Many of you will have heard of Astronomer by now – popularised by THE scandal of the year.
At a Coldplay concert in July, Andy Byron (now ex) CEO of Astronomer was caught too close for comfort on a kiss cam with his co-worker Kristin Cabot (also now ex) Head of Human Resources, both married to different people. Social media was quick to react (not kindly!) with countless memes and videos further roasting the couple, joined in by other companies. It’s the ultimate disaster no one could possibly predict happening. However, it has also been Astronomer’s springboard into the limelight. As the new CEO put it, Astronomer has become a household name. And so, how did we get here? From PR nightmare to hurrah, here’s how PR helped turn things around.
1. Crisis communications plan
In a crisis, it is important to react quickly but rationally. We work in aviation, travel and transport so understand the need and value of having a robust crisis communications plan – but every business should have a plan in place for any situation, even scandalous affairs. A good plan will include contact details of all the relevant parties, adaptable statements and protocols for members of staff. To ensure the company is aligned internally as it is externally, it’s imperative employees receive training and employers are transparent from the get-go. At Astronomer, following Andy and Kristin’s resignation at the company, a statement from the new CEO was quick to address the situation but also leverage it.
In his statement, he ticked all the right boxes:
- Acknowledged the problem and its impact on the company
- Remained transparent
- Assured employees, clients and the public
Here’s where it went one step further. The statement also:
- Introduced the company and what it does, to new audiences
- Linked back to the company’s mission and origins
- Demonstrated resilience and created trust
In any crisis, it is easy to put out a generic holding statement. However, taking the time to curate messaging that resonates with your audiences will reap more success in the long-term.
2. Brand activations
Every crisis is unique, and how you react can result in more damage or wins. In most cases, it is best to hold on external communications until a crisis blows over. In some cases, however, continuing as per normal can sometimes be the best way forward. In Astronomer’s case, the company ramped up posts on LinkedIn about its events and capabilities, fully taking advantage of the high volume traffic the company was receiving on its page. With a new following of over 130k, it has quadrupled its engagement rates and further raised its brand awareness.
There is often a build up to brand activations in the form of planning, curating and scheduling – especially when you have a large following. However, when the moment is right, you must be quick to adapt. While Astronomer hasn’t been spamming its followers with countless posts, it has been sharing more meaningful content including its upcoming conference in September.
Brand activations are most successful when they are thought through, and striking while the iron is hot can make ripples in your reach.
3. Celebrity engagement
Now, the real star of Astronomer’s crisis handling strategy has got to be its partnership with Gwyneth Paltrow – Coldplay frontman Chris Martin’s ex. By combining messaging that resonates and well-timed brand activations, Astronomer made an expensive but strong move that erupted on the internet once more.
In a 60-second video featuring Gwyneth Paltrow as a temporary spokesperson for the company, she answers the most asked questions including “OMG! What the actual f” and responds with, “Yes, Astronomer is the best place to run Apache Airflow.” Addressing a crisis with humour doesn’t always work for brands, especially if its products or company are at stake. However, in Astronomer’s case, it worked well because there was never any implication on its products, and the company was quick to negate any backlash on its morals or ethics through its disassociation with Andy Byron.
Riding the media momentum on all fronts, engaging with Gwyneth Paltrow gave Astronomer more brand recognition and awareness, both of which can be hard to achieve.
A crisis can strike at any moment, even at a Coldplay concert, and if there are lessons to be learnt from past crises (see my past article on Boeing’s troubles) – it is to always be prepared. Equipped with the right team of experts to see through a crisis clearly, not only can you mitigate any further backlash, you might also be able to take advantage of the spotlight and show the world what your company is made of.
Not feeling prepared? Talk to us today: hello@8020comms.com
