Celebrate the Good
plan for the unexpected

crisis communications plans ease the transition back to normalcy
By: Pam Crawford

In the corporate world, the focus of most professional public relations efforts is to spread the word about the positive attributes of a business. In fact, it’s in our “corporate genes” to toot our horn on every new product or service, every new employee and every good deed that comes from within the confines of the board room or front office.

Unfortunately, as is the case in our personal lives, not all businesses prepare for the unexpected Ð and certainly not a crisis. Not surprisingly, it’s at a time like this that our enthusiasm takes a nose dive. We’re not thinking rationally. We don’t have a crisis communications plan in place that best serves our company.

Crisis communications is designed to protect and defend individuals, companies or organizations facing a reputation challenge. The challenge can come in the form of an event gone wrong, an investigation by a government agency, a criminal allegation, a media investigation, a shareholder lawsuit, a violation of environmental regulations, or any of many other scenarios. A crisis nearly always involves legal, ethical or financial exposure of the person or entity.

Whether it’s a sudden occurrence such as an airplane crash or an ongoing activity such as embezzlement over a period of years, crises cannot escape intense media and public scrutiny. The more a company plans in advance for such blows, the more likely it will be able to control the situation and corporate messages, and the better able it will be to keep or restore public trust.

Crisis communications professionals preach that an organization’s reputation is often its most valuable asset, and protecting and defending reputation becomes the highest priority when under attack. This is particularly true in today’s 24-hour news cycle.

A media firestorm can quickly ignite public perception and overwhelm an individual or organization’s ability to effectively respond to the demands of the crisis. To emerge with its reputation intact, an organization must anticipate every move and respond immediately with confidence. A formal, rehearsed crisis communications plan is key to positive results.

Such a plan requires rational and comprehensive thinking. It requires consideration of a company’s function, its impact on consumers, the environment, the community, investors and so much more.

Certainly, one aspect of a crisis communications plan includes crafting thorough and compelling statements - or “messages” - for the media. Likewise, many of today’s crisis communications plans include a rapid response capability, similar to the “war room” approach pioneered by the Clinton-Gore campaign in the 1990s. Additional tactics should also include proactive outreach to get messages and context to the media by identifying and recruiting credible third-party allies who can attest to the company’s side of the story; and by striking first with accurate information and not waiting to be hit.

It’s important for a company to identify a crisis spokesperson and to make the leadership at all levels of the organization aware of who that person is and how he or she can be reached. It is critical to select the appropriate leader for this role because the spokesperson will become the face and voice of the company throughout the crisis.

The overriding and most critical component of any crisis communications plan, however, is for the individual or organization to address the problem directly and forthrightly. The public judges the company as much or more by how it reacts to a crisis than by the crisis event itself.

Taking responsibility and beginning to do whatever possible to re-establish credibility and confidence with internal and external audiences is key to the plan. Only then can a company begin the long journey back to stability and growth.

Senior management must be involved in making key decisions in managing the crisis since they are ultimately responsible for the company and its behavior. They should rely on lawyers and other advisers but should not allow others to make the decisions.

In a crisis? Remember these things:
• Never try to lie, deny or hide your involvement.
• If you ignore the situation, it will only get worse.
• Never say “no comment.”

Pam Crawford is Vice President of Client Services at Corporate Communications Group. Contact her at 913.451.2990.