Star PR expert on how to avoid a public relations disaster

Once a business hits the headlines for the wrong reasons it can be very difficult to re-build a reputation, writes Sundeep Sehijpal of Star Public Relations.

Journalists can squirrel the dirt away to be mentioned time and again – and revisit it whenever they like, often overshadowing a good news story.

At the very least, you might find yourself spotlighted in numerous blog posts listing the worst PR fails.

In January, clothes retailer H&M was at the centre of a row over a hoodie. The firm was slammed for an advert showing a young, black male model wearing a green jumper with the words: “Coolest monkey in the jungle.”

The clothing giant withdrew the garment after racism accusations.

Virgin Trains pulled the Daily Mail newspaper from its trains after staff complained about the title’s coverage of issues such as immigration.

The decision has since been revoked, but the company was accused of enforcing censorship.

Both these companies never thought it would happen to them.

Following years of helping businesses avoid a PR disaster there are some practical tips I can recommend.

Firstly, if there is something you don’t want to be seen doing, don’t do it.

Ensure your company operates legally, ethically and with sound judgement.

Look at things objectively and steer clear of anything that might have racial, religious or political undertones unless you’ve carefully considered the potential consequences.

If you want to invite controversy or make a point in the public arena, think carefully about how this will be perceived and where it could lead.

Also, examine your checking process.

Make sure that anything going public, such as brochures, websites and leaflets, have been thoroughly proofed by a number of people.

Internal communications are also crucial.

It is important to make sure employees are aware of what they can and can’t talk about outside of the company walls.

There should be obvious communication routes for colleagues to go down if they feel they need to raise an issue.

Lastly, social media has the potential to cause problems.

Having a clear brand social strategy and an online policy in place for staff will help minimise the risks.

Employees should also be made aware of the risks of using their own personal social media accounts.

PR disasters can be dealt with but you have to be vigilant and enlisting an agency or external expert can help weather the storm.

• Sundeep Sehijpal is agency director for Star Public Relations, part of the Midland News Association, publisher of the Express & Star and Shropshire Star.