It’s clear that John Schnatter, Papa John’s former chairman wishes he didn’t say that word…but he did. Now that a few days have passed since the incident became public, we can gain a few valuable crisis lessons.
Crisis Lesson #1: There are many words that should never be written or spoken. Think Harry Potter and “he who must not be named”. “In our current society, certain words are toxic and should never be used period,” said CommCore’s CEO Andy Gilman in a recent PR News article.
Crisis Lesson #2: Don’t spread the blame. Schnatter used that word in a closed media training session defending his NFL statements saying that “Colonial Sanders used to say it and never got backlash”. That’s like getting pulled over for speeding and telling the police officer that other cars were going much faster. However a proper media training, just like preparing for a deposition or congressional testimony has to be done with full confidentiality
Crisis Lesson #3: Use a common-sense litmus test because everything old is NOT new again. Many culture and fashion trends resurface, but implicit bias isn’t one of them. We often think about racism in vintage commercials and advertising, however it was only a year ago that Dove backtracked on their social media ads showing a AFrican-American woman turning white. Or the Heineken advertising campaign in March that was deemed racist.
Crisis Lesson #4: Don’t make a bad situation worse with a flip-flop. Schnatter stated publicly that he “made a mistake” when giving in to board pressure to resign. This type of action re-ignites the controversy which can result in more damage to him and the brand’s reputation.
As Benjamin Franklin may have said: “when in doubt, don’t.”
Learn More About Our Crisis Communications Services:
- NYT Reporters Get Pressure Tested
- Crisis Communications Planning
- Social Media & Crisis Communications