Smart PR

The Basics of Crisis Communications – Part Four, Top Ten List

September 13, 2011 at 2:53 PM Leave a comment

Managing an issue or crisis effectively is key to managing your brand’s reputation. Many companies are ill-prepared for crises and manage them poorly when they arise, but by sticking to a few simple best practices, you can ensure you’re prepared to weather any storm and keep your brand’s reputation intact.

Source: foodliabilitylaw.com

Crisis Management Top 10 List

10. Have a crisis plan in place. The exercise of writing the plan is at least as important as the plan itself since it forces people to think about likely scenarios that could turn into crises.

9. Identify potential crisis scenarios and transform them into ‘issues’ that are managed over time.

8. Make long-term deposits into a “good will bank” so that, in the event of a crisis, you can make withdrawals and ideally never have a negative balance of good will.

7. During a bona fide crisis, stay in front of the story. Live by this mantra: “Tell it first and tell it fast.”

6. Remember that the Internet shortens timeframes and provides global reach. Use the Internet to your advantage to manage issues and crises.

5. Never forget that in a crisis, your employees are the most important audience.

• Establish excellent relations in advance of any crisis
• Inform them about the crisis—instill confidence in management
• Equip them with key messages to take to the community
• Ask for their support in a call to action
• Hold personal, regular, interactive meetings

4. Use third party experts to tell your story during a crisis.

3. Use the principles of Risk Communication.

2. Use media/presentation training during a crisis and rehearse before speaking with the media or any groups. Avoid hiding from the media.

And most importantly…

1. When communicating with your stakeholders:

• Show empathy (Be human)
• Tell the truth   (Be factual – minimize speculation)
• Tell it fast (Be timely)

 - David Kalson, CEO, specializes in energy, environment and crisis/issues management.

Entry filed under: Communications, Corporate, Crisis. Tags: Best Practices, Communications, Crisis Management, Stakeholder Engagement.