It feels like the last few months have seen a string of firm suffering after failing to react to PR disasters quickly and efficiently. Organizations that have well oiled PR machines in place and are certainly no strangers to dealing with the media. But is their expertise limited to traditional media channels and have they perhaps overlooked onlinePR and new media in their thinking?

Both Northern Rock and Mattel have been hit by huge waves of consumer panic and could have lessened the impact had they communicated more effectively, including via the web.
So is HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) doing all it can online to help people hit by its Child Benefit data disaster – the scale of which is up there with both those businesses?

Unfortunately, no.

While affiliates and media groups have been quick to react to opportunities offered by the HMRC’s error, its site still doesn’t offer much at all in the way of advice for the millions of concerned parents out there.

It has set up a helpline but isn’t yet promoting the number on its homepage. And although you can click through to an apology from someone called Dave, there aren’t any directions to further advice Рwhether that be on the HMRC site or somehere else on the web.

In the event of a crisis it is vitally important that you react fast. The internet has become a primary information resource for people, so it is natural for them to turn to this medium in order to understand how a situation may effect them.

Part of your crises management plan these days must include new media. The very least that you should be doing is using your web site to provide regular updates, as well as clear contact information and a specific crisis question & answer section that tells people what means to them and what actions they should take. This information does not want to be buried deep in your site or lost in a news section – this has to be on your home page and very accessible.

Surprisingly, banks also seem to have been slow to respond on the web.

Spokespeople have been trying to persuade consumers not to inundate their call centres with enquiries. But none of NatWest, HSBC, Lloyds TSB, Barclays, Halifax and the Royal Bank of Scotland have made any obvious efforts to offer alternatives on their websites.

There appears to be no evidence that they, or the government, have started to use paid search ads to direct people to their information. As the run on Northern Rock showed, they would be able to lessen the load on other resources by being first out there on the web.

As ever – it’s not rocket science! Affiliates and publishers have already been making efforts to acquire traffic through online channels. Both are already using PPC ads on Google to acquire traffic – and are likely to benefit from the shortage of information on government sites.

What would happen if a disaster or crisis happened to your business?

Whilst managing a business crisis is obviously not the time to be trying understand how to use new media as part of your communication plan, so it makes sense to plan your communication strategy for such an event TODAY. If you would like some no nonsense help then call N3W Media right now.