Canva went down recently and marketers were plunged into despair. And it felt like half the world ground to a halt with the recent AWS (Amazon Web Services) outage.
From banking apps to social media, Ring door bells and smart beds – no, I didn’t know those were a thing either – people’s daily lives were impacted across the world.
Add to this the hacking incidents which have affected M&S, the Co-op and Jaguar Land Rover this year, and we have plenty of examples of tech failing or being used against big corporations – some of whom weren’t well equipped to deal with the fallout.
And with AWS holding around 30% of the cloud provider market, and the cloud as a whole essentially consisting of just a few companies, it pays to be prepared.
So, as marketers, how can we respond when technology goes wrong and affects operations?
Firstly, communication is key. Responding immediately and transparently lets your customers, prospects and suppliers know that you’re aware of the issue and are addressing it as quickly as possible.
Engage with customers in as many ways as possible, whether that’s by email, social media or SMS. If your accounts have been hacked consider how you can use PR channels to get your message out.
Be upfront, provide reassurance, and don’t be afraid to apologise – naturally, customers will often have concerns about data leaks and how the situation could affect their privacy and security.
After the M&S hacking incident, CEO Stuart Machin emailed customers with information about what data might have been compromised (names, addresses etc), data that wasn’t compromised (payment or card details) and steps that would be taken (prompting customers to reset passwords). He also apologised and thanked customers for their support. Comms from senior personnel demonstrate you’re taking the threat seriously and taking steps to address the issue.
Don’t forget your wider network. The JLR hacking incident had a huge impact on their suppliers, many of whom feared going out of business. Open communication and regular updates need to extend to your employees, suppliers, customers and more.
Offer compensation or incentives where you can. Once operational again, M&S offered affected customers a £5 voucher. No it’s not a lot, but it shows you’re sorry, increases the chances of customers coming back, and gives you a chance to put things right and show customers why they should keep choosing your business.
Spread the risk with a multi-channel approach.
It’s worth noting that we’ve seen a resurgence in traditional marketing channels over the past few years, from out-of-home (OOH) billboards to print, direct mail and TV.
These channels are a vital part of breaking through digital noise and building trust, and can be used in clever new ways thanks to the latest technology. But building a broad, multi-channel strategy that doesn’t rely solely on tech and first-party data also pays off when tech goes wrong, ensuring that at least some of your activity keeps ticking over.
Keep calm! Yes, it’s a very British thing to say… but when things are going wrong, one of the worst things you can do is panic and issue a knee-jerk response. By having the right strategy prepared in advance and being ready to leverage crisis comms, you can reassure customers, keep their trust and mitigate losses.
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Awesomesauce Marketing is a full-service, Coventry-based marketing agency working with clients around the world.
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