'Strategic Communication' is a missing link in Japan's crisis management

Once again, so many Japanese have been torched online in 2023 for being tone-deaf.

The chairman of Keidanren, for example, when asked in December about political donations to the Liberal Democratic Party amounting to ¥2.4 billion annually, asked, "What is the problem?” In August, the president of Nihon University, whose football team’s members were arrested for violating the Cannabis Control Law, initially stated, "We have never found any illegal drugs or anything like that.”

Things are the same in the private sector. In July, the president of Bigmotor, a major used car sales company that was found to have filed fraudulent insurance claims, said that using a golf ball to damage a vehicle was "an affront to golf lovers." A Takarazuka Revue executive said in November, "Show us evidence" in response to the family's claim that bullying was the cause of the death of their daughter who was a member of the troupe.

The biggest gaffe of the year came, as expected, from a politician. When the political funds scandal surfaced, the chair of the LDP's Abe faction initially said: "I think there were” kickbacks in response to questions on the ticket sales at fundraising parties, only to walk back the statement hours later.

No wonder, the LDP is currently floundering over the political funds scandal. Opposition parties and liberal media are triumphantly piling on the "money in politics" and "slush fund" optics of the scandal, as polling numbers for Fumio Kishida's administration plummets. The series of gaffes are not unprecedented, but rather just common occurrences that are part of the norm for large organizations in Japan.

Why are these clumsy responses being repeated? Recently, some experts in Japan have begun referring to the concept of "strategic communications."

It was 20 years ago in 2004 when I heard the term "strategic communications" for the first time. I was seconded to the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq, the transitional government in Baghdad following the war. At the time, I simply thought that the CPA would have a small public relations office. I was mistaken.

The CPA had the Strategic Communications Division where nearly 100 staff members gathered information, prepared questions and answers for the outside world and held daily press conferences. The fact that so many officers were involved in "public relations" activities was surprising, but the CPA's strategic PR efforts in Iraq were not always successful.

One of the reasons for its failure was that the CPA's chief spokesperson spoke in English, not in Arabic. In retrospect, it seems that the CPA's priority at the time was more focused on Washington politics and the Western media rather than on the Iraqi people. Naturally, its cost-effectiveness was not very high. Ironically, the deputy spokesperson who occasionally briefed journalists at the CPA in Arabic was a British diplomat fluent in Arabic.

Still, the failures of the U.S. military in Iraq at that time were handled better compared to the poor damage control for scandals in Japan today. The series of gaffes or blunders in Japan that I have introduced so far are the natural result of the nation's fatally pre-modern "public relations" efforts, which are devoid of the concept of "strategic communications.”

Here are the things Japanese gaffes have in common, and the solutions they need:

First, scandals are bound to occur. There is no such thing as a perfect operation in the world. We should be prepared from the beginning that any new attempt will inevitably be accompanied by mishaps or scandals. If you are overconfident that scandals will not occur, the possibility of scandals will increase even more.

Second, speed is of essence. If misconduct is exposed, your acquaintances and the media will become potential adversaries. If you are unfortunately forced into such a situation, you should begin explaining to the public as soon as possible. In particular, if you panic due to the scandal and delay the timing of news conferences, reporters will surely go into predator mode. The longer the delay, the more rabid they will become.

Third, be as honest as possible. Even if a press briefing is held early, if the explanation is inaccurate, the effect will be halved. If the explanation is proved to be false or misleading, reporters will become even more rabid. Of course, you may not wish to tell the entire story, but it is desirable for you to be as honest as possible at such biefings. In this sense, the retraction of the original statement on the funds scandal by the LDP's Abe faction chair was almost fatal.

Fourth, be as sincere as possible. It is important to show sincerity. Even if you have done something wrong, reporters are also human beings, and if they sense sincerity in you, they are more likely to go easier on you in their reporting. Naturally, you should absolutely refrain from saying or doing anything that might provoke, especially if there are bereaved families involved.

And finally, think about the narratives you want to promote in advance. When starting anything new, the first thing to consider is not the possibility of success, but how to explain to the public in case of failure. If you cannot explain what you do to the outside world, you should not start the project in the first place. Kickbacks and slush funds by the LDP factions should have been stopped earlier, when the damage was much less severe.

Unfortunately, in Japan such traditional organizations fatally lack not only “strategic communications” capabilities, but also an office that can prepare in advance a "consistent narrative" with the organization's top leaders.

It is never too late. In 2024, the nation’s approach to public relations must change. Politicians and government officials must be ready for the inevitable future scandals that are lurking beyond the corner, even before the start of business, preparing consistent narratives with strategic communications. May 2024 be a good year for those who could be at the center of scandal in Japan.

It is never too late to remedy the situation. As we move into 2024, a paradigm shift in the nation's public relations practices is imperative. Politicians and government officials must proactively anticipate the potential for future scandals, crafting cohesive narratives through strategic communication even before the day begins. Let May 2024 mark a positive turn for those who may find themselves at the center of a scandal in Japan.