KissCam Teachable Moment

This story is a perfect example of how NOT to respond to a communications crisis.

Now that this mess has concluded: what can we learn?

The below will sound familiar to those who read my commentary and know my crisis work with 𝗔𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀.

The final word - months later: "They weren't having an affair..."(Yet. cough)

Still — one viral concert hug cost them everything: their jobs, privacy, and peace of mind. Both families were pulled into public chaos. Memes. Endless ridicule. Death threats.

Death threats? Come on, America.

Maybe they deserved some of it, maybe not. But their kids?

I am not defending them - they may be good or terrible people.

But can we pause and ask ourselves why we are so gleeful about the destruction of others? That part is on us.

There are a few things we can learn from how this played out.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀:
• 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘤 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘥𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘶𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘴.
• 𝘚𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘯.
• 𝘊𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦.

𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗻 — 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴.

𝗦𝗮𝘆 𝗦𝗢𝗠𝗘𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴!

Now an anyonymous third party has shared things like "it wasn't a company event..."

Ouch. Not helpful.

Imagine how different this could have been if they'd spoken up early: a clear, honest statement taking responsibility instead of a viral void. Imagine how different their lives and futures may have been? How much easier it would have been on their families?

𝘚𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳.

**Control the narrative or someone else will control it for you**

They may even be right.

If you or your company is losing control of your story, reach out. We can help.

#CrisisComms #CrisisCommunications #Kisscam #CrisisManagement