In one form or another, every organisation worldwide relies on its reputation as a cornerstone for success.
PR plays a pivotal role in shaping and safeguarding these reputations, making it an invaluable asset for businesses. For those who need further persuasion, we now live in a world where news travels at the speed of a tweet (well, technically a post now it’s X), businesses can find themselves in the eye of a storm within hours or even minutes.
The difference between emerging unscathed and spiralling into long-term damage often boils down to understanding and implementing crisis communications and three crucial factors: timing, planning, and people.
Let’s explore why getting these right can be the game-changer your business needs when a crisis strikes.
Early Bird Catches The Calm
The most precious resource to any business, irrespective of their size, is time when it comes to crisis management. Doing the work in advance of a crisis and developing a clear strategy gives communicators more time to act decisively and provide vital information to stakeholders when it matters the most.
A well-prepared and understood plan can save valuable time and mitigate potential damage in the immediate aftermath but also longterm.
Aside from the planning – the first 24 hours in any crisis scenario is critical – with those crises answered within the first hour being 85% more likely to maintain public confidence (The Public Relations Society of America). Additionally, The Institute for Public Relations stated that companies with a carefully prepared crisis response plan are 53% more likely to recover within six months.
Delays in addressing a crisis can create the perception of incompetence, negligence, or even guilt. The longer you wait, the more the narrative can spiral out of your control – especially on social media. And once misinformation takes root, it’s incredibly difficult to undo.
Be proactive, not reactive. Ideally, your business will have invested in expertise from a crisis expert who can use their skills to envisage any potential threats, create a thorough crisis communication plan, create a ‘crisis team’ and even run through crisis scenarios to ensure everyone in the organisation knows their role and also what part a plan or strategy plays.
However, even if this has been done, your team should continually spot potential issues before they escalate into full-blown crises. This means monitoring media, social channels, and even internal whispers within your organisation. Being the first to acknowledge a problem gives you the chance to control the narrative.
However, timing isn’t just about speed – it’s about knowing when to act and when to pause. Too fast, and you risk issuing statements without all the facts, potentially worsening the situation. Too slow, and you let others shape the story.
Again, striking the right balance can be a difficult one to assess if you are in the throws of it, even if your sleeves are rolled up. That’s when a well-rehearsed and well-versed communications expert is worth their weight in gold.
It’s All In The Plan – Blueprint For Success
You wouldn’t walk into an important presentation without preparing, and the same logic applies to crisis communications. The most successful responses are rarely improvised, or if they are, kudos to the crisis comms expert in charge! They’re pretty much always the result of meticulous planning.
Creating a crisis communication plan isn’t something you can learn over night, it’s an art that’s fine tuned from vast experience and learnings.
In basic form it is a plan that outlines potential scenarios, key messages, spokespersons, and protocols for escalation. A robust plan will use many methods and systems, such as when identifying different levels of crises – from minor social media complaints to major PR disasters – a traffic light system is often followed. This is to not only guide but explain what to do if the worst does occur and it comes with tailored responses ready for each suggested scenario.
However, regardless of how much investment in time and resources goes into a plan, it has to be continually updated and always agile – as sadly, no one can plan for every eventuality. The document should be detailed but flexible, allowing for adjustments as the situation unfolds or the business grows or develops.
When we talk about planning, we must think about people when it comes to crisis comms. It isn’t just your internal headcount to consider, external stakeholders are in some cases, even more important in your planning. Suppliers, partners, and customers need to be considered, as their reactions can either amplify or help diffuse the crisis. A holistic approach ensures no one is left blindsided.
Additionally, planning should include regular crisis drills. Think of these as fire drills for your brand. You wouldn’t forsake safety for your organisation or your employees – well this should be seen as just the same. Simulating various scenarios helps identify weaknesses in your response strategy and builds the confidence of your team. So, when a real crisis hits, you want them operating on instinct – not panic.
And lastly, if you really want to do your homework, having pre-approved templates and messaging frameworks that can be adapted quickly is essential. This saves precious time and ensures your communications remain consistent across channels.
Your People: Your Allies
Behind every successful crisis response is a team of people who know exactly what they’re doing. The right people, in the right roles, reacting at the right time, is what stellar responses and outcomes are made of. So, in the planning process assigning clear roles and responsibilities is vital – there’s no room for confusion when the stakes are high.
When you are recruiting your crisis team, please just don’t think about the marketing team. Your allies should include representatives from multiple departments, legal, operations, customer service, PR and marketing of course but even the receptionist or front of house should not be forgotten. Each member should understand their specific duties and how they contribute to the overall strategy.
One person to not forget in any prep work is who will be your spokesperson in the spotlight. You will need a strong, credible person who can talk candidly under pressure but can also stand strong against journalistic mind games and remarks or statements made ‘off the cuff’. This person will be the face and voice of your brand during the crisis, so they need to be given the time and guidance or even training needed to remain well-versed in key messages, and capable of adapting to tough questions.
The term, ‘media trained’ might have been thrown around in marketing meetings – again please don’t underplay this suggestion. Having key people within any business who are media trained, and recently, can again make or break a brand’s long term reputation and ultimately its financial success. It is essential to invest in this training, even the most conversational senior who may think they can “wing it.” (Spoiler: they often can’t.)
Additionally, please remember we are all humans, and in our responses or actions we should act with kindness, empathy and as a human, not a pre-armed, pre-prepared and pre-versed robot. Empathy really can’t be underestimated. A cold, overly scripted response can alienate your audience within seconds. Whereas in contrast, a genuine, human tone that acknowledges the concerns of those affected can help rebuild trust faster than you might think.
And finally, prepare for holidays, time differences, sick days, technology and even transport issues. Having a back up for key roles is essential. Crises won’t wait until you’re ready.
Final Bits Of Wisdom
It is a real shame, but no brand is immune to crises, and even those that plan to their heart’s content can be found in totally unknown scenarios struggling to see the woods from the trees. However, stats and facts don’t lie, those that thrive under pressure are often the ones that understand the importance of timing, planning, and people.
By laying the crisis communications foundations and preparing for the unexpected, you can turn even the most challenging situations into opportunities to showcase your resilience, transparency, and commitment to your audience.
The last line? Crises don’t define your brand -your response does.
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