Crisis Communication: Are you ready for your next crisis?

When you work in PR, hearing the word “crisis” usually means that your day is about to be turned upside down. So it’s no wonder that most of us would prefer not to wade into those waters when you don’t have to. But here’s why prepping for your next crisis now can save you lots of time and headaches later.

From natural disasters and corporate downsizing to product fails and data breaches, it seems like the need for managing a crisis is becoming more and more frequent. In an age of the 24-hour news cycle and with the pervasiveness of social media, an issue can go public in minutes and escalate into a crisis in hours.

What’s worse: no organization is immune. It’s a matter of when, not if, a company will need to publicly address a crisis. Moreover, recent studies have shown that only about half of American companies have a crisis communications plan – and even fewer are confident that the plan would be effective in the instance of a crisis.

Luckily, with the right preparation and crisis management systems in place, is it possible for companies to actually build a positive brand image coming out of a crisis.

I know what you're thinking. "Hey, that sounds great!" So, how do we, as PR professionals make that happen?

Even after a decade of managing crisis communication on behalf of clients of every size and in just about every industry, I have found no foolproof roadmap, and instinct plays a key role in crisis decision-making. In the end, crisis communication is about adequate preparation so you can provide frequent, honest and transparent messages, without sacrificing accuracy.

This is where having a solid crisis communication plan in place is so crucial.

Here are a few steps to consider when creating and implementing an effective crisis communications plan.

Set clear crisis communication goals and objectives.

Each business will have slightly different communications goals, but as a baseline, you will want to make sure that in all communications, you are:

• Being informative
• Showing care and concern
• Addressing concerns (to the extent possible)
• Communicating consistently across all channels
• Eliminating jargon, corporate or legal speak to gain clarity and remove barriers to understanding
• Complying with appropriate laws and mitigating corporate risk

Identify the crisis team.

Having a crisis team identified and trained is not only imperative but the piece of the puzzle that, in my experience, is most often overlooked. There are key roles in any good crisis plan. And it’s important that someone is identified to fulfill each role and that she is clear on what that role is.

Here are a few key roles to consider:

• Who is the initiator / crisis manager? This is the person who determines when a situation has become a crisis and activates the team. This person should also ensure that all communications are consistent across channels and timed appropriately.
• Who is the company spokesperson(s)? This is the person who is the media trained, public-facing company representative. This person should be likable, knowledgeable and empathetic.
• Who is the PR representative? This team will be the one communicating with media and will need to be fast-acting and in-the-know.
• Who will manage social media? This team will proactively communicate, listen and respond to inquiries and comments on social media.
• Who will communicate to executives / investors / stakeholders?
• Who will communicate to employees? Employees can be one of a company’s greatest assets in crisis communication. When they understand the situation and message, they can be highly effective brand ambassadors.

Have a plan.

• Understand your business’ unique risks and their impacts
• Develop communications goals
• Consider all potential scenarios and develop corresponding messaging for quick-response in case of a crisis
• Identify a crisis communications team, complete with escalation protocols and action plans, so your company is able to respond to any situation quickly and effectively.

If handled with knowledge, speed and candor, a company can minimize damage caused by a crisis and even enhance its overall reputation as a good corporate citizen.

So, is your company or client ready for its next crisis?