Being in the spotlight means everything you do will eventually be public. There are very few examples of people’s illegal acts becoming national news and somehow being liked more after the fact. One example of crisis management in action happened in 1995 when actor Hugh Grant was caught cheating on his girlfriend with a prostitute.
Dealing with a crisis is not the same for every situation. But a few key components can be applied to many situations to help reduce the impact the crisis will have on you or your brand. In the case of Hugh Grant, three components can be seen as part of the crisis management of his national news story.
First, Hugh Grant did not deny the accusations and immediately confessed. Far too often, people deny and deny, only to end up being proven a liar on top of the act they were accused of. Admitting responsibility for your actions and getting ahead of the story can be the start of containing the crisis.
Second, he apologized publicly in a sincere manner. Getting caught is one thing, but sincerely apologizing goes a long way in crisis management and rebuilding your brand.
Third, he committed to treatment. There was action after the apology, which showed his willingness to do more than talk about it. Committing to an action that directly addresses the situation can be the start of showing the public your willingness to do better in the future.
Taking responsibility, apologizing, and taking action are three key components of any crisis management situation. You may be able to take a hit to your credibility if you act fast enough, but denying, delaying, or ignoring the issue, will only make it worse.
Going on Jay Leno and getting the audience to laugh at you also works, but only if you’re Hugh Grant.
