We’ve all been there.
Anxiously squeezing the cheap, plastic armrest in a dark, crowded theater. Jaws clenched. Eyes glued to the screen. Hearts racing. Palms sweaty. Knees weak. Arms are heavy.. wait, no.
Eyes glued to the screen. Begging for the shining light of day. Praying we can catch our breath again.
With each scream of “don’t go in there!” or “you’re next!” we can’t help but be grateful we aren’t trapped in a nightmare on Elm Street.
Just like on-screen horror, companies have terror lurking around every corner. The descent is quick when disaster strikes and companies need to act fast to (hopefully) stay alive.
In true Halloween spirit, here are five horror movie principles that ring true in crisis situations:
1: Even the slowest killer will catch up
What doesn’t kill your employees makes your company stronger, right? Wrong.
Dancing around a few ethical boundaries here and there or twisting the law will eventually catch up to you. It doesn’t matter if it’s just child’s play or something far more sinister. Any skeletons in your company’s closet will come back to haunt you, be it hours, weeks, years, or 28 days later.
Just look at Volkswagen. Outfitting vehicles with devices to cheat emissions tests seemed like a good idea at the time, and business continued as usual until the deceit was revealed. Now the company is facing a huge blow to its image, as well as its bank account.
2: Silence is never a good thing
In a movie, dead silence is almost always an indicator that some form of paranormal activity will begin. Silence does not bode well in a crisis, too.
Silence on behalf of the company insinuates the worst and gives critics a chance to control the media messaging.
Most experts say that the first 48 hours a crisis are crucial in determining whether the company will survive. There will be high tension, but a communication plan needs to be executed within 24-48 hours of the crisis onset, and company officials need to communicate with key publics both what has happened and what the company is doing to solve the problem. Putting company officials on quarantine is the worst possible option.
Also, statements like “no comment” only assume guilt and damage future efforts to remedy the crisis.
3: Wearing a mask makes you look suspicious
Unless you’re trick ‘r treating, wearing a mask instantly marks you as a suspect. When addressing a crisis, take off the mask and be transparent and sincere.
FedEx handled its box-throwing incident well by issuing a video apology from a VP at the company. Simple? Yes. Effective? Yes.
We’re all human, and we’re bound to make a wrong turn every now and then. Even if the situation is really bad – Malaysia airlines bad — it’s best to own up and work out a solution rather than get caught in a web of finger pointing and lies.
4. Children and the elderly are protected classes
Children and elderly typically don’t die in movies unless they’re the antagonists (Ils, Children of the Corn, or The Omen, anyone?). If they do die, there is a greater sense of loss than if it was some drunk college kid or middle age office worker.
In a crisis, children and elderly are what Peter Sandman calls “outrage factors.” The theory states that there is more outrage if a crisis affects or includes one of these “factors”. If one of these factors is involved in a crisis, the company will have to work from dusk ‘til dawn to account for this additional setback.
5: Prepare for a sequel or remake
Even if your company survives the crisis, the momentary relief is likely not your final destination. The evil dead are always looking to rise again, and your company needs to constantly prepare for the next crisis.
A company needs a crisis communications plan ready and a designated war room (doesn’t matter if it’s a cabin in the woods, just needs all of the essentials) to act fast when crisis strikes again.
Aleksander Irvin 