In a crisis it's easy to loose your head. You can't think. The devastation seems to incredible too comprehend. That's why we plan and rehearse in advance of crisis events. In what started out as a rapt and personalized use of PR and communication quickly turned into a textbook case of how not to react in a crisis when International Coal Group failed to correct misinformation in a timely manner.
During the crisis, CEO Ben Hatfield did everything pretty well. He answered questions, provided background, went out of his way to be personal and empathetic and filled the void with facts and figures. However, during the one time he should have shined he let the families of 12 men trapped underground believe their loved ones were still alive.
He could have corrected the misinformation almost immediately, but chose to wait. He might have wanted to clear up the confusion, but he waited too long to react in a media environment hell bent on getting news out too fast to double check the facts.
PR in a crisis demands quick thinking and correcting the miscommunications. And this event will be remembered much like the Exxon Valdez or the missteps following Hurricane Katrina.
In his apology he came through again; his sincere concern and empathy shown through. But by the time he faced those families again to apologize, his credibility was gone.
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