Dealing with the sorry sorries. What to do when the apology backfires

Dealing with the sorry sorries

-What to do when the apology backfires

Sofie Gustavsson

14.09.2016

Within the field of PR we are no strangers to having to deal with some image repair every now and then.  When a mistake has been made there are some general strategies of dealing with it, which the theoretical side to PR offers to us:

1.     Denial

2.     Evading responsibility

3.     Reducing offensiveness

4.     Corrective action

5.     Mortification

An apology to the public can offer one or multiple of the aforementioned strategies, but what do you do when the apology causes backlash?

If we take a look at the 2010 BP oil spill, which caused an explosion killing 11 workers and greatly polluted the water in the Gulf of Mexico, clever crisis communication was needed! BP CEO Tony Hayward gave the following statement after the disaster:

“We're sorry for the massive disruption it's caused their lives. There's no one who wants this over more than I do. I'd like my life back."

The public refused to accept this apology due to its insensitivity towards the workers that had died and the environmental damage that was caused. He therefore issued another apology. He apologized for being hurtful and thoughtless in the statement and apologized to the families of the deceased workers. 

Even if the second apology was seen as sincere, corrective action did not follow (did not take responsibility for the explosion or environmental damage) and he tried to evade responsibility by blaming Transocean due to their equipment being used.

Empirical theory and case studies suggest that the best recipe for a successful apology for image repair is mortification (expressing regret). This is especially true when it is combined with corrective action. However, when an apology has already been made mortification can loose its perceived sincerity and there may be disbelief towards corrective action.

Of course situational factors vary and influence the type of action that should be taken (there is never just one solution), but if an apology backfires here’s what PR BUZZ DAILY thinks you should do:

1.    Accept responsibility and avoid denial: acknowledge that a mistake was made, but also emphasize the good intentions of the first apology

2.    Reduce offensiveness: trying to convince the public that it was not as offensive as the accuser claims it to be can be particularly useful if the accuser is an unreliable source

3.    Corrective actions: only promise to amend the consequences if it is sincere. Provide clear and concrete means of how this is going to be achieved to gain trust and confidence.

4.    Mortification: express regret for. E.g. when/if the first apology was misworded

FINAL THOUGHTS: In order to avoid the double apology I suggest to break the bad news of wrongdoing before the media. Steal the thunder away from them!

About the author:

Crisis communication is Sofie’s specialty at PR BUZZ DAILY. After working within field of crisis communication for 10 years, she has decided to utilize her vast practical knowledge along with new findings in academia to help fellow PR professionals with tips and to offer interesting reads