There’s no news like bad news, and people have a tendency to pass bad news on. Bad experiences can linger in one’s memory for years, even if the issue is ostensibly resolved. Negative PR needs to be dealt with and reeled in. On the positive side, it is also a good opportunity to help fine-tune and improve your business offering. Correctly responding to negative press can rescue or even enhance your brand image. Here’s how.

Prevention is Better than Cure

As the saying goes, the best way to deal with a problem is to try not to let it happen in the first place. It is important to stay aware of what is happening in the media.

Tip: Skim media outlets everyday and set up alerts for your B2B company, brand name/s, people within your company and any other keywords that might affect your business.

This way, you can respond quickly to any negative comments or offer to make amends to customers before the issue gains traction. This also reflects your brand’s commitment to customer care and service. Negative PR oftentimes arises due to misunderstandings, so it is also important to make sure any outgoing communications (such as press releases) are clear and succinct without room for misinterpretation.

Tip: Make sure all outgoing information or B2B PR about your company is accurate, and offer accessible points of contact so that any questions can be answered promptly.

Anticipate the unexpected by having a B2B crisis communication plan in place. This will allow you to respond quickly to larger PR crises where you may need specific spokespeople to step up or particular actions to be taken by certain employees.

Tip: Set up a crisis management plan, no matter what size your B2B organisation may be.

Knowing when to respond

Always keep a cool head when dealing with negative press. Bad press inevitably stirs up emotions and makes things seem like they are worse than they really are.

Tip: Take a step back and think about whether the piece of PR is damaging to your business reputation and relationships, or is factually false and unduly biased.

If the impact is likely to be minimal and responding would only only “add fuel to the fire”, it may be better to hold off and limit attention to it. Monitor the situation closely and ensure any incoming queries are answered quickly and directly. More often than not, the news cycle will run its course and the bad press will fade over time.

Responding to negative B2B media coverage

If management decides it is necessary to take action against the negative media coverage, it is important to first reflect on the review itself. Negative press is often based on some amount of truth, and it is important to focus on the issues that the reviewer raises and investigate the problem.

Here are some points of consideration when making a response:

Make it quick

Businesses that communicate quickly and immediately have a greater chance of being the media’s primary go-to source for information. Any reluctance by PR teams to respond will have a negative impact on customer perception and retention, and the media may resort to finding information elsewhere – which will never be as accurate or informed as the company itself. If the problem is widespread, a news release, or in some cases, a press conference, may be needed.

The 3 A’s: Accept responsibility, Apologize, and make Amends

It is important to publicly address the issue at hand by first accepting responsibility for the B2B company’s actions. If you have offended customers, an apology is immediately in order. People are naturally distrustful, especially in the wake of negative press. Admitting that your company made a mistake and assuring the public that you are dealing with the issue professionally and properly will enable you to re-build B2B customer loyalty.

Tip: Do not attempt to lay blame or go on the defensive, but demonstrate your company’s commitment to your B2B customers by acknowledging the problem and outlining the steps you are taking to make things better.

Be transparent

Keep your customers, employees, suppliers, and internal stakeholders in the loop during any PR crisis. Keeping mum will only fuel speculation. If needed, issue a public response with a press statement. This way, you will be able to control the angle in which it is presented to some extent.

Tip: Issue an internal memo to explain the company’s position, specifying spokesperson/s on the issue, actions to be taken and press office contact information.

Tip: Maintain open channels for customers to contact you. You can consider setting up a hot line, email contacts, B2B social media networks or even a FAQ web page for people to refer to.

Always put any victims first

The media and the public tend to view any negative press or crisis from the perspective of the victims, so it is imperative for a company to put the victims first by showing genuine concern and taking immediate action to protect their well-being.

Here are two case examples in contrast:

• Sun Hung Kai lift accident  -  On September 13, 2009, a platform in an unused lift shaft collapsed within ICC, Hong Kong’s tallest building, causing the deaths of six workers who plunged 17 storeys. Both the Hong Kong government and the developer of the building, Sun Hung Kai Properties, acted swiftly, immediately apologizing for the accident and pledging a thorough investigation and support for the families of those killed.The developer agreed to pay the families of the affected workers a HK$1 million ex-gratia payment, on top of normal compensation payments, as well as funeral costs, and education costs of the dead workers’ children. In addition to acting quickly and focusing on the needs of the victims, Sun Hung Kai also took responsibility of the accident, even though they were not the direct contractor. Though tragic, the crisis was handled efficiently and appropriately, averting any further negative press that could have harmed the image and reputation of the developer.

• BP Oil Spill  -  In the wake of the Deepwater Horizon/BP oil spill in April 2010, a plethora of negative press was generated (much of it landing on BP), and the company was intensely criticized for how it dealt with the situation. It was slow to acknowledge the magnitude of the spill and initially hid much of the information about the oil spill rate, refusing to post live feed or photos of the underwater spill. A media blackout ensued, where many journalists were unable to document the impact of the oil rig explosion, being turned away from public areas affected by the spill. In addition, CEO Tony Hayward, the spokesperson for the crisis, was not adequately trained in dealing with the media, causing a major backlash from the public.Being quoted, “I’d like my life back,” while downplaying the size of the spill, BP and its CEO failed to empathize with the plight of those affected by the spill, and as a result, lost much of its credibility, attracting a huge amount of outrage. Strong communications and a level of transparency is critical when dealing with negative press of this magnitude.BP failed in its management of this PR crisis in a multitude of areas, from avoiding the media to shifting responsibility and displaying attitudes of unsympathetic aloofness when facing the public. Hayward has since been replaced, but the BP oil spill is still widely considered to be one of the world’s biggest environmental (and PR) disasters.

Address errors with facts

If the press coverage is factually incorrect or unduly biased however, you may want to consider contacting the editor, journalist, or publisher to remove or correct the content if the review itself is inaccurate or biased.

Instead of going on the defensive, provide the correct information instead, highlighting your strengths and substantiating your points with third party quotes or analysis where possible.

However, you may find that some reviews are just negative for the sake of being negative. If by responding, you feel you may draw unnecessary upset and attention to something of minimal impact, it might be best to just let it go.

Tip: Address the source of inaccurate negative press in a calm, factual, source-driven way

Though it may be disheartening, negative press can be embraced and used to a company’s advantage. If there are certain elements of your business that are consistently criticised, it may be a good idea to remedy the problem or focus on your strengths instead. In addition, responding the correct way can demonstrate your company’s commitment to customer service, as well as empathy for your customer’s point of view. Preparing a response that goes beyond expectations can even enhance a company’s brand image.

Lastly, don’t forget to continue to monitor the press closely and track how public opinion turns to become more neutral. It doesn’t happen overnight, but a continued watch on your company’s press coverage will provide a gauge on how the public is reacting to your response and allow you to move on.