Crisis Management
Hope for the best
have a plan for the worst.
- Crisis Management Plans
- Crisis Communications
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- Crisis Management Plans
Crisis management and communication: it's all about planning.
When it comes to crisis management and communication, planning is key. Nobody wants to deal with a crisis, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t prepare for one. Effective crisis management hinges on thorough planning.
Consider the Tylenol crisis in 1982, when seven people, including a 12-year-old girl, died after taking cyanide-laced Tylenol in the Chicago area. Tylenol responded swiftly by recalling its product nationwide. While its product was off store shelves, Tylenol created the innovative tamperproof packaging, now commonly used in all over-the-counter medications. Tylenol was open and transparent with the public during this time and has become a textbook example of successful crisis communications.
While many things have changed since 1982, the need for a swift and strategic plan has not. Acting within the first 24 hours of a crisis is crucial to minimizing potential damage to your organization.
Various types of crises can arise, from natural disasters to technical failures, human errors, or managerial decisions. Whether it’s a literal wildfire or a metaphorical one, having a plan in place is essential.
How we can help
- Crisis Management Plans
- Crisis Communications
- Media Training
- Issue Management
- PR Crisis Management
- Crisis Management Plans
Crisis communications plans give you security.
Why should you have a plan?
Having a crisis communication plan provides security. Why? Because while we hope to avoid crises altogether, it’s far better to be prepared than caught off guard. Proactive plans anticipate potential issues and establish a framework for addressing them, while reactive plans respond to crises as they emerge, strategically managing them.
"Vital, clear information is the difference between an orderly evacuation, and it could be the difference between life and death." -Dean Heuman, Principal and Lead Strategist
Video Source: CTV News Edmonton July 23, 2024
Crisis Plan Elements
By incorporating these elements into a comprehensive crisis communications plan, your organization can prepare for various crises.
- Risk and Assessment and planning: A SWOT analysis, including an understanding of emerging challenges and weaknesses within an organization. Identify potential crises and develop strategies to mitigate them.
- Establish the Crisis Team: Select the team who will be responsible for communication during a crisis.
- Select a Spokesperson: Have a plan on the face of the organization during a crisis. (It could be the CEO or an industry expert depending on the crisis.)
- Develop Key Messages: If you had just ten seconds with someone what is it you want them to know and remember.
- Develop a Media Relations Strategy: Develop strategies for media relations during a crisis. Prepare your spokesperson for interviews, prepare news releases, and organize press conferences.
- Develop a Stakeholder Communication Strategy: Think of which stakeholders need to be communicated with, and which ones are the priority (staff, customers, suppliers, neighbours) and come up with a communication strategy for each audience.
- Monitor and Evaluate: Implement methods for monitoring media coverage, online, and social media response to your crisis.
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