2024 was a year fraught with tension, ambiguity and complexity – and eventful for Navigate Response and our Network Partners.
A year where we wrestled with polarised opinions, cacophonous voices and misinformation from digital platforms.
As we reflected on how we communicate on behalf of our clients, four major themes stood out.
1. Mental health
Mental health remained a trending topic in 2024, with more organisations recognising that any mental health crises involving their staff, customers, or any other stakeholder, requires a thoughtful and compassionate communication approach.
For the maritime sector, this was especially true for workplace incidents and injuries believed to be self-inflicted.
During a crisis, organisations that are often seen as leaders in empathetic crisis communication provide clarity on how they were supporting those affected by mental health challenges. Many of our clients have rolled out mental health initiatives to their staff, offering support and resources without prejudice to address any help they may require.
No two incidents involving mental health are ever alike, and we took great pains to understand the sensitivities and nuances for every incident before we propose tailored responses to our clients.
2. The continued rise of real-time communication
Mainstream social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), TikTok and Instagram, continued to exert tremendous pressure during crises. Left unabated, the flow of (mis)information on such platforms could quickly foment mistrust and place our clients on the back foot.
In today’s fast-paced digital world, stakeholders demand quick and unambiguous answers. Any delay in communication could mean that the media and your stakeholders will turn to alternative sources of information, which in turn may lead to disastrous media and reputation outcomes.
The ability of companies to respond swiftly and effectively during a crisis has become more of a necessity than ever before, and it has strengthened our team’s commitment to support our clients 24/7 like we always have.
3. The AI revolution
We saw an uptick in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in crisis communication such as new methodologies and software that track and analyse the tone of public sentiment in real time.
Chatbots powered by AI have also become more sophisticated in how they respond to public enquiries and media requests, albeit with mixed results.
On a more sinister level, we are seeing a rise of social media comment bots being used to sway public opinion during a crisis, or when a crisis is imminent. Spotting such bots can be tricky as the software generates realistic social media personas that masquerade as bona fide users.
Monitoring online conversations is crucial in how we manage a crisis, and we cannot rely entirely on software to detect fake news, astroturfers (someone in the guise of a PR team) and bots. We still use the manual and traditional approach, including working with vernacular specialists if required, to identify the emotions that come with high-stakes situations.
4. Alternative media and its impact on media relations
The barriers to entry for ‘alternative maritime journalism’ remained low in 2024. Indeed, we saw many new entrants in the digital space, some with questionable affiliations and credentials. Our clients found themselves engaging with more and more ‘new maritime media outlets’ during both peacetime and crisis.
Traditional journalism remained relevant and continued to hold companies accountable during crises. We helped our clients appreciate the new dynamics of the media landscape and together with our sister company, Navigate PR, forged strong relationships with journalists and other communicators.
We hope such relationships will bear fruit in the long term and help us with the media to deliver accurate narratives during high-stakes situations.
Looking ahead
The trends and events in 2024 reminded us that crisis communication is still very much a people business even as digitalisation and artificial intelligence have risen to the fore and altered the rules of engagement.
While it is important to invest in new technologies and software, our paramount concern must always be in our people.
We were also reminded that trust, empathy and the human touch remain immutable with how we operate.
When our clients call our incident lines, they expect to hear a calm and familiar voice. The last thing they would want to hear is an automated message generated by a chatbot.
