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Barclays Bank: How (Not) to Communicate with Stakeholders

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BARCLAYS BANK: HOW (NOT) TO COMMUNICATE
WITH STAKEHOLDERS
Corporate Communication Case study 1.1 09-17-2013 Josine Kremer - 414794

CASE STUDY 1.1
BARCLAYS BANK: HOW (NOT) TO COMMUNICATE WITH STAKEHOLDERS
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION 1. Discuss each image crisis for Barclays.
- Image crisis no. 1: ‘A world needs a big bank’ campaign vs. closing 170 branches in the UK. In 2000 Barclays launched a ‘Big’ campaign with the slogan: ‘a big world needs a big bank’. Barclays wanted to be seen as an ‘big’ bank by its important stakeholder groups. The adverts were slick and had received good pre-publicity, but it turned into a communication disaster. Because Barclays was spreading the word that is was a big bank, while closing 170 branches in …show more content…

3. What could Barclays have done to avoid these crises, or to anticipate the potential fallout?
Barclays clearly did not manage very well with their communication under crisis. Because crises have the potential to
Barclays Bank: how (not) to communicate with stakeholders

damage an organisation’s reputation it is important that organisations anticipate and plan for probable crisis scenarios and prepare crisis communication plans. Instead of getting in the defensive mode as Barclays did with image crisis no. 1, they should have started an acceptance strategy. A tactic of apologising for the crisis and accepting the blame. Instead of being arrogant, they could have said that they are sorry for closing 170 branches and give an explanation. Barclays also should have started a dialogue. They should have announced what they were going to do and why and then let the public react on their announcement. And to create less anger within the public they could have announced some form of compensation or help to the employees who were going to be harmed by the closing of the branches. The CEO of Barclays should have had a media training. In media trainings is thought how to work with journalists by creating simulations. If he would have known how to behave and what to say around media, the second crisis would not have happened. A third image crisis would have happened anyway, because if they

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