Effective crisis communications is about much more than just protecting reputations.
I recently met with the claims team from the regional office of a small Protection and Indemnity (P&I) insurer. They asked me about Navigate Response’s relationship with other P&I insurers and were surprised when I told them that we have close relationships with all the leading P&I clubs, that our services are frequently recommended by the clubs and that the costs for our services are often covered as part of P&I claims.
“But P&I services don’t cover damage to the shipping company’s reputation, so why would they pay for media management to protect reputations?” asked the team.
They were right to ask the question and, if reputation is the only thing that is being protected, then P&I insurance should not cover the cost of our services as a communications agency, but reputation is rarely the only (or even primary) thing we’re protecting. Good communication achieves much more than just protecting reputations.
Like any tool, resource or service that might be engaged as part of an incident response, there may be many objectives when engaging communication experts—these objectives should be considered and articulated.
A shipowner might choose to appoint media response experts to satisfy charterer requirements, protect relationships with financers / investors, to influence their own employees (and their families) and yes, to protect reputations.
A P&I claims handler might see value in media response support for its ability to:
1. Improving response efficiency: Clear messaging can help win support for a response strategy that is well founded in best environmental practice but may not initially be acceptable to local communities and politicians (e.g. dispersants or skuttling part of a wreck).
2. Protecting crew welfare: Strategic communication can prevent crew members from facing unjust legal consequences in challenging jurisdictions.
3. Influencing legal proceedings: Thoughtful communication can shape perceptions of the response to reduce the likelihood of litigation and, if litigation occurs, to create the most favourable context for this litigation.
In short, a P&I claim handler might appoint us because we can help to reduce the cost of the claim.
Effective communications can help to achieve all the above objectives, but sometimes the best communications strategy for achieving one objective may be in conflict another objective.
For example, releasing the bridge recording which shows that the pilots on the bridge were incompetent might be a great way to protect the reputation of the ship management company but would almost certainly damage relationships with the employer of the pilots who would likely be a key stakeholder. In such cases, sacrificing some reputational polish might be necessary to achieve more critical goals.
A Real-World Example: Communication with Purpose
A ship management company recently contacted us about media response support for a developing financial dispute with a vessel owner who hadn’t paid their bills.
It was great that they were considering a media response, but what specifically where they hoping to achieve with such a strategy?
The company’s initial response—“We just want to handle the media”—wasn’t a goal. But by working together, we identified two clear objectives that helped inform the strategy:
1. Pressuring the vessel owner to pay: By preparing a media strategy, and informing the vessel owner that we were doing so, we gave our client leverage with the owner—the threat of being publicly exposed for nonpayment.
2. Repatriating stranded crew: Local authorities were not allowing the crew to leave the vessel. By working with a local journalist, we highlighted the crew’s plight and nudged authorities to change their approach.
Neither goal was centred on the client’s reputation. In fact, we deliberately kept their involvement low-profile, focusing instead on outcomes (though of course the client’s name was involved as they were the source of the stories).
Missed opportunities in communication
Too often, companies dismiss the value of communication because they don’t care about their reputation. On the other hand, those that do care can become overly fixated on appearance, neglecting other strategic communications objectives that might be more important.
Next time you consider a communication strategy, start by asking yourself: What’s the goal? The answer will shape a strategy that delivers results—not just headlines.
