The closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics last Sunday marked the end of one of the most memorable games in terms of PR. The little host town of Sochi, Russia, got off to a rocky start when many of its hotel rooms were only half finished at the start of the games and the controversial moments continued to pile up from there. Rumors of alleged corruption swirled around the Games’ hefty $50 billion price tag and Russia’s anti-gay law sparked a public outcry.
Russia has faced considerable criticism from traditional media outlets and the host country’s less appealing aspects have been publicized on social media through trending topics like #SochiProblems. When a company or organization is involved in a scandal it can be incredibly difficult to navigate the situation, and the Russian government’s cringe-worthy reactions to the problems surrounding the games are a reminder of how an organization should respond to public criticism:
Speak up. Although it’s important to understand the scope of a situation before responding, an explanation should be issued in a timely manner. For the most part, the Russian government remained silent and let the public draw their own conclusions about the controversies surrounding the games. If it had offered an explanation it could have cleared up some of the rumors so people could stop speculating.
Take Responsibility. Organizations make mistakes, and when they do it’s critical that they take full responsibility and offer a sincere apology to all the affected parties. When the Russian government claimed that journalists were exaggerating problems in Sochi it fueled even more critical coverage.
Accept criticism. Negative feedback can hurt an organization’s reputation, but attempting to stop people from making negative comments will only make the situation worse. When the Russian government tried to control how athletes and accredited media used social media during the games it angered the public and did not stop the flow of commentary about the problems in Sochi.
Despite the controversy, the games still had a positive impact on the town of Sochi. The Olympics gave the little town’s economy a huge boost, and now that Sochi has been turned into a tourist spot it could continue to attract visitors and fuel its economy. In fact, Sochi is set to host not only the Paralympic Games but a G-8 global summit in just a few months.
Here’s hoping that the old saying “There’s no such thing as bad PR” proves true for Sochi.