Remember that blog we wrote about Ryanair?
Of course you do.
Who can forget such compelling, well-written content?
But, in case you missed it, the blog covered the backlash the budget airline received after refusing to give a refund to a man who could not fly after being injured during the mass stabbing attack on the LNER train.
Stephen Crean suffered injuries to his hand, back, and head after confronting the attacker and could not fly to Austria a few days later to watch his beloved Nottingham Forest play.
Despite being widely praised for heroics, Ryanair decided he should not be refunded for the flights.
Its tone-deaf response said: “All Ryanair air fares are non-refundable, which is why we strongly recommend passengers take out travel insurance in order to protect themselves if they can’t travel.”
In that crisis media management blog, we compared the crisis to the one Waitrose found itself in after telling an autistic worker – Tom Boyd - he could no longer work for them after his family had asked if he could be offered “just a few paid hours”.
And I wrote:
“ASDA came to the rescue in that story and offered Tom paid work.
“I wonder if a rival airline will do something for Stephen – it would be an easy PR win for one of the other low-cost airlines.”
Well, there’s been a development.
Now it might be a coincidence. Or it could be that our crisis communication and media training blogs are read by the nation’s decision-makers and high-fliers.
But British Airways has stepped up and scored a PR winner.
The day after our blog was published, the airline (yes, we know it is not a budget one) announced it was offering Mr Crean two return Club Europe (business class) seats to Porto to see Nottingham Forest play Sporting Braga next year.
The trip also includes two-night accommodation in a five-star hotel, via British Airways Holidays.
Calum Laming, British Airways’ chief customer officer, said: “Stephen’s actions that day were heroic.
“In a moment of terrifying danger, he put the safety and welfare of others ahead of his own.
“We’re delighted to offer him this gesture as a small way of expressing our gratitude and recognition for his remarkable courage and bravery.”
The result? Some great headlines for British Airways:
In those articles, Mr Crean has described Ryanair as “sad and childish”.
He said: “It’s not all about money. It’s got nothing to do with money. And they should know that – it could have been Ryanair staff in that buffet car.”
On British Airways, he added: “I'm really grateful to British Airways for making this happen, and I can't wait to get on the plane to Portugal to watch the Reds hopefully bring home a win.”
We all know that Ryanair attracts – and seems to enjoy - criticism and negative media coverage.
But this one feels a little different.
The story centres on a human hero.
And it demanded a response that went beyond sticking to policies and procedures.
Those policies were followed correctly. But people don’t care about that. Policies and procedures do not win hearts and minds.
What they do care about is fairness and brands doing the right thing, and showing their values are not hollow words.
It’s why understanding how decisions will play out in the court of public opinion is crucial.
The story also highlights the importance of monitoring the coverage your rivals are getting and looking for opportunities.
Obviously, this approach will not work for every crisis of slip-up. But some, like this one, present an opportunity to better position your brand in the public eye.
And if they don’t present an opportunity for positive PR, a competitor’s time in the spotlight will still offer lessons to learn and can be used to check your crisis plans and preparations.
British Airways seems to get this.
That’s why the score is 1-0 to British Airways courtesy of a Ryanair own goal.
And maybe, just maybe, there was a Media First assist in there.
Media First are media and communications training specialists with nearly 40 years of experience.
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