Astronomer, who? To who knew data geeks have a sense of humour?
Just when you think Coldplay Kiss Cam Gate might be running out of steam, the formerly unknown data company, Astronomer stoke the flames with a reaction video featuring Gwyneth Paltrow.
It’s been widely lauded as a ‘masterclass in crisis communications’. But is it?
I was asked on the Talkback programme on BBC Radio Ulster this afternoon to chat with William Crawley about just that, alongside fellow marketing and comms consultant, Tina Calder. ICYMI, here’s my take, and a few tips if you do find yourself navigating a very public crisis.
Here’s why the Astronomer video worked:
Star Power: Paltrow’s A List and also Chris Martin’s ex – it’s a power play that has driven a big earned media response. Let’s face it, ‘data workflow automation’ is not sexy. To regain the narrative, they needed a big swing. They brought in the big guns via Ryan Reynolds and his Maximum Effort agency and it's helped regain the narrative.
Satire but make it subtle: It’s got an SNL sketch feel to it; leans in to humour and the absurdity of the overnight fame they’ve somehow stumbled into without calling anyone out.
It moves the needle and changes the narrative, distracting – at least for now – from the massive global memeification of two of the company’s top execs.
Timing: it might seem ‘slow’ to some, but they dealt with the big stuff first: confirming the CEO/HR Director exits; how their behaviour didn’t meet their culture and standards; and debunking fake statements via official comms on company channels.
It sends a clear message that they are ready to get back to business.
No one knew who Astronomer were a few weeks ago. The Paltrow video goes some way to filling the information vacuum about who they are/what they do.
Here’s why it slightly missed the mark for me / could have been improved:
Clarity of messaging: I’m still not really sure what Astronomer do. There’s too much jargon. I could explain what Chandler Bing does better. What is an Apache Airflow? But hey, perhaps I’m not their audience? And maybe it will entice the right people to dig a bit deeper. Time will tell.
Paltrow’s character deliberately deflecting from the questions didn’t quite sit right with me. If you want to rebuild trust, don’t dodge questions. Answer with honesty, integrity and humility (unless you have the budget to pay a Hollywood A lister to front a satirical video). I'm not saying throw shade on former employees, but the questions she's responding to 'what the actual f...' and 'how're your social team holding up?' could have been addressed with a humourous response without total deflection.
Media training and crisis preparedness is not about dodging questions. Though we see a lot of this play out in the media (see Trump's White House), this is a real misconception. It's but about equipping people with the confidence to navigate the media spotlight and answer questions confidently. In Astronomer's defence here though, they didn't have a lot of time to onboard a new spokesperson, so I can see how they landed on this 'very temporary spokesperson' skit.
I can’t help but think there was a missed opportunity: could they have licensed one/some of Coldplay’s songs, using their lyrics to help explain what they do / the problems they solve for businesses/clients in a tongue in cheek way?
On balance, the pros beat the cons for me; it's certainly moved the dial and helped them regain the narrative. Though I'd LOVE to know what they paid to make it happen.
In truth, some of the best crisis comms work doesn't hit the headlines, because - when done well, it helps brands and companies stay out of the limelight. It's blockbuster pieces like this and a few other notable / quirky examples that cut through, and of course when it's done badly, we all know about it.
A few other notable crisis comms examples we chatted about this afternoon:
KFC's response to the 2018 chicken shortage that closed hundreds of restaurants with its iconic FCK we're sorry ad campaign is one that's deservedly gone down in the marketing Hall of Fame. Its simplicity is stunning but in the eye of the storm that's not an easy thing to do. They owned the problem, stayed out of the blame game and stayed true to their tone of voice. Keep those three things front of mind if you find yourself in a crisis and you'll do better than most.
KFC’s famous ‘FCK We’re Sorry’ ad
In response to a viral video from a disgruntled customer that only received the 'cheese' element of her 'Mac and Cheese' California Pizza Kitchen put one of their chefs front and centre in a funny reaction video, owning the mistake and offering a clever 50% discount offer to all customers - using the opportunity to drive sales. Watch the viral response here.
And finally, this one is an oldie but a goodie, but after the Lionesses success at the weekend, my husband and I were reminded of the about turn Gareth Southgate made reputationally after his missed penalty knocked England out of Euro '96. I'm not saying this Pizza Hut ad was necessarily a turning point in his onward trajectory to pundit, then coach, but having a bit of humility and being able to poke fun at himself can't have hurt. And this was pre the Internet/social media boom too.
So, what should you do in a crisis? An acronym always helps, I find, and none better than TRUTH, when it comes to Crisis Comms:
T – Timely response. Speed is important, but not at the expense of getting your facts straight. Don’t rush to conclusions without a solid evidence base. Gather the facts, make sure you’re ready to debunk any inaccuracies. Put out a holding statement acknowledging the issue and that you are looking into it if you need time to investigate the situation. Update when appropriate, and avoid information vacuums when others will fill in the blanks for you.
R – Relatable responses rebuild reputations. Consider your audiences (internal and external) – those that will be impacted and keep them front of mind when preparing your response. Consider human interest and the human impact and what you’re doing to address these, not just the company’s bottom line.
U – Is it Business as ‘Usual’ or ‘Unusual?’ Consider, is there room for a creative response? Not every company has Gwyneth Paltrow money, but that doesn’t mean you can’t lean into humour, or satire. You do have to read the room though. Listen first and understand the public sentiment before weighing in. Match your brand voice to the severity of the issue but do so with authenticity.
T – Trouble spotting. Pre-empt the difficult questions and think about how you can address or answer these in your communications. Take a temperature check and build an FAQs list from the questions you’re seeing on social media, or that are being directed at you and your teams. Avoid ‘no comment’ responses wherever possible. Don’t forget internal comms in all the noise: staff can be your biggest assets, or your biggest critics if they aren’t brought on the journey in real time.
H – Humility goes a long way. Authenticity trumps arrogance every time. Equip and empower your spokespeople to speak with confidence for your organisation, in an appropriate tone that reflects the company culture, brand values, but as a human being rather than a corporate entity. Transparency is key in most crisis situations; owning a problem and being clear about how you are going to fix it is key to building and regaining trust with your audience.
Finally, get outside help if you need it. A fresh set of eyes is often what’s needed when you’re too close to the situation to see the metaphorical wood from the trees.
Get in touch for more information on crisis communication preparedness and coaching services.
Now we’ve had our say on the Astronomer response, we’d love to get your thoughts. Help us take the temperature on the story everyone’s talking about and have your say below.
