How 'Humans of Bombay' missed the mark in Crisis Communication

HOB is a glaring example of a failure in crisis communication and online reputation management (ORM) strategy. 👎👎

Humans of Bombay the blog, which thrives on storytelling to generate revenue, couldn't harness its unique selling proposition (USP) when faced with a crisis, nor could it formulate appropriate responses to mitigate the damage. Isn't it unfortunate?

Instead, they released a post that painted them as rude and lacking empathy, which is detrimental to human relationships and deviates from the authenticity that should underpin their purpose.

Had they employed ChatGPT to draft this message, it likely would have performed far better than the initial response.

HOB is not alone in mishandling crises; the list includes renowned brands like Maggie, which initially displayed arrogance, as well as Volkswagen, among others. I'm convinced that most organizations and influencers are ill-prepared in terms of the 3Ps of crisis communication: pre-empt, prepare, and protect.

Consequently, they face threats to their reputation when confronted with such incidents. Or, one could argue, they reveal the true colors of their leadership.

👉 Pre-empt: Involves anticipating potential crisis scenarios.

👉 Prepare: Entails studying these scenarios and readying possible responses.

👉 Protect: Focuses on minimising the extent of damage.

In certain organisations, dedicated teams are formed and trained to handle such situations. Is your brand or organization adequately prepared?

If not, remember to exhibit your human side when navigating crises.

In my view, the most effective approach is to maintain continuous communication with customers, issue official statements, and take responsibility for your actions rather than resorting to a blame game.

Inform your consumers that you're taking proactive measures to prevent such scenarios from recurring in the future.

P.S. - Don't forget to explore Cadbury and Virgin Atlantic's crisis management strategies for further insights:

🍫 Cadbury - https://bit.ly/3LHwgpv

✈️ Virgin Atlantic - https://bit.ly/45aH1Hy