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Why live video makes sense for a brand’s crisis response

by | Mar 8, 2019 | Analysis, Public Relations

Ask any CEO, president or executive what one of their greatest fears is, and you are guaranteed to hear public crisis. It’s that proverbial Sword of Damocles that seems to looms large over all companies. No matter how prominent or successful a company becomes, public crisis still remains a threat. And in an age with so many communication platforms and rapidly-evolving technologies, how is a company supposed to properly respond?

Well, the truth is there are a variety of ways. However, one of the least explored, yet potentially successful ideas is live video. Sure, live video may pose a risk for brands and companies, but it also provides an inimitable way to respond to an issue. Whether it is a disgruntled consumer, live-stream crises, or public controversy, brands now have an advantage to engage with their consumers in real time. Yet, there are still many brands and companies that refuse to embrace live content.

So, here are the reasons why companies should consider live content to respond to crisis:

Authenticity

Consider the general response to a highly-calculated, tailored statement by a company in times of public crisis. One of the most common complaints about them is how incredibly generic it feels…how there is seemingly no emotion to them.

Well, with a live video, a company has opportunity to respond with sincere reaction.

Live streaming content can provide a sporadic and genuine feeling that enables companies to quickly, effectively, and efficiently respond to crisis. While brand messaging is important to keep in mind at all times, the content can still provide a sporadic and authentic experience for the viewer.

Activity

Considering the nature of the content, it’s no wonder that more people are watching live stream content than ever. In fact, 78 percent of Facebook users are already watching live stream videos – and they spend 3 times more time watching them, and comment more than 10x more during live videos.

Any intelligent business person understands that when it comes to their product, the more who know, the better. Well, the same can be applied for public crisis. The more eyes on a company’s response, the better chance it has of controlling the narrative.

Appeal

Trends have proven that brand audiences prefer live video over social media posts from companies, as it appeals more to them. A recent study found live video to be more appealing to brand audiences, with 80 percent stating they would rather watch live video from a brand than read a blog, and 82 percent saying they prefer live video from a brand to social posts.

These statistics are a clear indicator of the times, and companies need to listen. If they intend on grabbing the biggest response to a public crisis, provide the audience with the most appealing route.

Ronn Torossian
Ronn Torossian is the Founder and Chairman of 5W Public Relations: 5WPR is one of the 20 largest PR Firms in the United States.

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