A Different Kind of Crisis Communications

In public relations, we often learn about crisis communications. Crisis communications for your brand/client, that is. This specialized area of the industry is usually reserved for protecting and defending your client/brand when unforseen incidents occur that threatens their reputation.

But what about crisis communications outside of that? What about when your nation is facing a violent attack, such as the tragic events that took place in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada last Wednesday?  October 22nd, 2014 will now always be a solemn day for Canadians, the day a gunman entered our parliament, and the day we lost a soldier all too soon.

How does a brand react in a situation like this? How do you react to something that not only affects your brand, but every single person in the country? What is the correct protocol? Brands need to be mindful and sensitive to situations like this. Here is a quick guide to help you and your brand cope with a national crisis online.

1) Absolutely Zero Scheduled Tweets 

When a crisis of this nature occurs, it takes precedence over everything. The very first thing your brand should do is either delete, edit or postpone all of your auto-tweets, scheduled social media posts etc. You don't want to be the insensitive brand that is talking sales when the country is going through a crisis, just because you forgot you scheduled tweets for that day.

2) There Is Only One Conversation That Should Be Happening 

After you ensure that you have no forgotten auto-tweets going out, clear your schedule of Twitter chats. Do not, I repeat, do not participate in a Twitter chat on the day of a crisis. There is only one conversation that should be happening and that is about what the nation is experiencing. There is nothing worse then scrolling through your newsfeed for updates on the incident when you see so and so talking about how to better promote their brand. Participating in a Twitter chat at this time is undermining the issue at hand and incredibly insensitive.

3) If You Don't Have Anything Nice To Say...

This is one of those times where it is better to say too little rather than too much. Do not start analyzing the situation at hand. Let the media, police, and everyone else, do their job. It is not your place, as a brand, to scrutinize or dissect the incident and its implications Remember, we are discussing public relations. Our focus should always be our relationships. What you should be doing is caring about is how people are feeling and what they are going through, not trying to play investigator.

4) Be Mindful of The "Media"

Unfortunately, on social media the lines between reporters, journalists and Joe Blow too often get blurred. It is hard to distinguish fact from fiction, especially once everyone starts retweeting information they saw. As a brand, you need to be wary of this. Take the time to trace anything you do share back to a credible news source, otherwise you are simply fuelling the fire and feeding rumours.

5) Stay Human 

The point of social media is keep us connected and to share our thoughts, feelings and ideas. You probably don't know how to react yourself, let alone as your brand. It is ok to take off your business hat for the day and stick with your personal social media accounts to express how you're feeling. It is also ok if you do feel the need to reach out to people and clients you care about through your brand, as long as its in a respectful and mindful manner.


A great example of brands helping community healing is how local yoga businesses, such as Lululemon and Elevate Yoga, are coming together to offer free classes in the wake of Wednesday's event. Mediation and yoga are often outlets for fear, anger and worry, and have been known to help the healing process. If you have something you can offer to help people begin healing and come together as a community, then by all means, go ahead. Don't be scared to reach out in a crisis, people will appreciate it and the key here is to truly care.

The PR Train Wreck Named Rob Ford

Step aside Miley, the celebrity spotlight here in Canada has shifted and the man behind it all is the infamous Mayor of Toronto, Rob Ford. If you have checked the news, twitter, or turned on your TV lately than you are well aware that over the past year his reputation has been quite literally going up in smoke.

From a PR perspective, it is almost impossible to argue that there has been some method to Ford's madness, as the only constant is chaos.

What are his top communications mistake to date?


1. Confession does not  equal credibility 

Especially if said confession comes a year too late. Our belief is that honesty is in fact the best policy, especially when it comes to PR. The sooner the truth comes out, the better you can prepare for it, begin damage control and move on, as well as retain trust with your audience. Most audiences don't hold you and your brand to a standard of perfection, but of respect. These are relationships we are dealing with, after all. When you make a mistake, fess up. The public can't understand what they are not told.

2. Perplexed priorities 

The logical decision in this situation would be for him to resign. At this point there is not much that he could do to save his reputation, and for the sake of the city, resigning would be the only acceptable option. But, Mr. Ford has not only declared that he will not resign, but that he will actually run again. Sounds like a selfish suicide mission to us. His role as mayor is take care of his city first, not his ego.

3. Mixed messages 

If it wasn't a given he was smoking crack, we could've suspected it by the bipolarity of his statements. It appears that every day he has a new version of the story, making it extremely difficult for anyone to give him the benefit of the doubt or for him to retain any ounce of credibility. "This is my story and I'm sticking to it" would've been a better approach for him to take, especially if that story involved the truth.

4. Refusing PR 

It  has been said that multiple PR agencies have been in and out of the Mayor's office as of late, and that he refuses PR help of any kind. Had he settled on a fitting PR agency, they could've better prepared him to deal with such a situation and perhaps shed light on the importance of honesty and his role as mayor.


Needless to say Canada sure has had it's fair share of media attention due to this issue, and the cliché "any publicity is good publicity" most certainly does not ring true. It's a shame that this scandal has brought our usually peaceful country to the forefront of the political playground.

How would you advise Mayor Ford to proceed? Do you think there is any chance of salvaging his reputation and city?

