道歉在公關(guān)危機中可能有害無益
????你遭遇了公關(guān)危機。 ????你或你的公司做了些蠢事,或是表現(xiàn)得麻木不仁。這在網(wǎng)上已經(jīng)傳得沸沸揚揚。Twitter和博客上已經(jīng)刮起了風(fēng)暴,對你們展開了強烈的抵制。 ????這時你該做些什么? ????你應(yīng)該道歉,對嗎?承認(rèn)錯誤,向大家道歉,然后繼續(xù)前行,是吧? ????好吧,公關(guān)常識是這么說的。不過這真是最好的應(yīng)對措施嗎? ????對此,每個人都應(yīng)當(dāng)考慮他們自己的特殊情況。但一些非常著名且充滿爭議的公關(guān)事件,至少讓人們對這種傳統(tǒng)觀點產(chǎn)生了懷疑。 ????本周,一名田納西州共和黨眾議員的溝通主管伊麗莎白?勞特恩在犯了明顯過失之后,就做了她理應(yīng)做的事情。 ????上周,勞特恩在Facebook上批評奧巴馬總統(tǒng)的兩個女兒在出席白宮“感恩節(jié)赦免火雞”儀式時穿著不得體。 ????勞特恩的言論激起了民眾的憤慨,隨后她發(fā)表了致歉聲明:“我花了許多時間來祈禱、與父母交談,并重讀了自己在網(wǎng)上發(fā)表的文字?,F(xiàn)在,我更清楚地意識到自己的言論造成了多大的傷害。那些不是我的真心話。在此,我要為所有因為我的言論受到傷害或冒犯的人道歉,并向大家保證,我會從這次經(jīng)歷中吸取教訓(xùn)并成長?!?/p> ????結(jié)果呢?她被開除了,她的道歉完全于事無補。 ????不但如此,Twitter上對她的尖刻批評愈演愈烈。“賤人、蕩婦、罪犯……”是最為普遍的評論。在她發(fā)表道歉聲明很久以后,一個網(wǎng)站還故意重提一則令人尷尬的新聞,稱她在17歲時就有入店行竊記錄。 ????那么,為何道歉沒有起到應(yīng)有的效果?有人認(rèn)為勞特恩沒有表現(xiàn)出足夠的歉意。不過批評者總會拿這個理由說事。 ????兩年前,記者法里德?扎卡瑞亞為自己的剽竊丑聞做出了“毫無保留的”公開道歉。結(jié)果呢?他被美國有線電視新聞頻道(CNN)停職,并辭去了耶魯大學(xué)(Yale)理事會的職務(wù)。 ????去年夏天,扎卡瑞亞又因為一件比剽竊嚴(yán)重得多的事件,遭到了網(wǎng)民的聲討。但他否認(rèn)了一切罪名,駁斥了控訴,最終安然度過這場風(fēng)波。 ????2007年,由于在直播中對羅格斯大學(xué)(Rutgers)女籃隊員出言不遜,主播唐?伊姆斯再三道歉。然而他的道歉激起了全國長達10天的厲聲斥責(zé),最終他丟掉了飯碗。 ????他的競爭對手霍華德?斯特恩表示:“他當(dāng)時應(yīng)該說:‘他媽的,我只是開個玩笑罷了?!?/p> |
????You’ve got a public relations crisis. ????You, or your company, has done something foolish or insensitive. And it’s gone viral on the Internet. There’s now a “storm” and a “backlash” in the Twitterverse and the blogosphere. ????What should you do? ????You should apologize, right? Admit your error, apologize to everyone, and then move on, yes? ????Well, that’s what Public Relations 101 says. But is it really the best course of action any more? ????Everyone will have to consider their own, unique circumstances. But some very high profile and controversial public relations flaps do at least cast some doubt on the conventional wisdom. ????This week, Elizabeth Lauten, the communications director for a Republican congressman from Tennessee, did exactly what she was supposed to do after making an apparent gaffe. ????Lauten had criticized the President Obama’s daughters on Facebook last week, complaining that they had dressed inappropriately while appearing at the White House “turkey pardoning” event. ????When her comments sparked outrage, Lauten posted the following apology: “After many hours of prayer, talking to my parents and re-reading my words online, I can see more clearly how hurtful my words were. Please know that these judgmental feelings truly have no place in my heart. Furthermore, I’d like to apologize to all of those who I have hurt and offended with my words, and pledge to learn and grow (and I assure you I have) from this experience.” ????The result? She lost her job, and got absolutely no points from anyone for her apology. ????On the contrary, the vitriol spewed out against her on Twitter actually grew worse. “Bitch… tramp… criminal…” were the more publishable remarks. Long after she had posted her apology, a website dragged up embarrassing news that she had been caught shoplifting when she was 17. ????So, why didn’t the apology do the trick? Some complained that Lauten’s expression of regret wasn’t enough. The problem is critics always say that. ????Two years ago, the journalist Fareed Zakaria publicly apologized “unreservedly” for an instance of plagiarism. The result? He was suspended by CNN and resigned his position as a trustee of Yale’s governing body. ????Last summer, Zakaria was criticized online for what appeared to be a far more serious example of alleged plagiarism. But he denied everything, dismissed the accusations, and rode out the storm. ????In 2007, Don Imus apologized profusely and repeatedly for an on-air gaffe about the Rutgers’ womens’ basketball team. His apologies sparked 10 days of national hysteria and he lost his job. ????“He should have said, ‘F–k you, it was a joke,’” said his rival, Howard Stern. |
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