How often have you hear this familiar phrase in corporate communication? “We’re looking into it.” It has probably worked more overtime in some organizations than many employees.
But sometimes silence is the bigger problem.
Remember the Peak Milk Good Friday advert in 2023?
The campaign quickly attracted criticism for using the crucifixion of Jesus Christ as a marketing metaphor. The backlash grew, the advert was withdrawn, and the company apologized, acknowledging the sensitivity of the season.
Now, imagine if the response had simply been, “No comment,” or worse, “Management is looking into it.” The internet would probably have had breakfast, lunch, dinner and anything in-between with the matter.
This is where communication becomes more than posting beautiful graphics and writing impressive statements. When something goes wrong, people may not expect a perfect explanation immediately. They want to know that someone is aware, somebody cares, and something is being done.
Sometimes a simple, “We are reviewing what happened and we’ll update you,” can do more for trust than pages of corporate grammar.
Of course, silence can sometimes be strategic. Not every comment deserves a response, and not every online argument needs a corporate megaphone. But there is a difference between choosing not to engage and leaving a vacum where speculation can comfortably move in.
And these days, people don’t leave empty spaces for long.
Someone will fill it, then someone will screenshot it and set a ring-light to analyse and seek the opinion of other on it. Before you know it, the story has acquired a soundtrack. If you’re on TikTok, you read clocked that.
Good communication is not about talking all the time. It is about knowing when your voice matters because when people are already asking questions, silence rarely makes the questions disappear.
Sometimes, it simply makes other people answer them for you.
