Media exposure can fuel a crisis too.

Effective crisis communication is about saying the right messages to the right people at the right time.

It is about seizing the initiative and taking control of the narrative, explaining what has gone wrong, how you feel about it and, crucially, what you are doing to make things better.

For PR practitioners, this is easier said than done, considering that our role is always advisory. Many times, we end up playing the guitar to clients with muffed ears. We live in an era where media is constantly evolving; an era where conventional media is live and livid to digital migration. You no longer need masts and extraordinary infrastructure to own and run a Television or Radio channel. While it took decades to have KBC, KTN, NTV and Citizen TV respectively, it has taken months to have Njata, Lolwe, 3stones, Utugi and the soon to be launched Inooro TV.

While media remains one of the most heterogeneous forms of communication during a crisis, sometimes, it becomes too costly to hit the media waves and pages before you engage your stakeholders through conventional crisis communication channels such as phone calls, meetings or town halls that are able to convey empathy, concern and two-way communication, which media cannot- not even Facebook and Twitter.

Recently, embattled Pastor Ng’ang’a of Neno Evangelism Centre took to the media to redeem his brand equity after he was arrested in connection with a fatal car crash whose case files have been shuffled like  bingo cards between the Executive and the Judiciary. Well, the case is currently in court but from a communications perspective, the ‘man of God’ opted to bungee jump with a sisal rope.  You do not turn up for a live media interview without a tailored message when dealing with a crisis. That is akin to committing suicide with a wet sisal rope, you won’t just die, but you will also endure the sisal induced skin aches before your untimely demise.

Nonetheless, crises by their very nature, however, are unique, complex and fast-moving. There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach or communications playbook for how to respond. Each crisis will require a communication strategy tailored to the particular incident or issue, and a bespoke tactical plan for how to engage with key audiences. For this case, it appears the cart was placed before the horse, the legal team was most likely not involved or his communications team, the church elder ended up throwing salvos at non-existent devils.

As we wait for the judge’s call on this case, we are keen to see if this will erode or build the brand equity of the religious leader. After all, religion remains the opium of the masses.

Using events to sustain brand communication

It’s over two weeks since the great departure, a departure that was filled with sighs, but not of relief. A departure that marked the end of two great days that were packed with tonnes of inspirational and eye opening conversations. A weekend that we played host to our very own son, the leader of the free world, President Obama.

We were good hosts: KNUT opted to remain silent, COTU went on ‘leave’, we quashed the Al Shabaab to smithereens hopefully and to cap it all we had artificial turf. Sorry, I meant Kidero grass.

The Global Entrepreneurship Summit was fruitful but before we could settle, it had come and gone. And as they say, “a good time was had by all.” Now, all the brands that played can bask in the post-event glory. But is that sufficient for the millions that you pumped into this milestone event?

As a brand custodian, if you succeeded in delivering an event that combined relevant learning experiences with quality networking sessions, your attendees have left feeling energised and enthusiastic about everything that transpired. As a result, attendees as well as the public are keen on what will happen next. As a brand this is not the time to take a break; while the appetite for information is high, feed that post-conference enthusiasm!

By now we know the winners from the summit, the amazing entrepreneurship journey, the organisations that promised to support entrepreneurs and even the investors that showed interest in the different sectors. This is the right time to focus on their stories. Optimise the goodwill that you had created with the media partner during the summit to highlight the success stories through media interviews, special features or even guest blogs.

For the young entrepreneurs, it’s time to start documenting their journeys now. What happens to Judith Owigar and Akira chix after the Ksh154 million funds injection? Who qualifies for the funds that Chase Bank promised to local entrepreneurs? What are the focus sectors? All these questions are potential content generators for the post-summit communication.

The media will definitely be the perfect conduit for these rich messages. However, tactical forums with well mapped stakeholders can also help in entrenching the brand and creating a lasting connection with the first ever Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Africa. Probably, it’s time to start a Kenya techprenuers Summit sponsored by Chase Bank or Kenya Knowledge Exporter Forum courtesy of Kenya Ports Authority.

The moral of the story? Begin with the end in mind for creating a complete event promotion strategy that includes engagement methods that target your audience after the event. The post-conference glow fades fast once we return to the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives. Nurture that enthusiasm by providing value that extends beyond the conference dates.  Your efforts will keep your brand top of mind and create a compelling reason for attendees to engage you.

This articles was also published on http://www.businesstoday.co.ke/news/management/1439277423/using-events-sustain-brand-communication