No, We Don’t Cause Anything

• Crisis
• December 22, 2016
• by Sally Ann Rivera

If we could give you the perfect Spaeth-themed holiday gift, it might be this Comcast video. The delight centers on the power of an anecdote (as Merrie likes to say, “Isn’t all evidence anecdotal?”) and journeys through several communication lessons:

1. Video rules the world. A Reddit user noticed an unsafe situation near his home and began filming a Comcast truck as nearby cars skidded off the road. He posted the video not expecting it to go viral but the online trend news site Mashable got ahold of it within a week.
2. Employees are ambassadors. This video showcases the power of one individual employee’s actions to portray Comcast in a negative light. He didn’t use any good words to speak for the company as a whole. This is why it’s so crucial to have a common language of communication and empower employees to proactively share messages.
3. BIMBO comments are self-fulfilling prophesies. This is seen at the end of the video in a montage of the Comcast employee saying “no, we don’t cause anything,” as a car accident occurred moments later.
4. Have a crisis response ready. Comcast provided an excellent crisis response showing empathy and focusing on safety. Unfortunately, it’s buried in the story and came in written form, making it likely to be overlooked and unable to compete with the video.
5. Communicate in the language of your audience. The crisis incident arose from video posted on social media. If Comcast wants customers to know how it feels about the situation, a video response would be more effective. Since we have no competitive video of employees doing things right or employees who care about safety, the negative anecdote survives.

We wish you a crisis-free holiday season and look forward to many more communication lessons in the New Year. Remember, clients are always good examples! Should you find yourself in a Comcast-like situation, we’re here to help and we know you’ll make the right response.