Did Alton Towers use crisis management successfully?

We've all heard about the devastating crash on the 2nd June in which an Alton Towers rollercoaster crashed, causing 4 people to be seriously injured, with one even having to have her legs amputated. There has been incalculable media coverage and the Merlin brand is in absolute tatters. This of course is a crisis that not many brands ever have to deal with, however can Alton Towers ever recover from this tragedy and operate as the brand they used to be?

I think, from a branding perspective, due to what the Alton Towers brand used to stand for- fun, happiness, family-friendly and exhilarating. It is going to be phenomenally difficult for Alton Towers to ever build this image back in people's minds due to the instant association to the crash that the brand will acquire.

However, it's not as though we haven't seen brands cause tragedies previously and recover their brand successfully and with the right crisis management strategy in place- it can be done.

Quick reaction

Public relations absolutely is the key to any brand reform or crisis and other brands like Tesco and BP have made huge errors in the past by not reacting publicly to situations soon enough. However, Alton Towers were very efficient in releasing statements and keeping the public informed.

The park updated their Facebook and Twitter pages soon after the event and gave information and messages consistent with those they gave to the press, this meant messages across all channels were clear and not conflicting one another. They were quick with announcing that the park would be closed and then being open and honest about their investigations in to the accident etc.

Senior executives at the heart of the issues

Nick Varney, CEO of Merlin, headed to Alton Towers soon after the event and gave live television interviews and was at the heart of any decisions being made. This demonstrated the severity of the incident and how serious Alton Towers were taking it. He was able to give accurate and well prepared statements and take hold of the situation.

He also demonstrated his compassion, understanding and concern for those involved as well as outlining the immediate steps the business was taking which made him come across a lot more positive.

Accepting fault

In crisis management, accepting responsibility can make the difference between gaining the publics' trust and losing it. Alton Towers never tried to shift the blame or deny wrongdoing, which is where many brands have gone wrong when dealing with crises in the past (e.g. Thomas Cook).

Alton Towers must now reassure the public of their commitment to safety and work to improve on whatever they find to be the fault of their mistakes that clearly caused this disaster. I would also work to consider taking legal action/ investigation to the designers/ engineers of the ride.



All in all, I believe that Alton Towers initial management of the crisis was good and they built the foundations to restore their brand image, regain customer trust and convey their safety and integrity. However, the Merlin share price is dramatically low and therefore they must continue to work hard to make sure they stay on track.

Steph