How to Communicate Negative News

A frustrated person in an office. From layoffs to the banning of an entire social media platform, the world of corporate communications can be a minefield to traverse. Companies that rise above display this common trait: empathy.

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Comparing How Amazon and Meta Communicate Layoffs
TikTok’s Multiple Bans May Open Doors for Alternative Platforms
60-Second Close: Embrace New Tech But Keep the Focus Human

1. Comparing How Amazon and Meta Communicate Layoffs

Zuckerberg addressed Meta employees publicly on Facebook to assuage internal and external stakeholders alike. In this public social media address, the Meta CEO did many things well, like frontloading his main points. In the first paragraph, he outlines the two reasons behind the organizational changes during the “Year of Efficiency” (which includes some 10,000 additional layoffs for the company). He then mitigates uncertainty by quickly running through a timeline of what to expect in the months ahead. Only after doing this does he provide all the details for any reader who wants to dig into the nitty gritty.
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy decided to publicly post his update on layoffs on the Amazon website news page. Jassy wastes no time and delivers the news of 9,000 additional job cuts in the very first sentence. That intro is all you get before “let me share additional context” and a high-level discourse on how Amazon programs operationally. Without a “why” up front, the audience has to invest time and energy wading through drudgery to see if they even find value in the content later on.
Zuckerberg’s Facebook post is quite long at 2,186 words or approximately four printed pages. That’s a lot of content for search engines to pick up. To date, the post has received more than 47,000 likes, 17,000 comments, and has been shared 2,200 times on Facebook. Comparatively, Jassy’s post is a quarter of the size at just 629 words or a little over a page. In the end, Jassy’s messaging lacked empathy and clear directives to alleviate stakeholder concern over the 27,000 Amazon layoffs thus far in 2023.

2. TikTok’s Multiple Bans May Open Doors for Alternative Platforms

To date, TikTok has total or partial bans in a number of countries. India, Taiwan, the U.S., Canada, the EU, Pakistan, and Afghanistan all have TikTok bans in place, reports Time Magazine.
While TikTok faces scrutiny worldwide for its possible ties to China, the door has been wide open for competitors to steal this key demographic. The U.S. has the largest TikTok audience worldwide at about 113 million active users. TikTok has also held the number one spot as the most downloaded app for years, according to Forbes.
Some 34% of U.S. adults hold unfavorable opinions of TikTok, and that number may grow if more countries ban TikTok or additional negative press comes to light. Companies need to be proactively shifting resources towards alternative platforms such as Facebook Reels and YouTube Shorts, which both offer the quick, consumable type of video content users leaving TikTok may be searching for.
Some 34% of U.S. adults hold unfavorable opinions of TikTok, and that number may grow if more countries ban TikTok or additional negative press comes to light. Companies need to be proactively shifting resources towards alternative platforms such as Facebook Reels and YouTube Shorts, which both offer the quick, consumable type of video content users leaving TikTok may be searching for.

3. 60-Second Close: Embrace New Tech But Keep the Focus Human

As I’ve said before, empathetic communication starts with understanding the audience’s pain points. Enterprise organizations must be aware of their holistic audience in public communications to deliver the right message at the right time for maximum effectiveness — even when it’s negative news.
Your team doesn’t need to jump on every new trend that presents itself. Instead, make strategic decisions based on the data. The data delivers actionable intelligence you can use to tailor your messaging appropriately for your audience, wherever they are. The data behind TikTok did, and still does, show incredible opportunity. However, if a force majeure situation eliminates access, organizations must be ready to pivot.

Axia Public Relations relies on a two-pronged strategy utilizing both limitless creativity and a data-hardened strategy. Our proven PR strategies across news, social, and web media are what keep our clients’ audiences craving more. Ready to compose your own unforgettable brand moments the audience never forgets? Just ask me how we can help get you there.