Negligence can be devastatingly harmful, just like what an ant nest could do to cause the collapse of a whole embankment. This is an age when information can be widely disseminated within split seconds. Some trivial matters if inappropriately handled in turns of media response can easily trigger a publicity crisis. The corporate image is the first to go down; revenue slump will follow. Corporate must therefore stay vigilant for potential damages and be prepared.

The world keeps changing; whether you have noticed it or not three main trends have already been formed: the rise of women, the emergence of youth and digitization of information. Inevitably, these three trends have brought about drastic changes to the strategies that governments and companies use when responding to the media.

Three trends that should not go unnoticed

Let’s first talk about the rise of women. The number of women political leaders has been on the rise; the percentage of women taking up senior management roles in companies is also gradually increasing. The most significant difference between men and women, clearly, is that women handle matters with more sensitivity.

The emergence of young talents is indisputable. In fact, it is not uncommon for an under-30 to rise to eminence in both the business and political sectors. Comparing to their more seasoned counterparts, young people are, naturally, more daring to innovate and to break conventions.

The third change is that the world is becoming much more digitized in managing information. The academic theories to describe this phenomenon are “the world is flat” and “the era of big data”. Radical changes are taking place in geographical borders, time and space. Our world must now operate 24 hours a day.

Training and mindset equally important

What follows are a few cases that I have personally gone through. Earlier this year, I had an interview with a senior government official of a certain country. I asked him about some web platforms widely used by the public, but someone still considered these as “nothing of much use; I'll leave it to my secretary”. What is Snapchat? Less than 10% of all people at senior ranks know about it. In 2006, a multinational was severely attacked by rumors in the Mainland, which almost made it on the verge of collapse. I was invited to look at a revival plan for the company. Their current publicity company could not help much because they did not understand China and the Internet, nor did they know of anyone outside of the advertising department of media companies. In other words, they had no idea of how to work with the news department.

Speaking to the media from the perspective of the media

Since the 1980s, a kind of media training designed in the style of a “grand stage performance” became all the rage. Yet, after receiving the training, the spokesperson remained fearful and helpless. That is because the Internet has become the key – before you have a chance to respond, the company’s reputation has fallen from grace. Something said by a frontline staff member can generate waves of criticisms. As such, relevant training must also be provided to frontline staff.

So, how should companies and government departments position themselves when facing a crisis in this day and age? There must be substance in their responses; they must know how to express themselves with modern means and the necessary platforms. The position of the response must also fit the time, space and persons involved. In this age of the big data, everyone needs to be re-trained.

The British Prime Minister and the Pop Star

Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown was wearing a media’s microphone for a street-side interview. He forgot to unplug this microphone and began ranting about the public the moment he shut the car door. His speech was recorded in full by the media and his comments turned into a scandal. If he had been a news anchor, this kind of mistakes could be avoided.

Leon Lai’s concert is perhaps an example of a positive and appropriately handled media response in recent years. This event was banned by the government because of some unqualified material used for the venue. Fans who bought tickets were certainly full of grievances. The way Lai handled it was to personally explain the situation through the internet. The personal touch incorporated into his communication effectively brought down the heat of the situation.

Responsive solutions for governments and companies

With this understanding, governments and companies must make adjustment according to the following factors when they respond to a crisis:

Time factor: Make every word count and leave irrelevant contents aside. Respond directly and immediately to the questions – there is no three hours later, nor can something be discussed some time tomorrow. Remember the world of the internet is eternal; every single event that happened can be retrieved.

Geographical factor: Nowadays, there is no differentiation as internal or external, nor is there a distinction between local and international in the scope of information. Every piece of information will be shared by the whole world. Texts are no longer a preferred medium for communication with different demographics; body language and video are indispensable.

Human factor: In the past, there were opinion leaders, but today everyone is a leader. Young people are no longer overlooked. More importantly, living in this epic era, humans tend to respond emotionally under the influence of their feelings. Now that everyone with a mobile phone has become part of the media, the society is getting more complicated.

Points to note when facing the media

Companies and the government must heed the following advice when responding to the media:

• Sticking to the main point: Be focused and make sure that you do not appear clueless in front of the audience and the media.
• Speaking as a “host”: Employed all five senses in communication because you will be facing different countries, which means spoken words alone are inadequate.
• Seizing the moment: Select the right time, the right place and the right people for your interaction is new knowledge to be acquired in this ever-changing world.
• Letting go of your position: Understand clearly that everyone has multiple identities in an age when everyone is part of the media and let go of your position as a “senior official” representing the company or government department.