Effective Crisis Communications

No company can go through its existence without being in involved in some sort of a crisis. However, a single incident can destroy years of strong customer and shareholder relations. Competitors will also take full advantage of the situation. While it’s tough to predict when a crisis might occur, it is critical to plan for one in advance. Companies that incorporate effective crisis communications strategies into their disaster recovery plans have a greater chance of mitigating negative media and public perceptions and enhancing their long-term credibility. Tips for designing an effective crisis communication plan:

Determine in advance who needs to be involved:
The plan should include two spokespeople and two assistants to handle media issues, which will ensure at least one person is always available. The plan should enable the team to quickly and systematically increase the number of key people involved in case the crisis should escalate.

Get the facts:
Early access to the “who,” “what,” “when,” “where,” and “why” of a crisis situation allows PR professionals to better respond to media queries and disseminate the most appropriate information to the public.

Provide frank, candid responses:
The media will often conclude a company is guilty if its spokespeople try to avoid certain topics or do not answer questions directly. If answering a question would compromise an ongoing investigation or infringe on privacy rights, the spokesperson should simply state so. If they don’t know the answer to a question, the spokesperson should tell the media they will provide them with more information as soon as it is available.

Determine your key messages and stick to them:
All statements to the press should incorporate your key messages. They should be crafted to portray a corporate image that is responsive and proactive.