What’s in your crisis communication plan?
Another week and another CEO has put his organisation in crisis mode because of something that happened outside the workplace.
Just as the dust began to settle on the Coldplay kiss cam scandal, a snatched hat has put the behaviour of bosses back in the spotlight.
You’ve probably already seen the footage on your social media feeds.
But, as a little recap, video was shared on socials appearing to show a man snatching a hat from a child at the US Open tennis competition.
The cap had just been signed by Polish tennis player Kamil Majchrzak.
And as the footage went viral, and the furious backlash grew, the man in the footage was quickly identified by internet sleuths as Piotr Szczerek, the chief executive of a Polish paving company called Drogbruk.
He became dubbed “the most hated man on the internet,” and damning headlines quickly followed:
Mr Szczerek eventually released a grovelling statement on Facebook, where he said he would “like to unequivocally apologise” to the boy and added that he had “made a huge mistake”.
He posted: “Emotionally, in the crowd cheering after the victory, I was convinced that the tennis player was passing his hat in my direction - for my sons who had asked for autographs earlier. This misconception caused me to pull out my hand.
'Today I know I did something that seemed like consciously collecting a memento from a child. This wasn't my intention, but it doesn't change the fact that I hurt the boy and disappointed the fans.”
He added: “'For years, my wife and I have been engaged in helping children and young athletes, but this situation has shown me that a single moment of indifference can destroy years of work and support.”
Mr Szczerek also said that an earlier, widely shared statement - where he was quoted as saying “it’s just a hat” and “life is first come, first served” - was fake.
I like parts of the real response, especially the direct apology to the boy. But the attempt to justify his actions misses the mark and feels defensive and like a bit of an excuse.
Trying to add context in crisis responses is a tricky, high risk art.
What can others learn from this latest CEO PR disaster?
It is the latest crisis media management incident caused by the behaviour of the CEO and a viral moment.
As we mentioned at the start of this blog, Astronomer CEO Andy Byron was at the centre of damning media headlines and viral social media posts for that now infamous Coldplay kiss-cam moment earlier this summer. And he lost his job.
These stories show how quickly a brand’s reputation can tank with the powerful combination of smartphones and social media.
And the similarities do not end there.
In both cases, crisis communication basics were ignored.
In any crisis, but even more so with one that is being discussed throughout the internet, you must respond quickly.
But, as with the Astronomer crisis, Mr Szczerek and his company stayed silent for too long, allowing speculation, memes, misinformation, and fake statements to fill the void.
Days passed before he issued his Facebook statement. By that time, the story had already been written. Public opinion was formed. And the damage had been done.
As well as the viral posts and screaming headlines, the company’s online reviews have plummeted.
We tell the delegates on our crisis communication training courses that the longer you stay silent, the less control you have of the story.
The story is also a reminder that the behaviour of bosses must be included in crisis plans.
While it may sound harsh – and uncomfortable - almost everything is captured on video now. And the footage can be shared far and wide in a moment.
Would you be able to respond quickly if your boss was in the firing line for a private moment that went public?
Like it or not, leaders represent their organisations on and off duty.
Can the CEO and his company recover from this crisis?
That’s the key question.
Obviously, attention will move away. However, Mr Szczerek will always come up in Google searches as the CEO who swiped a hat from a child.
The internet does not forget.
The same is true for the former Astronomer CEO. He will always be linked to the kiss cam footage.
His departure has allowed the company to try to move on, and it released a video featuring Gwyneth Paltrow acting as its spokesperson in an effort to change the narrative.
It is a move that has been heralded as ‘PR gold’ by some, although I have doubts about that description.
Mr Szczerek and his company are yet to employ a Hollywood A-lister to try to rebuild their battered reputations.
The CEO has returned the hat to the boy. But he will need to do more to rebuild his reputation and that of his company.
The slowness of the initial crisis response makes the challenge significantly harder.
It could already be game, set, and match.
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