Top >> Managing_PR Credit to Telstra for its handling of a marketing crisis published October 01 Telstra made a marketing mistake in August when it sent a message to its 3.4 million mobile phone customers by the most obvious means - voice mail message. The only problem was that the marketing people appeared to overlook the fact that this transmission would be free to Telstra whereas each recipient would be charged. (Or did they simply ignore the consequences?). From the sidelines it looks like a problem that PR people often face in the marketing arena - staff with a sales-only focus can occasionally get a little too clever or overlook the public consequences. Or, as seems to be increasingly the case, the ‘silos’ that marketing staff often work in today means that there can be a lack of adequate senior marketing management supervision to pick up these ‘indiscretions’.  Whatever the cause, the PR people are then called in to redress the resulting situation - internal staff if they exist or, if not, the organisation’s PR agency. Within hours there was a public outcry.  It was a great media story.  In this situation, Telstra’s PR response was ‘textbook’.  Within a few hours of the media running it as another ‘bash Telstra’ story they admitted the mistake, essentially said they had been stupid and began crediting customers.  It left the media with nowhere to go.  Within a day the story had vanished. Publicly Telstra had escaped as best they could expect with only minimal, short-term damage to their corporate reputation (what went on inside Telstra can only be imagined). For an organisation that gets more than its fair share of brickbats, credit should be given to Telstra for its handling of a short-term marketing crisis. It brings to mind some of the key rules on How to win forgiveness in a crisis. They are: Candor Outward recognition, through verbalised public acknowledgement, that a problem exists. Explanation Briefly explain why the problem occurred and the known underlying reasons or behavioural causes. Declaration A public commitment and discussion of specific, positive steps to be taken to address the issues and resolve the situation Contrition The verbalisation of regret, empathy, sympathy or even embarrassment. Consultation Ask for help and counsel from ‘victims’, government, and from the community of origin.  Even from your opposition! Commitment Publicly promise that to the best of your ability situations like this will never occur again. Restitution Find a way to quickly pay the price.

PR Influences Australian Public Relations Newsletter. Article: Crisis management: How to win forgiveness in a crisis. Information Content: Opinion & Comment, Managing PR, Crisis & Issues Management