Articles and Commentary from Mimi Foster & Company
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Crisis Communications: A Crash Course
By Melissa Campbell
Mimi Foster & Company
The recent spate of high profile plane crashes presents a timely opportunity to review your organization’s crisis communication plan or to take the necessary steps to implement one.
Preparation is key because time moves extra fast in a crisis situation and wasting precious minutes on developing processes can have disastrous effects on the company’s reputation. Silence on the part of the organization, intentional or not, can signal a reluctance to share information or an attempt to avoid blame or responsibility, both of which can malign the company’s hard earned reputation.
As organizations contend with the ever-shrinking news cycle and the immediacy of e-mail, cell phones, instant messaging and Twittering, prompt response to a crisis is even more critical today than it has been in the past. To facilitate timely communication on all fronts, proactively take some time to identify the following:
- Who are your crisis communication “crew members”? Who will be involved in handling communication issues when a crisis strikes? This can include public relations professionals and/or outside PR agencies, legal counsel, human resources representatives, appropriate subject matter experts and in most cases, the company’s top executive. Once you identify the team, develop a protocol for how inquiries are channeled and communicate that protocol to all audiences. For instance, clearly post the media relations contact on your web site so a reporter knows who to call. Distribute a memo to all employees outlining how to direct calls about crisis situations to the appropriate internal contact.
- Who will serve as the company spokesperson? This can vary depending on the audience and each situation should be evaluated as it evolves. It’s also a good idea to have your spokesperson trained to deliver messages effectively as well as how to interact with the media. If there are multiple spokespersons, ensure that their messages are consistent.
- Who are your audiences? During a crisis, you will need to communicate with anyone who has a stake in your organization. This can include people directly affected by the crisis, employees, investors, donors and the general public. Each audience will need different messages that are appropriate for their respective relationship with your company.
- How will you communicate with your audiences? Your crisis communications plan should include mechanisms to communicate directly with each of them, via an email blast, a special web site, a video message, etc. Ideally, your audiences should hear from you first – not from a news report – so have these communication vehicles in place before a crisis hits. It’s also a good idea to create a feedback mechanism so that these audiences can communicate with you as well, either through a dedicated email address, a special hotline number or a dedicated page on a web site or employee intranet.
- How will you respond to potential crises? Spend some time determining what types of crises your organization is likely to deal with and then develop a brief “stand by” statement for each of them. For instance, an airline company would develop a stand by statement for situations such as a plane crash with and without fatalities/injuries, weather situations and significant flight delays.
With these important processes in place, your organization can deal with the crisis at hand and move swiftly to develop and transmit the appropriate messages to your respective audiences, ensuring a smooth landing for your crisis communication efforts.
To learn more about crisis communication planning, training for company spokespersons or strategic communications, contact Mimi Foster & Company at 732-236-1569 or on the web at www.mimi-foster.com. Mimi Foster & Company is a full service communications, marketing design and event management firm with offices at 1 Airport Road, Morristown, N.J. 07960.
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