In most business-related crisis situations, such as product recalls, it’s usually obvious who should be told about it and what they’ll want to know about them.
But there are other crises that can require more attention and sensitivity when crafting, targeting, and sending information about it. That’s especially true with crises that involve or affect different cultures, races, and religions in the U.S. or other countries.
What’s At Stake
Failure to do so could mean the difference between crisis communication success and failure—and extending or worsening the crisis.
Adidas’ response last October to Kanye West’s (who now calls himself Ye) recent antisemitic comments is a case in point.
“Adidas does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech,” the company said in a statement. “Ye’s recent comments and actions have been unacceptable, hateful and dangerous, and they violate the company’s values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect and fairness.”
But in the eyes of some crisis communication experts, Addidas waited too long before responding to the crisis.
Ye’s remarks were “such an outright anti-Semitic rant that it deserved an immediate response from the company. Sometimes it’s wise to wait a while before you respond. But this was so blatant and so offensive that Adidas needed to respond much sooner,” John Goodman of John Goodman PR said via email.
Addidas did not immediately respond to a request to comment for this article.
More Than Speed
But speed is not the only factor to consider when responding to a crisis—or helping to prevent one.
Awareness
There are many reasons what you thought you knew yesterday could be outdated or irrelevant when a crisis strikes. That’s why it’s important to always pay attention to what’s happening in the world.
“The need for greater cross-cultural awareness is heightened in our global economies,” strategic adviser Elia Minty said in a post on LinkedIn.
“Cross-cultural differences in matters such as language, etiquette, non-verbal communication, norms and values can, do and will lead to cross-cultural blunders. Such blunders, more often than not, lead to crises. Faced with a crisis of any kind, organizations will have to communicate,” he noted.
‘Understand The Impact’
Cookie-cutter approaches for responding to a crisis can do more harm than good. That’s why it’s important to craft a customized response when different cultures are involved.
“Understand the impact that different cultures have on your crisis communications strategy, and be prepared to interact effectively with all of the cultures involved in the crisis,” Lisa Altman senior vice president of public relations for Jaffe PR, a law firm marketing company, wrote on its website.
“Many cultures have specific etiquette for the way they communicate. Do your research on local customs, from gestures to common language. Having some basic knowledge of behavior do’s, don’ts and local social protocols shows respect.
“Keep communications clear, simple and to the point. Jargon and slang don’t always translate the same way across cultures. Have a reliable, experienced translator available when language barriers present themselves. Avoid the use of acronyms and pop-culture language. Even if your audience speaks the same language, don’t assume that they can follow your train of thought,” she advised.
Know How To Apologize
Depending on the nature and cause of a crisis, it may be appropriate for a company or organization to apologize for causing or contributing to it.
“In any culture, sincerity is an essential part of a proper apology, but how the apology is delivered is also crucial,” Skye Schooley, a staff writer for Business News Daily, wrote recently.
“For example, some cultures place importance on intricate, multifaceted apologies, whereas other cultures prefer to avoid drawing additional unwanted attention to the problem. Those who work internationally need to understand the importance of proper apologies and how to best deliver them,” she noted.
Practice, Practice, Practice
Incorporate culture-related crisis scenarios in crisis management and crisis communication plans and test corporate responses to these situations.
As with any type of crisis, the more you are prepared for them, the better. That includes having a culturally -diverse crisis management and crisis communication team.
And don’t overlook the importance of having immediate access to the resources you’ll need to respond strategically, effectively, and efficiently to a crisis involving different races, religions, or cultures.
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