Page 171 - Crisis Communication Practical PR Strategies

2
5
1 152

12 Judgement days

How a company handles

a legal dispute can

salvage or spoil its

reputation

Kathryn Tunheim (United States)

Introduction

A company’s reputation is shaped over many years by myriad factors.
One of the chief influencers of public perception of an organization is
how that organization reacts in a crisis. Decisions made about how to
navigate through a challenging situation – in this case, a disaster
resulting in serious injury and a subsequent legal dispute – can main-
tain, destroy or even bolster a company’s reputation.
Very frequently, organizations find themselves needing to straddle
reputation management efforts in more than one forum: the court of
public opinion and the legal courtroom itself. Ensuring optimal results
in both forums can be extraordinarily challenging. Given the likely
stakes and the technical expertise required to navigate the legal
system, these disputes put particular pressure on the abilities of com-
munication professionals, lawyers and top executives to work together
effectively.
Operating in the court of public opinion and in the legal system
simultaneously requires acceptance of some basic ground rules:

As in any dispute, it is important to understand the multiple inter-
ests and sensitivities of the players in conflict.
It is critical that the reputation management team understand the
varying ‘rules of engagement’ in each of the forums involved: rules