What to Consider About Speaking Out on Israel-Hamas War

The old saying “think before you speak” is probably best applied to anyone in a leadership position during circumstances of great magnitude.

With the latest war in the Middle East and the unimaginable scenes of violence and suffering being played out across most media channels, understandably tensions are high. Yet, those steering companies are looked to by their teams for leadership when they themselves may be struggling to take in the magnitude of the situation. And there are many executives who are not familiar with the politics of the situation and are uncertain about what to say and how to say it.

There is little doubt that since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7, the business community has been shaken, including the advertising sector. Since that dreadful day, business leaders have voiced their opinions or kept their own council, without wanting to add noise to a situation where there is no shortage of anger and hurt.

Many of those who have spoken up within the business community, have met with either support or vitriol. These are divisive events unfolding on a scale most of us have not witnessed for decades, and by saying the wrong thing in connection to these events, it could be ruinous for anyone running a company that immediately offends and appalls their customer base and partners.

Right now, words matter significantly.

The rules of engagement

“This is bigger than a corporate statement. This is bigger than taking sides. It’s bigger than the mundane of actually creating a marketing message,” warns Mark Borkowski, the PR specialist, writer and media industry commentator to any business executive when addressing this situation.

He warns that anyone making a statement openly through social media channels or even within a work environment should choose the language they use very carefully to express how they feel as that choice of language will be seized upon and before they say anything, they should be advised by communications experts.

“People need to turn to very careful wordsmiths because what we’re seeing at the moment in lots of organizations, in a time of crisis … something ill-thought-through comes out by a legal representative who has actually been the final arbiter and changes a well-crafted statement,” he explained.

Do you have something you can say in this world that actually matters?

—Mark Borkowski, PR specialist, writer and media industry commentator

Once an initial external comment is made, Borkowski advises then considering the messaging internally and how it is conveyed, highlighting the complexity of developing communications that match the expectations of both employees and stakeholders at varying levels. Once a statement is made, it will need to be lived by.

He also suggests that preparation be made for a response through social media upon any comment made and the organization’s ability to represent it.

“People have got to think about humanity and how to reflect what has happened … Do you have something you can say in this world that actually matters? And expresses that authenticity,” he continued.  

Checking in

While making a grand statement may seem a natural choice for many executives to be seen to at least be thoughtful about the ramifications of this war, it could be just as powerful, if not more so to directly speak to those potentially affected and to clients or customers who may have concerns about any impact.

The same is true for marketing campaigns that are either live or those that are set to go live.

Persuasion Communications founder Jane Austin, who advises many of the largest advertising agencies operating in the U.K. said that companies could quite easily find themselves in hot water should they not be more discerning than ever about their marketing output.

“Audiences are likely to be feeling more sensitive right now and while you can’t ignore a war, you need to make sure you’re not making a simple mistake with bad timing or looking as though you are profiting from tragedy,” advised Austin.

Having policies, systems and processes in place to check and agree any communications from anyone within a company is a failsafe that may prevent disaster – especially across social media channels as well as those who have access to the admit section of a company’s own website.

We’re all saddened and scared by violence, but using those emotions to raise your profile is distasteful.

—Jane Austin, founder of Persuasion Communications

Austin highlighted the need for executives to question the level of their involvement, describing it as a personal decision for agency leaders should they have an office or employees based in the region.

“It’s worth checking in with your teams to see how they are feeling too, everyone is likely affected by the distressing reports and imagery of any conflict,” she added.

For those who do find themselves on the sharp end of social media’s ire, Borkowski advises to “double down” and stand by it or to produce a “well crafted statement” should there be genuine remorse for the initial communications. And if the statement is being weaponized against the company, then it is best to close down all social channels until a decision on how to proceed is reached while focusing on internal communications to explain the circumstances to staff.

“They articulate an apology of not understanding the complexities and actually talk about how rash they might have been in offering a statement without understanding truly what is going on,” he continued.

Finally, using this situation as an opportunity for attention is probably the worst reason for making any statement or issuing a viewpoint. Just looking at social media, not least LinkedIn, in the initial days of the attack throws up some examples. Austin advises anyone following any form of narcissistic tendency to pause and refrain from following through.

“We’re all saddened and scared by violence, but using those emotions to raise your profile is distasteful.”

Another comms agency owner, who asked not to be named, flagged that platforms such as LinkedIn were currently littered with negative and angry conversations in regards to the conflict, and that those angry conversations served no good effect other that to potentially create hysteria.

“Business leaders would be best advised not to post on LinkedIn—it may be a more professional forum, but it’s still social media with all the hysteria that whips up,” they added.