One of the biggest challenges in the crisis PR business the past few months has been trying to help clients in situations where, not many weeks ago, if we had brought up preparing for the worst, the conventional wisdom would have been a loud and clear “Come on. That’s never going to happen.”
If we had told major law firms around, let’s say, Thanksgiving that they would be the targets of the President of the United States and be in a position to have to donate tens of millions of dollars in legal services to them… or else, we would have been never granted a Zoom meeting to talk about it.
But things have changed quickly.
Just ask communicators working inside the Paul Weiss or Skadden Arps last firms, which, if you have chosen not to pay attention, were the subjects of Executive Orders from the White House because of previously legally-protected (by the United States Constitution no less) client relationships. They both gave into demands, which are detailed here in a superb opinion piece by another law firm, which we are providing to you as a gift link.
For other professional services firms, such as PR agencies, it’s time to consider the previously unthinkable. Like attorneys, services for clients and speech on their behalf have always been protected by the Constitution (The First Amendment, no less). We have never had to worry about the President of the United States, or any elected official, unilaterally trying to harm our business. We have never had to prepare to be shaken down, like a shop owner in a mob movie or TV show.
But things have changed quickly.
It could be because of current or past clients. It could be because of who we employ. It could be because of something we write or share online. It could be something or it could be nothing. But you can no longer say “Come on. That’s never going to happen.”
Every PR professional, even those just in the door or those who don’t really know what it means, knows to tell clients to “have a plan” for a crisis. For professional advisors of all kinds, especially those of us who operate in the public eye, we need to now. Communicate or capitulate? Accept or reject? Fight or give up? Seek support or go at it alone?
Another tough thing about this work in the past few months is trying to help clients who wish what’s happening to them wasn’t really happening. Acceptance of reality is part of the basic psychology of coping with change. Things have indeed changed. The shakedown artists could be headed down the street with eyes on your shop. What would you do?