When is a potential crisis a PR opportunity?

In communications and PR, crisis communications and issues management are sometimes used interchangeably, but they're very different. 

An article on ABC News this week caught my attention because it was a great example of how some good issues management potentially prevented the need for crisis communications.

Issues management is all about identifying an issue before it becomes a problem in the public realm and doing something about it. 

While it seems simple enough, the reality is that when you're working in a busy communications team, fielding multiple media queries a day and developing and executing proactive opportunities, it can be hard to find the time to identify future issues, let alone do something about them. 

How one of the 'bloke-iest' companies in Australia is smashing the gender pay gap tells the story of how Viva Energy, who run a motor racing team and sells industrial lubricants and grease, has made significant headway in reducing the gender pay gap at their organisation. 

From January next year, the Workplace Gender Equality Agency will publish a report that reveals what the gender pay gap is at every Australian company with more than 100 employees.  

The ABC reported on how Viva Energy has gone from a company that didn't publish its gap to one where the gap is about half the national average. This is all due to some proactive work on their part. 

So why is this an excellent example of issues management done well? 

They have gotten ahead of a potentially negative story. Ahead of what will likely be significant commentary on the gender pay gap when the report is released, it is now on the public record that Viva Energy is working to address this issue within their organisation. 

They have positioned themselves as a thought leader. As ABC's reporting identifies, the gender pay gap is a significant issue across the Australian economy. This means that Viva Energy is certainly not alone in having to address it. By being proactive in talking about their actions, they have positioned themselves as an authority on this issue rather than one of the many companies grappling with what to do. 

It's undoubtedly the case that challenges such as this cannot be solved with good PR work alone. It's also true that they shouldn't be addressed just for positive headlines; the gender pay gap is a legitimate challenge that needs to be rapidly addressed. However, this case study shows that when an organisation works with their communications team to address an issue before it becomes a crisis, there are benefits to be seen.