Sometimes, even the largest corporates develop tunnel vision. Often, this prevents them from seeing the writing on the wall, leading to situations that may spiral out of control.
Infosys Technologies was facing its first ever media crisis in 2004. With an organization restructuring underway, the Company had to face disgruntled employees. As their Public Relations partners who were closely monitoring employee sentiments, The PRactice had sensed the beginnings of the turbulence and through an extensive researched document advised the client of the impending dangers. This was however, initially ignored.
When the media got wind of the internal turmoil, they raised a hue and cry. The once accessible Infosys built a wall around itself and stayed inaccessible.
True to our commitment of having the client’s best interest at heart, The PRactice argued with senior management and took the issue to the very helm. The leadership team was surprised that our advice had previously gone unheeded and sent out a mandate that The PRactice would have direct access to the leadership.
Thereafter, together we worked on strong messaging to combat the negative press. Infosys came out of its shell to interact with the media more than before, keeping communication lines open at all times.
Based on this case study, The PRactice often advises clients to re-prioritize communications efforts and to put internal communication ahead of media relations. We work on a stakeholder relationship mapping which shows clients that the morale of employees has a direct impact on the image of the company in good times and when the going gets tough.
