Turn Issues into Opportunities
Issues management is a vital component of PR, and one of the best examples of effective issues management of recent was KFC’s ‘FCK, We’re Sorry’ Campaign.
KFC stores across Britain ran out of chicken prompting an issue requiring an immediate response.
Zuii Organic Marketing Coordinator, Zac Maher said KFC’s witty apology both accepts responsibility and shows humility gaining immediate public support.
“Pure genius, reworking the logo to maintain brand awareness and utilising humour as a tool of engagement,” Zac said.
“I saw an influx of memes across social media about KFC running out of chicken; then this attention- grabbing response changed the online narrative to their favour.
“KFC’s PR team took a bold approach, and it paid off,” he said.
Researchers Ulmer and Seeger urge PR professionals to see the opportunity in every potential crisis.
Companies must accept blame, take responsibility and actively communicate to uphold trust.
KFC’s campaign communicates quickly, respectfully and most importantly with honesty.
Their response results include added brand awareness, higher customer loyalty and an increase in overall sales for KFC.
PR graduates should refer to the KFC apology when looking to turn an issue into a tool for success.
While some issues are unpredictable, most simmer and it is imperative to respond appropriately to preserve the company’s reputation.
You might even find your organisation strengthens in the process.
Corporate Social Responsibility is Key
Consumers are looking to support ethical organisations that demonstrate strong corporate social responsibility (CSR) as part of their PR campaigns and overall ethos.
PR graduates must harness the power of CSR in all aspects of their professional career.
Ruby Communications Account Executive, Phillipa Arrowsmith believes the trend toward supporting transparent, environmentally friendly and trustworthy organisations will only continue to grow.
“CSR is one of the most valuable tools you can bring to the workplace,” Phillipa said.
“As a recent PR graduate, I appreciated the emphasis placed on incorporating CSR into our campaign assessments at University as it has been prevalent from the first day of employment.
“Agencies expect graduates to understand CSR and use it as an underlying framework for all communication with publics.
“Even as a consumer, I refuse to purchase products from companies with no or poor CSR efforts, we are becoming mindful customers.”
CSR should be mentioned in all PR campaigns to meet consumer expectations.
Observe Clever Public Relations Campaigns
Two of our favourite successful PR campaigns are by Lawyes.com and non-other than Whiskey brand Johnnie Walker!
Lindsay Lohan as the face of Lawyer.com. Controversial? Absolutely. However, due to her (well know) brushes with the law and celebrity influence Lindsay made publics relate to her honesty and trust in Lawyer.com to help them out of their own legal predicaments too.
Johnnie Walker: Jane Walker. Maximising on the societal push toward gender equality and timeliness of International Women’s Day, Johnnie Walker released a female version of its whiskey; even donating $1 of every sale to organisations that empower women. Brilliant.
