Country Industry Pros Share Tips On Crisis Management, ‘When [Stuff] Hits The Fan’

King

One of the most timely topics at last week’s “CRS 2021: The Virtual Experience” was one dealing with crisis management. And while that session may have been sparked by the public relations nightmare Country star MORGAN WALLEN recently brought down on himself and his team, the discussion was much more wide-ranging than that. It also encompassed helpful tips for radio stations on dealing with everything from weather emergencies to active shooter situations in their markets.

ADX COMMUNICATIONS/PENSACOLA, FL OM KEVIN KING said that from a radio perspective, there are two types of crises: PR emergencies and public emergencies. He defined the former as being a situation where, for instance, “a disgruntled employee blows up social media” with his or her complaints. The latter includes hurricanes (something KING has plenty of experience with) and school shootings.

For PR emergencies, he suggested knowing exactly who to go to, both in your company’s own human resources department and in the legal community, to get fast, accurate answers on how to respond. Lay the groundwork carefully for any cease and desist orders, KING suggested, and “have a good local PR firm at the ready who is a friend of the radio station.”

For public emergencies, KING stressed that it is your station’s “obligation” to serve your local community. “Don’t learn as it happens,” he said. Rather, have a plan. Get to know local leaders in advance. Tour emergency facilities. “Know where your information is coming from. Be familiar with your respective emergency centers, not meeting them for the first time in a crisis.”

And make sure everyone on the station’s own team “understands your brand’s commitment level,” because it will take the work of everyone to respond, particularly during major weather events and in their aftermath, KING said. “You will still be in service long after THE WEATHER CHANNEL leaves your community.”

During a weather emergency, KING said, “It’s hard to stop the music, but don’t be afraid to change the station. It’s your responsibility. Be prepared to be a friend in need. You will gain loyalty that money can’t buy.” He also shared a helpful tip about when to start easing back into normal programming as the emergency subsides. “We let our return to normal programming reflect the percentage of the community that has had power restored,” he said. “If the emergency is [still] top of mind among the audience, then it needs to be top of mind in our programming.”

Turning the conversation back to PR crises, artist managers GEORGE COURI of TRIPLE 8 MANAGEMENT/TRIPLE TIGERS and NICK HARTLEY of STEADFAST outlined what to do in a situation where an artist gets into hot water over something they said on social media or elsewhere.

While he said he wants his artists to be “authentically who they are,” COURI noted that “there are inevitably times something they say is going to be misinterpreted.” In those cases, he said, “There is a quick adjustment on clarifying,” or if the artist legitimately made a mistake, they should “apologize and move on.” Avoiding such situations, he said, is “a matter of all of us on the management team keeping an eye on it. They [artists] have to be conscious of the fact that everything lives forever. We have to adjust and help them provide understanding when they are misunderstood. You have to figure out how to make your artist’s intentions clear or, if there’s a mistake, they have to own it.”

In either situation, COURI advises his artists to “stay calm, don’t get emotional about it, and get your ego out of the way.”

HARTLEY said that depending on the degree of “turmoil” involved, artists and their teams might want to jump in and take control of the narrative. He added, “You can’t get down the road with the wrong information, bad information and then start back peddling. It’s [about] getting control of it with truth.”

PR pro EBIE McFARLAND, owner of NASHVILLE-based ESSENTIAL BROADCAST MEDIA, shared a great example of getting ahead of a negative narrative. When DARIUS RUCKER first came to the Country format after a successful Pop music career, there were some in the industry who questioned his authenticity. A popular TWITTER account, seizing on a line in one of his singles, offered $500 to the first person who could prove RUCKER actually owned a “best of PATSY CLINE” album. The artist’s team had RUCKER take a photo of the album, then tweet it back asking the account offering the reward to make the check payable to ST. JUDE CHILDREN’S RESEARCH HOSPITAL. “We were able to diffuse a situation,” McFARLAND said.

In an era where everyone has a camera in their hands, it can be harder for artists to get away with any transgressions. Citing an example of an artist who fans know has been to rehab, but who shows up at a show inebriated, McFARLAND said, “In that moment, avoid reacting. Be prepared by responding thoughtfully.” Referencing the WALLEN situation, McFARLAND said, “Our actions don’t just happen in a silo. Seek out opinions of people who don’t just look like you or think like you.” She later advised artists “You are not alone in this moment. Get outside counsel and understand what this means to your career long-term.”

Asked if a written or videotaped response is best for an artist apology, McFARLAND noted that, “Fans need to see it, and hear it and feel it, so a lot of times that means a video” where the message can’t be edited or truncated to 140 characters in a tweet.

Panelists also spoke about how to handle situations like weather cancelling an outdoor show, or a group of disgruntled fans unknowingly showing up at a show with scalped tickets. They suggested the artist’s team should do what it can to “elevate” what might otherwise be a bad situation for fans. “Over deliver,” said COURI. “Grab a few people backstage for an acoustic set, if possible.”

Registered CRS attendees can log on to watch the full session here.

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