What happens when an award-winning editor of a leading outdoor consumer magazine plays a central role in a false alarm rescue alert from a friend climbing Denali and then writes a riveting account of the experience on the magazine’s blog?

Backpacker Magazine’s Rocky Mountain field editor, Steve Howe, was on a little product testing trip on Denali when the following message was sent from his SPOT Satellite Messenger to Steve’s wife and to Steve’s friend and Backpacker Mag editor, Jon Dorn: “Steve Howe is injured or immobilized & cannot proceed, but has no immediate life-threatening condition. Evac please.”

Thing is, Howe wasn’t actually in need of evacuation. Due to some unfortunate, yet-to-be-determined series of events, the SPOT unit was inadvertently activated and sent the distress call that ultimately initiated preliminary search and rescue activities.

Read Dorn’s blow-by-blow account here.

It’s a great story, so great that other blogs and publications are linking to it. Lots of them. Which, according to how SPOT handles it, could be either a great opportunity for them or a big problem.

While SPOT admitted to Dorn that a false alarm could, “…be inadvertently engaged if something small and sharp, like a thumbnail or pencil, were pressed into the opening for two to three seconds.” The fact that it did happen, and that the real life ramifications of such a incident have been intimately documented by Dorn, will have customers questioning if they want to purchase SPOT.

Is it a “crisis” for SPOT? Relatively speaking, yes. In crisis communications planning you start by asking, “What is the worst thing that could happen to us as a company?” and develop contingencies based on those issues. False alarm-triggered search and rescue missions due to faulty product design (real or imagined) would, I imagine, be in the top 3 of that list for SPOT.

Regardless of whether this was the result of a product design flaw or something Steve did incorrectly, trust in the product and brand among the core consumer has been weakened. Proactive steps to regain that trust are required. And, because this story is so high profile it is also a great opportunity for SPOT to engage the outdoor community in a discussion on the event, the technology, proper use…SHOW that they are the category leader by acting like the leader.

Crisis communication is not rocket science (even though some firms charge like it is…). Here’s the basic crisis communications formula:

1. Admit mistakes have been made
2. Explain why the mistakes occurred
3. Show/say/demonstrate contrition and sincere concern
4. Agree to take the steps necessary to fix the problem
5. Ask for help from the victims/accept counsel from the community
6. Promise to never let it happen again
7. Find a way to pay/alleviate/remediate

SPOT doesn’t need to hit all of the items above, particularly since all of the details are not yet known. They do need to show people they take this very seriously and will be addressing the issue on all levels so it doesn’t happen again.

An apology/action statement, or personalized versions of one, should go out to their dealers, customers and media contacts. Additionally, they should reach out to every blog and forum that has posted on or discussed the issue to establish direct communications. They should also pitch Backpacker on a more in-depth story on the incident when they know all the details.

When SPOT determines all the details of the event, they should revisit all of the people and channels they reached out to and provide them with the detailed results of the investigation. This proactive outreach will further establish authority and credibility, and will ultimately regain trust.