The royal family is frequently featured on the front pages of tabloids – reporters, talking heads and the average viewer spends time dissecting every aspect of their personal lives, official travel, or even gossiping about minor controversies.
How do they tackle this or minimize front page exposure? Well, they certainly benefit from an expert in crisis communications. Given the scrutiny they face coupled with their public visibility, the royal family benefits from having an expert in crisis communications to help them navigate the media.
Here’s what K2 would recommend to deal with the media challenges such as those that the royal family encounter on a daily basis:
- Ensure message consistency. Since Prince Harry and Meghan left their royal duties behind, there’s been one story written about them after another. They are always making headlines. At K2, we would recommend establishing a more unified, consistent narrative to avoid confusion and conflicting stories. If the royal family had focused on delivering a clear, unified message about their family relationships, it could have minimized rumors and ongoing speculation from the media and general public.
- Implement a proactive strategy. As stories continually pop, it’s hard to keep up and remain reactive. Instead, K2 would recommend taking a more proactive approach to potential crises or issues that may arise before they escalate. For instance, had the royal family known about Meghan’s ongoing issues before her and Prince Harry departed for the states, they could have reduced the media fallout and had a better handle on their public response.
- Address social media challenges. As we’ve seen in recent years, Prince Harry and Meghan, as well as other members of the royal family, have increasingly used social media as a way to connect with the public and provide a sense of transparency. While it’s good to connect with the public, sometimes this can lead to further media attention if not handled properly. At K2, we believe it’s important to handle delicate situations properly and ensure message consistency to avoid increased media attention when it’s not necessary or the intended outcome of a social media post.
If you find yourself in a similar situation to the royals, well it might be time to bring in a crisis communications expert to help manage media relations, protect your public image, and help present a cohesive, unified message. Here at K2, we can help prepare you before a crisis arises and guide you in the midst of any crisis. We know that every situation is unique and we have the expertise to help you navigate any situation. Learn more about the services we offer at k2andcompany.com.
– Brittany Yanick, Senior Communications Director