A recent article about a popular Las Vegas restaurant’s food poisoning incident highlighted the importance of good public relations in the wake of a crisis. As former president of the Las Vegas Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, Alexander’s VP of marketing and public relations, Pete Codella was interviewed by Las Vegas magazine, Vegas Seven, about the importance of using social media to manage a crisis. The following is an excerpt from the article:
[quote]”Social media was both a key to Firefly’s response to the crisis and an essential element for building trust for the future. Pete Codella, a former president of the Las Vegas chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, says business owners should leave negative online comments up (except those that are vulgar or offensive) and respond first in the same place the critics complained. The online community is essentially a free focus group.“The virtual world is just a reflection of the physical,” he says. “If you were in your restaurant and you saw a drink dropped on a customer, you’d go over and make sure you addressed it. Take that same mentality online. Respond appropriately and you’ll strengthen the relationship with your customers.”[/quote]
The full article, by Cate Weeks was published in Vegas Seven on July 10, 2013. Click here to read the complete article.
