The coronavirus pandemic has forced Filipino communicators to be in full crisis mode, as the country plunged down to a technical recession brought about by the limitations demanded by the national health situation.
With companies—big and small—closing shop and government agencies earning the ire of affected citizens, crisis and risk management communication must take the spotlight to mitigate the effects of the pandemic.
Good communication requires both skill and talent. But more than that, communication in the time of Covid-19 demands a huge amount of empathy to those who are severely affected by the pandemic, which is to say, almost everyone.
Some of the best communicators in the country shared their experiences in handling crisis and risk management communication during the second most dreadful event in Philippine history after the war.
Clear, concise, compassionate
Reyner Villasenor, the chief corporate communication officer and vice president of financial technology (fintech) player GCash, said effective communication during the ongoing national health crisis should have three key ingredients namely, clarity, cohesiveness, and compassion.
“We have to be proactive in getting messages across. These messages have to be clear, cohesive, and at the same time, should exude compassion. Communication is a tool for positive change, and understanding the context and listening to your audience are both critical components of effective tools and programs during the pandemic,” he said.
Villasenor, who led his organization to win the coveted Company of the Year Award from the 2020 Anvil Awards, explained that the most critical part of a crisis communication initiative is empathy.
“It is crucial that we empathize with our stakeholders, after all, everyone is affected by this situation. Understanding their needs and how we can address those needs from a communication perspective, is paramount to keeping our customers and at the same time, increasing our base,” he said.
Jeffrey Tarayao, a communicator who now sits as the president of One Meralco Foundation, agreed, noting that communicators must be sensitive to the struggles of those who are affected by the health situation.
“These are sensitive times, so we have to lead and communicate with empathy—everyone is essentially on the same boat right now. Our messages must reflect a sense of shared struggle so that we can engage our public in rising up together. This sensitivity in communicating must also lead us to being clear and concise with our messages because people are deluged with so many messages,” he shared.
Tarayao, who also puts a huge premium on sustainability reporting and corporate social responsibility, added that transparency is key to effective communication. He said the truth builds trust, and trust is considered gold in communication.
“Honesty pays. I think the pandemic is a period when the only currency of communicators is trust. It is understandable to show vulnerability as long as one is transparent,” he said.
At war
Resty Perez, who has roughly three decades of crisis management communication experience, noted that the pandemic is considered a war that has to be won through conveying messages of truth. Thus, any miscommunication, he said, could result in negative effects on lives and livelihood.
“In this ‘war’ as they call it and in any war, there should be a leader and a plan the public can believe in. Unity is a must but unity comes only when the people are informed properly and inspired enough to cooperate. If no one is leading or the supposed leader falls short, if the plan is unclear and its execution is even questioned/doubted/ridiculed, success becomes elusive and distant,” he said.
Perez noted that gaining public sentiment is a strategic goal in any war. This is why, he said, media control always plays a role but controlling media and knowing how to use it are two different beasts.
“Even without controlled media, messages that people can understand and accept and relate to would suffice to gain unity and cooperation. The spokespersons and what they say are crucial,” he said.
For Tarayao, this means polishing weapons and artilleries.
“We have to ensure that communication platforms are up to date. Stakeholders’ information needs quickly evolve during a crisis and therefore demand effective messaging,” he said.
Villasenor agreed, saying that it is crucial to make use of new technologies and approach communication in multiple platforms.
“Crisis communication should be targeted and tailored-fit for each stakeholder. While we convey a message, the medium and the way we present the message is also crucial,” he said.
Adding value
Charlie Agatep, the chairman and CEO of Grupo Agatep, an integrated PR and marketing communication agency, added that messages should add value not only to businesses and governments but also to those who are being communicated with.
“It is okay to include personal and supportive notes as it can add a welcome human element to your message. Customers want authenticity because it builds trust between you and your customers. Covid-19 will be here for some time, we are all in this together,” Agatep, who has been awarded by the Public Relations Society of the Philippines the Gawad Panday Award and by the ASEAN PR Network the prestigious Best PR Practitioner Award in the ASEAN for 2019, said.
For Villasenor, adding value means finding the sweet spot where demand and social responsibility meet.
“Our resolve to meet our goal of providing finance for all had just become stronger during the pandemic. We became more concerned about how to utilize our app to help the country, how to promote among Filipinos financial literacy, and how we will communicate that to our existing base and the broader audience,” he said.
Villasenor explained that adding value requires one to be adaptable—be it simplifying complex situations to the hyperlocalization of global and national issues.
“Paraphrasing a famous line from an old movie, ‘you should love the sound of your band more than your own.’ Communicators need to understand they are speaking on the company’s behalf and that the messages and reputation of the company are always more important than one’s own opinion, biases, and position—one company, one sound,” he concluded.