Public relations can be tricky because you often deal with the intangible: people's opinions or emotions.

Perceptions of a brand can change in an instant due to something that might seem insignificant to those behind the scenes, and PR professionals need to know how and when to react.

PR crises can be classified in many different ways. One of these ways involves determining whether a crisis is defensible or indefensible.

Defensible PR Crises

A defensible PR crisis is an event that reflects negatively on the brand in question but is not serious enough to violate people's human rights, break the law, or put people's safety at risk.

When such a crisis arises, it could be appropriate to take a casual or humorous approach to solving the issue. In many cases, humour can be used to disarm the situation and restore a sense of familiarity to the brand. Brands should still not deflect blame or refuse to accept responsibility because the issue is not that serious. Rather, accept responsibility and be ready to move on. It’s just not necessary to grovel.

When a brand is in no way at fault for the issue at hand, it could also be classified as defensible. However, that does not necessarily mean that the brand should try to be funny about it. Always evaluate the effects of the crisis and respond with tact and empathy, even if none of it was your fault.

Indefensible PR Crises

Indefensible PR crises refer to serious mistakes made by brands. For example, breaking the law, causing or allowing injury to any person, or infringing upon the human rights of stakeholders.

This type of PR crisis should be handled very delicately. Brands should find the right balance between apologising, taking action to solve the issue and working to prevent such an issue from arising again. 

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