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The Voice of the UnderdogÂź
Chapter 1
NASA has a legitimate crisis on its hands; an astronaut is stranded on Mars.
This PR nightmare is the premise of the best-selling book and new movie, The Martian. One of the more colorful characters in the book is NASAâs fictional PR director, Annie Montrose.
Having just read the book, I wanted to share a few crisis PR strategies employed in The Martian that are best practices for a real crises on Earth.
Loop in your PR person. In The Martian, Annie plays an active role in the story. In a crisis situation, your PR director should be among the first to know. By including your PR director in important meetings, you have the benefit of a point of view thatâs primarily focused on the public image of the company.
Gather âround your team of experts. In addition to Annie, NASA brought together its very best team of subject matter experts to problem solve and save Watney. Interesting to note is that the team also included a low-ranking engineer, Mindy Park, because she was first to notice Watneyâs survival from the satellite images. A crisis is no time to exclude knowledgeable people based on hierarchy.
Share the unfiltered facts with your PR director. Your PR lead should be someone you can trust with the unbridled truth. They can help you decide which information is relevant to be released and strategize on the best positioning and messaging. PR directors canât do their job to protect the reputation of the company if they donât have ALL of the information.
Respond honestly. In The Martian, Annie has prepared to answer every question in advance, and sometimes, the only honest answer is, âWe donât know right now.â NASA pulled out all the stops to save Watney; there was a degree of uncertainty on the probability of success, and they shared the odds for success with the public.
Respond in a timely manner. Â NASA was up against a tight deadline in The Martianbecause images would go public after a certain point, but they also demonstrated proactive cooperation with the media. The NASA team even participated in a daily TV show with expert interviews and updates.
Provide a visual. Visuals are important for all media, so itâs no surprise that the fictional media demanded a photo of Watney. Although Watneyâs message from Mars wasnât what people expected, they released it and proved they were responsive to the mediaâs request for information.
When a crisis strikes, itâs no time to go radio silent. Let  your PR director navigate the communication for you, and your public wonât leave you stranded.
We challenge underdog brands to think differently. We help them find their voice, and urge them to blaze new trails to make sure they stand out from the pack. Whether you need an agency of record or support on a project, we are here to help you win.