When activist Boniface Mwangi raised a concern about betrayal by his health insurer, the claim called for a strategic and timely PR response.
The power of media to make or break a corporate cannot be underestimated.
The activist underwent a surgery following a chest injury inflicted by a teargas in a confrontation with Kenyan police during peaceful demonstration. Mr Mwangi said he had been a client of the company and that has been paying premiums since 2010. He said he expected the insurer to cover his hospital bills but the company allegedly betrayed him.
In the first place, the AAR Insurance ought to have been very proactive in dealing with the potentially dangerous activist. Sadly, the insurer dragged her feet until the matter got out of hand.
Still at this stage, the company’s reactive response to Mr Mwangi is a big bold flop. The company had all the opportunity to ‘silence’ the activist and cool the matter as soon as possible but the company’s move to run a hashtag #AARInsuranceFacts on Twitter has subjected the company to ‘public court’. And remember ‘public judges’ have no mercy for the opponent of perceived oppressed party but deliver ‘judgement’ based on what they feel is right.
The public opinions on the matter have painted the image of insensitive, dishonest, unreliable and unprofessional AAR Insurance.
Remember the hashtag ought to have countered the effects of the already dented image of company but the ‘good intention’ backfired badly as most tweets show solidarity with the activists.
The activist’s claim may not be justified but it will cause a huge damage on the AAR side in the long run.
A modern PR practice should be more proactive.