It was the moment every nonprofit strives for: Everyone was talking
about their cause. When Invisible Children's "Kony 2012" video went viral, Twitter,
Facebook and myriad other social and traditional media networks
were flooded with the call to #stopkony. Experts almost immediately
began to draw PR lessons, analyzed
the implications
for nonprofits, and tried to understand the campaign's success,
even as the criticism grew.
When something gets this big -- the main video received a
record-breaking 100 million views in six days -- a backlash is
inevitable. Some thought it over-simplified an incredibly complex
issue; others believed the information was outdated. Ties to
evangelical Christian groups began to emerge. Things became more
complicated when BBB Wise Giving Alliance, an accreditation site
for nonprofits, revealed it tried for
six years to convince Invisible Children to undergo a financial and
governance review, but Invisible Children never complied.
Invisible Children smartly responded to critiques on Twitter and through
another video, and soon set up an
excellent crisis
response website. But it still got worse.
Ten days after the video's March 5th debut, Jason Russell, the
filmmaker and organization's co-founder, was arrested in San Diego
after roaming the streets in his underwear, screaming at cars,
pounding his fists on the sidewalk and shouting incoherently, due
to exhaustion and sever dehydration. His
wife explained that the video not only brought a lot of good
attention to the issue, "it also brought a lot of attention to
Jason -- and because of how personal the film is, many of the
attacks against it were also very personal, and Jason took them
very hard." Mrs. Danica Russell urged people to keep the focus on
Africa, but how could they? The story had taken a new turn.
In the end, how much does the backlash matter? People are still
talking about Kony 2012 and watching the video, but gossip about
Russell continues to eat into the conversations. Invisible Children
provided a strong online crisis response, but for many the
organization's credibility is weakened. Most unfortunately, the
backlash could have been significantly diminished if Invisible
Children had been better
prepared.
Although it's incredibly rare to receive even half the attention
Kony 2012 earned, here are some steps all organizations can take to
help prevent a PR crisis after a social media success:
- Do it well. Kony2012 captures a compelling story
in a reasonable amount of time (30 minutes). It took almost a
decade for Invisible Children to produce the film. If you're going
to take a public stance on something, follow their lead: take your
time and do it right. But be prepared for the questions and
critiques by taking an honest look at what you left out or over
simplified. Testing how your messages will be received through a
focus group will also help.
- Make sure your house in order. In the world of
social media, you can become famous almost instantaneously. When
you're suddenly the most prominent expert, you'll also face sudden
and intense scrutiny and demands for transparency. If you intend to
draw attention to your organization, make sure it is ready to be
shown off.
- Remember: Heart of gold and nerves of steel. It's
understandably difficult to have the whole world look at you,
over-analyze your project, and in some cases demean the work you've
poured your heart and soul into. For Jason Russell, it was too
much, and his episode added an unnecessary level to the debate on
Joseph Kony. Before you try to become the face behind a cause, make
sure you're ready for the attention -- good and bad -- the goes
with it.