When is an issue, an issue?
In response to the government pointing to high vaccination rates and certificates as a necessity for a quintessential summer of live music, last week saw the launch of the #VaxForLive campaign. Comprising some of the motu’s music industry heavyweights, it asks people to “save summer” by getting vaccinated. “With the current Covid-19 Delta outbreak, our much-loved traditional summer of music, entertainment and festivals is in danger, and we are urging music fans and those who love going to any form of gigs to get vaccinated now…”
With skin in the game, it makes sense that members of the music industry would team up and promote a united stance on the issue. But what about when flow on effects are less causal, or at least less obvious?
Just prior to the Delta variant entering the Aotearoa community, a client reached out to us after dire claims about the Covid-19 vaccination being unsafe appeared on some of their Facebook posts. A private company within the broader health industry, they had responded with a link to their FAQs which aptly outlined information on vaccinations in the context of their product.
Perhaps predictably, the person in question didn’t appear to be seeking information, and serial comments saw them blocked in their attempt to spread misinformation.
By the time they had reached out to us for counsel, our client had closed out the specific issue at hand. While confident with their response, they were wondering whether there was scope to do more. In light of a challenging vaccine rollout and online vortex of misinformation, did we recommend they take a more public, proactive stance on vaccinations?
In working with them, our core considerations were:
Is the issue a trend, or could it emerge as such? What was the ongoing likelihood of anti-vaxxers spreading misinformation on corporate social media channels? Is it trending towards a demand for a call to action?
What are the opportunities? What value could the client generate in response, and what outcomes would serve them well from the situation?
What are the risks? As with every recommendation, we present the risks which help inform a decision on whether or not to take action, and in what form.
What do your company values tell you? Too often, organisations tackle communications challenges in isolation when they have a foundation of company values to guide direction. In this case, what do your values tell you about safety, community, honesty and teamwork?
What are the possible courses of action? In light of the landscape, what could the business feasibly do to address what’s happening? And yes, this includes intentionally doing nothing!
What are the other big industry players doing? While not always the most appropriate indicator of the best course of action (or inaction), it’s always helpful to scan your environment and learn from others’ successes and failures.
Ultimately, our advice was to prepare communications that clearly present their position on vaccinations - from a customer perspective, but also in relation to organisational values, internal policy, and concern regarding misinformation. The exercise would spark the conversations necessary to formulate a stance if one didn’t already exist, and just as importantly, ensure it was understood by the organisation’s people - particularly the leadership team.
In the midst of an extremely prevalent and fast-moving issue, the resource itself would also get the company on the front foot as something to quickly draw from in the face of opportunities to provide comment.
Enter, Super Saturday. Government has announced a nationwide push for vaccinations, building up to a national day of action this Saturday 16 October. They are urging businesses to get behind the efforts to maximise vaccination rates. The client is now well-placed to authentically support this, and do so using their own voice.
Regularly taking the time to reflect on your business landscape and determining your position on issues that affect your customer base, employees, or society in general, is one of the most useful exercises you can do to protect and enhance your reputation. By stepping back early and asking what more they could do, our client can now feel prepared and considered in the part they can play in the most significant public health issue of a generation.
