisement Campaigns?

If your advertising campaign has gone out of control or caused severe damage to your company’s image, a PR agency is a good solution. They can help you get the problem under control and avoid severe damage to your business or reputation.

Depending on what type of PR emergency occurs, it will be necessary to develop different strategies to handle the situation. When it comes to product recalls, loss of sales, or legal problems, you will need to start with an apology of some kind.

This usually takes the form of a letter of explanation and compensation. A crisis management team can also help investors understand why certain decisions have been made, even if they are unpopular or unfavorable at that given time.

Final Thoughts

PR emergencies and crises come unannounced. Hence check if the PR agency can provide your company with an emergency hotline number that will put you in contact with experienced professionals who are on call 24/7 to handle any emergencies that may arise.