Library
Home
A A A
Share »
Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Follow us on LinkedIn
Connect »

Blog: Crisis Management

Menu

  • This Blog's Home
  • Guest Writer Submissions
  • Policies
  • To Subscribe to a Blog
  • About
  • Feedback

Air New Zealand Shows How to Fight Back

By Jonathan & Erik Bernstein on July 6, 2010

[This is a guest blog from “Managing Outcomes,” published by Tony Jaques, Director of Issue Outcomes Pty Ltd, for people who work in issue and crisis management and strive for planned, positive outcomes. You can subscribe to his newsletter at www.issueoutcomes.com.au]

Every manager who has ever wanted to beat up on an ill-informed or aggressive journalist in the midst of a serious corporate issue can take a lesson from the CEO of Air New Zealand.

At a time when New Zealand’s national airline was discussing a proposed alliance with Australian-based Virgin Blue, the news and comment magazine The Listener published an intemperate editorial entitled “Turbulence ahead” accusing Air NZ of going “determinedly downmarket on its Australian and Pacific routes” and suggested the “downgrade” would move the airline towards budget standard on international short-haul flights?

Although Air NZ has an acknowedged reputation for very open communication with the news media, angry CEO Rob Fyfe must have considered giving the magazine “both barrels between the eyes” but decided instead on a response which was both clever and effective.

Playing on the name of its accuser, Air NZ produced a video response entirely in sign language, with subtitles. It began: “Dear Listener, Ironically it seems you haven’t been listening to what we’ve got to say, you’re hardly living up to your name . . . As you appear to have turned a deaf ear to us we thought it might be best to respond in a language you may be more familar with.” The sign language video concluded: “Now we’re all guilty of selective hearing sometimes, but we’ve got to say you did a fantastic job of not listening to the facts. If you’d like to talk this through further, lend us you ear and give us a call.”

The video (below) featured the CEO himself and, just to drive the point home, was accompanied by a formal press statement written entirely in the printed version of sign language except for the heading: “We’ve worked bloody hard to create an airline New Zealanders can be proud of and it really winds me up when someone gives us a gratuitous slap.”

Needless to say the video also got posted on Youtube, where thousands of viewers have enjoyed the airline having fun at the expense of the hapless magazine.

But beyond the fun element is the serious question of how best to respond when under attack. Too often the corporate first reaction is an angry denial. Wry humour like this is probably not appropriate during a crisis when lives or the environment are at stake. However it is a reminder that sometimes it is better to whisper than to shout. The Biblical proverb has it: “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.” Perhaps the modern version is “Don’t get mad, get even.”

——————————-
For more resources, see the Free Management Library topic: Crisis Management
——————————-

« Previous Next »

Search Our Site

Meet this Blog’s Co-Hosts

Jonathan L. Bernstein, president of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc. has more than 25 years of experience in all aspects of crisis management – crisis response, vulnerability assessment, planning, training and simulations.[Read more ...]


Erik Bernstein is vice president of Bernstein Crisis Management. Erik started with BCM in 2009 as a writer and subsequently became social media manager for the consultancy itself as well as for a number of BCM clients before moving to the VP position. [Read more ...]

Recent Blog Posts

  • Top 3 Things To Do When a Crisis Breaks
  • Crying Wolf – When a Crisis Really Isn’t
  • 10 Trends for Search Engine Optimization in 2019
  • Expert Advice on Public Speaking and Media Interviews
  • Are You Doing What You Can To Boost Safety?
  • The Do’s and Don’ts of Social Media Crisis Management
  • PR and Litigation: Responding to Activism
  • Beware Loose Cannons On Your Deck
  • Common Causes of Data Leaks and Breaches
  • The Psychology Behind Social Media Addiction

Categories of Posts

  • Avoid the Apology
  • college crises
  • communications
  • conflict resolution
  • Crisis Assessment
  • Crisis Avoidance
  • crisis communications
  • crisis management
  • Crisis Management Quotables
  • crisis planning
  • crisis preparedness
  • Crisis Prevention
  • crisis public relations
  • Crisis Response
  • crisis training
  • customer service
  • cyber attacks
  • cyber bullying
  • cybersecurity
  • data breach
  • Dealing With Media
  • Digital Media Law Project
  • disaster crisis management
  • disaster prevention
  • Disaster Response
  • disease crisis management
  • emergency management
  • Erik Bernstein
  • ethics
  • Facebook
  • food industry crisis management
  • hackers
  • hacking
  • Higher Education
  • hospitality
  • HR
  • information security
  • Internal Communications
  • internet crisis management
  • internet security
  • Jonathan Bernstein
  • Journalistic ethics
  • Law
  • Litigation PR
  • litigation-related crisis management
  • Media Relations
  • media training
  • online crisis management
  • Online Reputation Management
  • political crisis management
  • PR
  • preventable crises
  • privacy breach
  • privacy violation
  • Public Relations
  • recall crisis management
  • Reputation Management
  • Risk Management
  • SEO
  • social media
  • social media crisis management
  • social media policy
  • social media reputation management
  • sports crisis management
  • violence prevention
  • vulnerability audit
  • Weiner Awards
  • workplace violence

Blogroll

  • Bernstein Crisis Management Blog
  • Jonathan Bernstein's HuffPost Blog
  • The Crisis Show

Related Library Topics

  • Assessments
  • Business Insurance
  • Computer Security
  • Coordinating Activities
  • Crisis Management
  • Employment Laws
  • Ethical Analysis
  • Lawyers (Using)
  • Managing Change
  • Marketing
  • Media Relations
  • Organizational Communications
  • Planning
  • Public Relations
  • Risk Management
  • Safety in Workplace
  • Bernstein Crisis Management Blog

Library's Blogs

  • Boards of Directors
  • Building a Business
  • Business Communications
  • Business Ethics, Culture and Performance
  • Business Planning
  • Career Management
  • Coaching and Action Learning
  • Consulting and Organizational Development
  • Crisis Management
  • Customer Service
  • Facilitation
  • Free Management Library Blogs
  • Fundraising for Nonprofits
  • Human Resources
  • Leadership
  • Marketing and Social Media
  • Nonprofit Capacity Building
  • Project Management
  • Quality Management
  • Social Enterprise
  • Spirituality
  • Strategic Planning
  • Supervision
  • Team Building and Performance
  • Training and Development

Free Management Library, © Copyright Authenticity Consulting, LLC; All rights reserved
Wordpress supported by Caitlin Cahill

Provided by

Authenticity Consulting, LLC
  • Contact Info
  • Legal
  • Privacy