Like the New England Patriots, when hospitals and health systems are caught off-guard by allegations and they don't have a crisis communications strategy in place, it shows.
You'd think with one cheating scandal under their belts, the New England Patriots would have a more streamlined strategy when it comes to managing unfavorable publicity. Unlike the Super Bowl-bound offense, however, the team's ownership, coaches, and players have fumbled their response to "Deflate-Gate" again and again.
It certainly is entertaining, especially if you caught the latest SNL skit poking fun at the Bill Belichick/Tom Brady press conference where head coach and quarterback denied any knowledge of altered game balls.
But there are heaps of insight to be gleaned here, too. Like the Patriots, many hospitals and health systems are caught off-guard when allegations fly. If they don't have a crisis communications strategy in place, it shows.
Here are four lessons every marketing leader should keep in mind the next time an unsavory story about their organization makes waves.
1. Get Ahead of the Story
The Patriots won the AFC Championship on Sunday, January 18 and the first report about Deflate-Gate surfaced on Tuesday, but no one from the team officially addressed the allegation until the at times-bizarre Belichick/Brady press conference on Thursday, two days later. Patriots owner Robert Kraft was even slower to the punch, not issuing a statement until Friday.
That awkward silence left plenty of time for the media and Internet users to run amok, creating sophomoric memes and specialty cookies. And of course the dialogue has only escalated [in volume] from there.
The key to tamping down any negative story is to avoid dithering and respond swiftly and decisively, whether the statement is a mea culpa, staunch denial, or even a promise to investigate matters further. A timely response assures patients and the community that your organization is appropriately attentive and concerned, while silence is often interpreted as guilt.
2. Stick to One Cohesive Message
When Bill Belichick and Tom Brady finally spoke about the allegations on Thursday in an attempt to put the matter to bed, their jumbled messages only fueled the flames. Belichick said he was shocked about the deflated balls and implied that Brady could shed more light on the issue, which many interpreted as the coach throwing the quarterback under the bus.
On Saturday, Belichick called another press conference to offer a dubious scientific explanation for how the balls could have deflated on their own accord, which opened the door for scientific analysis and commentary. Bill Nye the Science Guy (hysterically) refuted the coach's claims.
Again, this garbled response only made matters worse. For hospitals facing a PR crisis, it's critical to make sure all leadership members and other relevant parties stick to one clear message. Anything short of that reeks of incompetence.
3. Own Up to Your Mistakes
If the NFL determines that the Patriots knowingly deflated the game balls, their credibility will be irreparably shot. Years down the line, it's the attempted deceit that people will remember.
The same logic applies to hospitals and health systems facing an unfortunate allegation?odds are if you try to deflect or hide blame, it will be uncovered and the organization will look all the worse for it. When it comes to PR scandals, truth is always the best policy. Own up to the mistake and outline your plan to make sure it won't happen again. Then, start to rebuild trust.
4. Don't be Flippant
While this seems obvious, time and again leadership's first response to bad publicity is to laugh it off. This never looks good.
Tom Brady also learned the hard way that it doesn't look good to jokingly compare the allegation against you to a terrorist organization. "This isn't ISIS... no one's dying," he told reporters at the Thursday press conference.
Whether it's a minor patient complaint, a major lawsuit, or a scathing article, it's important for healthcare organizations to take all concerns seriously to show patients and the community that the top priority isn't the hospital's reputation, and that the patient experience and quality of care are.
Marianne Aiello is a contributing writer at HealthLeaders Media.