Litigation PR as a communication strategy to achieve objectives in litigation, an article by Diana Jennen for Cinco Días

“The reputation of a company or institution takes years to build, but it can be seriously affected in a matter of hours  by media publications about a judicial process in which it is involved.”

Strategic communication, reputation management and litigation public relations (PR) are essential for any judicial process that may be broadcast by the media. For this reason, it is necessary to have the professional support of experts in communication and media management in judicial processes that may reach the press.

Our Partner in charge of Communication and Business Development, Diana Jennen, writes about this matter and explains that “even in cases in which the company wins the trial, it can lose its reputation due to media pressure and public opinion.”

In these times when the media and social networks are a double-edged sword, reputation is an asset that must be protected, and strategic communication has become a necessity to support the objectives in litigation and in class action lawsuits. Therefore, in the development of a judicial process, managing communication strategically is key to:

• Maintain control of the information, ensuring it is accurate and timely. Without a well-thought-out communication strategy, information can quickly get out of control, causing damaging speculation. 
• Protect and improve reputation. By demonstrating transparency, accountability, and leadership, strategic communications during a dispute or investigation can protect, and even enhance, this asset.
• Positively influence the perception of interested parties. Through effective communications, trust will be maintained with critical stakeholders, including customers, employees, investors and regulators.
• Create a favorable environment and support the legal strategy. This alignment avoids any public statements that could undermine the legal case and ensures that all messages are consistent with the legal arguments.
• Use communication as an alternative solution to legal mechanisms to achieve the objectives in dispute. Sometimes reputation items can work just as well as going down legal routes during a case, and it is important to know when it is best to use this resource.

«Companies and institutions must know how to adapt to this evolution and have professional support from experts in reputation and media management to guarantee an effective and coherent strategy, monitoring and managing in an agile and strategic way each news, leak or opinion that is revealed, ensuring that key messages are communicated to the media and the public and minimizing the negative impact on reputation,” says Diana Jennen.

You can read the full article in Cinco Días.