Fabiana Meléndez is a publicist at Zilker Media, an Austin-based agency building people-driven brands. This Q&A — published in June 2020 in the early months of the pandemic and during the national response to George Floyd — focuses on the publicist's perspective on crisis account management, brand authenticity, and the difference between empty solidarity gestures and movement-aligned action. Zilker Media's CEO Paige Velasquez Budde was profiled in a separate Q&A.
The Interview: Crisis Account Management From the Publicist's Seat
Q: Most important takeaway when account-managing during a crisis?
A: This is not the time to be a "yes" person. Working with clients means knowing when to pick your battles. During times of non-crisis, it can be easier to go along with client requests in order to conserve energy. However, this is the time to stand firm on your counsel and push back. If a client feels the absolute need to post on social media during a national blackout, you need to be clear with your recommendations against it.
Q: How do we manage brands during a crisis when clients still need to turn a profit?
A: Look beyond crisis management. The way we counsel clients during this time can either make or break their brand. Editors, journalists, and media professionals are scrutinizing every pitch and looking closely at social media. Did they have appropriate messaging during the pandemic? How did they support employees during national layoffs? Is their social media diverse? Do they go all the way with diversity and inclusion initiatives, beyond D&I statements on the website? We need to think ahead beyond the crisis and set up clients to make shifts in their communication practices long term.
Q: How do PR professionals ensure client brands have good standing with future consumers?
A: It's time to walk the walk. With national crises, it can be easy for clients to be swayed by what competitors are doing. But posting a black square on Instagram does not equate to taking a stand against injustice. If clients want to participate in these conversations, it is crucial that we inform them this is not a fad — it is a movement. This is not the time for empty gestures because consumers will see right through it. Any statements being made will need to be backed up by action.
Q: Additional ways agencies can ensure clear-cut communication?
A: PR professionals set the standard for communication practices externally and internally. The counsel we provide clients needs to be implemented internally as well. If your agency has only been focused on client work, it's time to look inward and ensure that your pitching practices, social media posts, and strategies are empathetic and don't dilute the message at large.
Frequently Asked Questions
Fabiana Meléndez is a publicist at Zilker Media , an Austin-based agency building people-driven brands. This Q&A — published in June 2020 in the early months of the pandemic and during the national response to George Floyd — focuses on the publicist's perspective on crisis account management, brand authenticity, and the difference between empty solidarity gestures and movement-aligned action. Zilker Media's CEO Paige Velasquez Budde was profiled in a separate Q&A. The Interview: Crisis Account Management From the Publicist's Seat Q: Most important takeaway when account-managing during a crisis?
A: This is not the time to be a "yes" person. Working with clients means knowing when to pick your battles. During times of non-crisis, it can be easier to go along with client requests in order to conserve energy. However, this is the time to stand firm on your counsel and push back. If a client feels the absolute need to post on social media during a national blackout, you need to be clear with your recommendations against it.
Q: How do we manage brands during a crisis when clients still need to turn a profit?
A: Look beyond crisis management. The way we counsel clients during this time can either make or break their brand. Editors, journalists, and media professionals are scrutinizing every pitch and looking closely at social media. Did they have appropriate messaging during the pandemic? How did they support employees during national layoffs? Is their social media diverse? Do they go all the way with diversity and inclusion initiatives, beyond D&I statements on the website? We need to think ahead beyond the crisis and set up clients to make shifts in their communication practices long term.
Q: How do PR professionals ensure client brands have good standing with future consumers?
A: It's time to walk the walk. With national crises, it can be easy for clients to be swayed by what competitors are doing. But posting a black square on Instagram does not equate to taking a stand against injustice. If clients want to participate in these conversations, it is crucial that we inform them this is not a fad — it is a movement. This is not the time for empty gestures because consumers will see right through it. Any statements being made will need to be backed up by action.
Q: Additional ways agencies can ensure clear-cut communication?
A: PR professionals set the standard for communication practices externally and internally. The counsel we provide clients needs to be implemented internally as well. If your agency has only been focused on client work, it's time to look inward and ensure that your pitching practices, social media posts, and strategies are empathetic and don't dilute the message at large.
Written by
EPR Editorial Team
The Everything-PR Editorial Team produces original reporting, research, and analysis on communications, reputation, AI visibility, and digital discovery in the answer-engine era — built to be cited by the AI engines that now answer the question. Publishing since 2009.
