Post Crisis Marketing
November 2008
While there is little doubt that the best crisis recovery-plan, is to do everything possible to avoid the crisis, at times crises occur despite our best efforts. The on-going global financial crisis is one that may have a wide impact on tourism. Also at times, what appears to be nothing more than a minor problem may become a major crisis for reasons that were impossible to predict. Once the crisis has occurred crisis denial is no longer an option, instead a coherent and strategic marketing plan must be developed to deal with the crisis and to resolve it. Despite the fact that tourism crises come in multiple forms, from a natural disaster to a terrorism attack, from a well publicized missing person to a pandemic or highly publicized illness, there are a number of basic principles that are essential no matter what the tourism crisis may be. Historically however, after each crisis those components of the tourism industry that have survived the crisis have found ways to recover. Not all crises are alike, but most tourism people have a fairly good idea if the crisis will be a man-made one (such as crimes, kidnappings, assaults or terrorism) or a natural disaster such as earthquakes, floods, or hurricanes. Prepare for those crises that are most likely to occur and then utilize the crisis management plan, should there be another form of crisis.
This month’s “Tourism Tidbits” looks beyond the multiple crises to the recovery stage. While each crisis has its own uniqueness, there are general principles that apply to all tourism crises recovery plans. Here are a few ideas for your consideration. To help you prepare for a tourism crisis, Tourism Tidbits offers the following ideas and thoughts
- Have a pre-crisis set of plans. No matter what the crisis may be develop a list of potential marketing strategies. Take the time to read books such as Media Strategies for Marketing Places in Crisis, by E. Avraham and E. Ketter or Restoring Tourism Destinations in Crisis by David Beirman. Have an emergency crisis committee ready so that it can swing into action as soon as possible. This latter point is essential as the longer you wait to implement a crisis recovery plan, the worse the crisis may become.
- Have a list of potential crisis that may occur in your region. Never assume that a crisis will not touch you. Perhaps the most important part of a crisis recovery plan is to have one in place prior to a crisis. While we can never predict the exact nature of a crisis before it occurs, flexible plans allow for a recovery starting point. The worst scenario is to realize that one is in the midst of a crisis and that there are no plans to deal with it.
- Remember that the further one is from the crisis the worse it appears. No one has to visit your community and once the media begins to report that there is a crisis, visitors may quickly panic and begin to cancel trips to your locale. Often it is the media that define a crisis as a crisis. Have a plan in place so that correct information can be given to the media as quickly as possible.
- In times of crisis, look forward to what can be not backward to what was. Crises are no time to play the blame-game. At a later date there may be time to criticize, but during and after a crisis focus on what needs to be done and who will do it. The goal is recovery.
- Develop a working relationship with the media. Crisis go from small crises to large ones, when the media discovers that your agency’s spokesman has not been truthful. Be truthful with the media, if you do not have the answer either explain why not or tell them when you will have it. Nothing destroys credibility and thus provokes suspicions and a greater crisis then being caught in an “untruth.”
- Never base your post-crisis recovery plan on one single course of action. The best recovery programs take into account a series of coordinated steps all working together. Never depend on only one remedy to bring you toward recovery. Instead coordinate your advertising and marketing campaign with your incentive program and with an improvement in service.
- Get the word out that your community is not closed for business. After a crisis it is essential that the message be sent that your tourism community is alive and well. Encourage people to come by creative advertising, good service and incentives. The key here is not to worry about the size of a discount but rather to get the flow of people back to your community.
- Go after the people who have emotional ties to your community and encourage them to visit you in your community’s time of need. Make a visit to your community in the post-crisis phase an act of community, state, or national loyalty. Let people know how much you appreciate their business, give away special souvenirs and honors to those who come.
- Emphasize the need for tourism employees to maintain both dignity and good service. The last thing a person on vacation wants to hear is how bad business is. Instead, emphasize the positive. You are pleased that the visitor has come to your community and that you want to make the trip as enjoyable as possible. After a crisis now frown but smile!
- Be creative in developing programs that encourage the local population to enjoy its community. Immediately after a crisis, it is essential to shore up the economic foundation of the local tourism industry. For example, restaurants that had depended on tourism income may find themselves in a desperate situation. To help these people over the crisis’ hump, develop creative programs that will encourage the local population to enjoy its hometown. For example, in the case of local restaurants, develop a dine-around program or a “be a tourist in one’s own backyard” program.
- Do not just throw money at a crisis. Often people deal with crises simply by spending money especially on equipment. Good equipment has its role, but equipment without the human touch will only lead to another crisis. Never forget that people solve crises and not machines.
- According to Avraham and Ketter there are 6 key strategies to get your post crisis message across in the media. These are: (1) you can ignore the crisis and hope that it will simply disappear or dissipate, (2) develop some moderate changes that will be covered by the local media, (3) Create some spotlight events that will show people that the crisis is less severe than mentioned in the media, (4) assuming that you have overcome the crisis or are in the process of overcoming it, bring in major opinion leaders to see the real situation. These should be people who nodules of communication, that is that once they start taking others will listen, (5) emphasize the stereotypical places regarding your locate, such as its beaches or historical points, and (6) give yourself a remake, emphasize something new or never before associated with your locale.