613Style.com hosts Degrassi Star Melinda Shankar

It’s a Sunday afternoon, but the ByWard Market says otherwise. The market is as lively as the night before, filled with pre-Canada day celebrators. They show their enthusiasm by dressing in white and red, while waving a Canadian flag. Amongst them, are women and men dressed completely different. These women are in bold colors, contrasting the rest of their ensemble, while the men are in perfectly tailored suits.

Needless to say, there was a fabulous event going on, hidden in the heart of the market. It was the pre-launch of Miss Conception, founded by Degrassi star, Melinda Shankar. Miss Conception will be offersing services from image consulting, personal styling and shopping, to hair and makeup. 

Accompanying Shankar, were more favorites of Degrassi, Samantha Munro and Lyle O’Donohue. 613 Style hosted this event at Kinki Restaurant’s patio. It was a beautiful, Miami-like version of a patio belonging to an Asian-Fusion restaurant. There were comfy red couches you could plop down on, two private tables at the back with curtains flowing, and faux bamboo sticks on the wall, separating the event from the chaos outside.

Celebrating Shankar’s pre-launch, besides her friends, family, and co-stars, were fans, designers, photographers, and bloggers. That explains their noticeably great sense of style. Hosts made sure each of us had a chance to mingle, and take pictures with the Degrassi stars.

During Shankar’s speech, she shares her first experience with beauty. “I started competitive ballet when I was three-years old, so you can imagine how much makeup I’d have on.” Eventually, Shankar preferred to do her own hair and makeup for competitions. Through word of mouth, her talent was in demand, which influenced the start of Miss Conception.

Miss Conception’s dolls will not only offer their services in Ottawa, but Toronto, Los Angeles and New York City. They are set to launch in the fall and will work with any budget.  It’s the perfect time, considering many will need assistance for their new back-to-school look or first party of the year.

Shankar, both flawless and fabulous, will surely make Miss Conception a success. Aside from her many talents and sense of style, she’s sweet, amiable, and won’t make others feel intimidated by her stardom. It will be a dream come true to many, helping them discover their inner sense of style and confidence.

Shankar’s dress was both sophisticated and flirty. I love how her coral lipstick matches her eye shadow, yet it’s very subtle. Her sleek, high, ponytail emphasizes her youthfulness.

-Lisa Tanh 

Salut Social Media!

A few weeks ago I introduced my baby to the social media world. No, I was not with child, but I have been nurturing, creating and growing something over the past 9 months or so. This baby is Bowda PR, Communications & Consulting; a, scratch that, MY, brand spanking new PR agency. Bowda is a boutique PR agency offering a variety of services that range from social media management, media relations and content creation, and more. Bowda will be specializing in fashion PR, as well as working with startups and fellow entrepreneurs.

Why Bowda? Why now? The better question is why not now. I'm at a point in my life that I don't really have much to lose (other than time, which I don't even really consider a loss because every experience is a learning one). I'm pretty much a free agent and feel like I had to take this chance now, before the heavy responsibilities of life overwhelm and tie me down. You don't know unless you try, right?

Now, what everyone has really been asking me...what on earth does Bowda mean? The name Bowda actually arose from a separate dream of mine. First of all, if you know me at all you are well aware that I have a borderline unhealthy obsession with bows. They are just my thing. They represent everything that my style leans towards; femininity, polish and overall loveliness. I really wanted a name that represented and reflected who I am and my personal tastes. So, back to the first dream. A little fun fact about me: I am actually a certified wedding planner. I took the Wedding Planners Institute of Canada's (WPIC) wedding planning course a few years back with the intention of turning that into my entrepreneurship dream. After much though, I realized that is something I would want/need much practise and experience before being able to pursue it as an entrepreneurial endeavour and would have to immerse myself completely in that world. I still adore the idea, but was not able to give myself up to the world of weddings just yet. Although it is something I would still like to pursue, that dream is currently on hold to reach a few others first. The name I had came up with for my would be wedding planning business was indeed Bowda. The Spanish word for wedding is "boda" and I thought it to be a nice little play on words that also implemented my passion for all things bowed. When I started working on my PR agency and spent many an evening humming and hawing over a name, the boyfriend spoke up and said he liked the Bowda idea and suggested I stick with it. For whatever reason, I actually took his advice for once, and voila. Bowda PR, Communications & Consulting was thus born.

So far the support I have received is beyond incredible. It is an extremely scary thing to take a more or less blind jump into the risky and uncertain world of entrepreneurship and the warm support I have received is without a doubt the cushioned pillow at the bottom of my fall that ensured for a safe landing into the unknown.

Although it has only been mere weeks, I have already discovered and absorbed so much that if I were to close down shop tomorrow, it would have already been an extremely worthwhile experience. But don't worry, if I have anything to do with it that won't be the case anytime soon.

Stay tuned for more musings and ponderings from us as we embark on this winding ever-changing road that is the PR world as we know it of the 21st century. I'm not sure what to expect, but I sure am excited to find out and see where this road leads me. If you have any trouble finding us, just look for the girl with the bow.

www.facebook.com/bowdapr
@bowdapr

Darcy
xxx