Arit Effanga is a results-driven corporate communications executive and media strategist with over two decades of experience spanning broadcasting, public relations, and reputation management. After an extensive career in radio, television, and digital media, she transitioned into strategic communications and currently serves as the Head of Corporate Communications within the aviation sector. Recognized for her expertise in crisis communication, storytelling, and public positioning, Arit specializes in leveraging media influence to strengthen corporate brands and shape positive public perception.
In August 2025, a video from the Nigerian airport showed singer Kwam 1 The Ultimate standing in front of a taxiing aircraft after a dispute over a liquor container.
The incident went viral, drew the attention of aviation authorities, and eventually led to an apology and a no-fly order. One moment, one image, and suddenly millions of people had formed an opinion.
That is the funny thing about first impressions. They do not wait for the CEO to finish his memo, and they certainly do not wait for the communications team to say, “Let us align internally first.”
The public has already landed, and this is where organizations sometimes get communication wrong.
We spend weeks preparing the product, the launch, the event, the aircraft, the office, the campaign, the executive, then communication gets treated like the icing on the cake. It isn’t.
Communication is often the first taste. Before a customer buys from you, they experience your tone. A partner observes how you present yourself before signing with you. An employee notices how leaders speak when things are not going according to plan and when something goes wrong before trusting the leadership.
Your first response can become the story, not the incident itself.
A good first impression is not about being perfect. It is about being clear, knowing what to say, when to say it, who should say it, and most importantly, what not to say. Because sometimes the most expensive sentence in corporate communication is the one someone wrote five minutes before asking, “Can we just put something out?” Please, no.
Wednesday reminder: you may not get a second chance to make a good first impression, but you can certainly make a first response count.
For organizations, leaders, and brands, communication should not begin when the problem arrives, but long before takeoff.
When the message is complicated, the audience is watching, and the stakes are high. That is when good communication counsel matters most.
