It’s the classic PR snafu. Some tragedy happens and a hapless flack gets a public thrashing from a journalist for pitching them about how their company / product could have helped.
But, what can companies do when their everyday operations lead them to be embroiled in a major humanitarian disaster? This is exactly what’s happened with Royal Caribbean International, (RCI) whose cruises include a stop in Haiti, as outlined by this CNN article.
The gist of it all is, is it ethical for RCI to continue going to Haiti (albeit to its developed, guarded compound many miles from the affected region), or to pull out as a sign of respect? Frankly, it’s a tough choice. For the cruisers, the thought of being so close to so much suffering and being cocooned away from it all could be quite distasteful. On the other hand, if RCI pulls out, that will take away a much needed source of jobs and revenue for the island, and we all know that they need all the help they can get right now.
I actually think that although the knee-jerk reaction would be to pull out (and there is certainly lots of talk about this subject), and on the surface of it, that’s the “nicest” response, RCI made a sound decision in staying.
It also handled the PR well, by announcing it would donate at least $1 million in humanitarian aid to Haiti and contribute all of the its net revenue from Labadee (RCI’s resort in Haiti) to the relief effort. RCI is also helping with the humanitarian aid – its ships are also delivering supplies – including rice, dried beans, powdered milk, water and canned goods – to the region. What’s best is that all of this was accomplished without the all-too-easy-to-do PR hand-wringing,
Although obviously RCI’s motives will always be questioned as to how much of it is altruistic and how much is simply brand halo-polishing, RCI is helping Haiti both short and long-term with its efforts, and this should be applauded.
Quick Disclaimer: My client, Johnny Rockets, has a relationship with RCI, with locations on a number of its vessels. But that doesn’t have anything to do with this post. I still think RCI is doing the right thing.










