Posted on 8/6/2025, 11:01:35 AM
Given the fact that information spreads faster than context nowadays, it is increasingly important to work to gain and maintain the trust of your brand’s customers. Losing that trust can not only be a bump in the road, but it can also be a dead end for your business. As such, whether it’s negative reviews, an employee’s inappropriate behavior out of work, or even a legal allegation, how you handle a PR nightmare is vital. Just as important is making sure that you don’t handle it any of the ways below.
It’s easy to understand why you might be emotional if you are deeply invested in your business and it’s under attack, especially falsely. However, acting rashly, speaking without thinking, and being over-emotional is highly unpredictable, and you don’t know how people are going to read your response, especially if you’re not careful with your wording. Often, it’s not the initial controversy that creates a real PR nightmare, but the ill-thought-out response from business owners.
On the other hand, if you approach a serious controversy or allegation with the opposite approach: a generic and robotic language, then you can expect anger rather than acceptance. People expect empathy, clarity, and a genuine tone. Saying things like “we take this seriously” or “we are looking into it” without substance makes your brand appear insincere or disconnected. Avoid being too vague. Acknowledge the concerns the public has specifically, and what actions you’re taking immediately. Of course, in cases involving legal allegations, pass any public statements to your lawyer ot make sure that you’re not sharing too much, too.
In some cases, a minor negative review or response can blow over on its own. For controversies that are quickly spreading, or legal allegations, however, that approach can look like guilt or evasion. For instance, in the case of Alec Celestin and how his actions affected the platforms he was active on, the platform itself put out a statement affirming its lack of responsibility for his actions. Again, in a legal case, you have to make sure that any press releases you put out are carefully looked over by your lawyer to make sure they fit with your approach in court.
While social media can often serve to inflate or embolden a controversy in a way not mirrored by real-life actions, it can still escalate things if you’re not careful in how you handle it. Failing to monitor and respond on these platforms can leave your brand looking tone-deaf or out of touch. Don’t let a trending hashtag, viral complaint, or influencer criticism go unaddressed while you stick to traditional press releases. Use social media management tools to follow relevant terms and be sure to have a complete picture of public sentiments so that you don’t miss the point in any statements you make.
There’s no guarantee your brand will come out of a PR nightmare unscathed. However, you can at least make sure that you don’t make it worse with any of the approaches above.
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