Crisis Communication: A Guide
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Are you prepared to handle a company crisis today? How and what would you communicate with customers and the media?
Interestingly enough, crises are often not actively included in the communications plan. Yet, they should be prepared for and managed just as well as all strategically planned and scheduled communications activities. True, one might just try to sit out a crisis, and opt to say very little, however one must consider the resulting lost of reputation and trust—something very hard to repair and build back. As PR specialists, we strongly believe that companies from all sectors, from start-ups to global organizations, should have a clear and updated plan, for dealing with a potential crisis in a structured and calm way.
Today, the speed of news coverage by all types of media guarantees that events especially sensational ones—or at least those that seem sensational—spread rapidly and reach many customers, potential customers, as well as stakeholders very quickly. Hence, these days, it's that much more important for companies to be prepared for these challenges: if the media probes, companies must respond with confidence and be able to quickly make a statement, or proactively release a solid statement about an allegation or an actual mistake. A mismanaged PR crisis can damage a company for a long time and massively decrease trust in a brand. In contrast, good, clear, relatable and honest communication during a crisis can actually build the brand's or company's reputation.
Mindfulness instead of fear: Recognizing crises without panicking
Unhappy customers, rising prices, service failures, defects or missed deliveries—most companies resolve numerous and different types of communication challenges on a daily basis.. However, if there is a critical event or incident which crosses a certain threshold, a company may have a crisis on their hands—which depending on the extent and intensity, would attract the attention of the media and the public.
A crisis usually happens suddenly, and can threaten the integrity and reputation of a company. There is, however, a difference between internal and external crises, as well as more complex crisis situations—which can have multi-level cause-and-effect variables. In practice these more complex situations, can range from major missteps by individuals to serious product defects to cyber-grooming and data breaches (you can find our special guide on data crisis management here).
Good planning is already half the work: Crises cannot be prevented, but they can certainly be managed
There is no guarantee that a crisis can be avoided. That’s why it’s important to manage crises with confidence and to deal with them authentically and humanely as possible. Transparency and clarity keep any loss of reputation in check and help to avoid further unsettling of trust and loyalty from stakeholders.
If this is to be successful, solid preparation and regularly updated plans for possible crisis situations are key. FAQs are a good way to regularly ask yourself and your team the right questions, taking into account as many factors as possible, and finding and providing suitable answers. Listening is essential to communication, and in resolving conflicts. Therefore, in a crisis, it’s all the more important to follow the news concerning your company and to listen to the public. In addition to listening, communication involves transmitting your message. It’s important to make sure that all your stakeholders, media and customers understand what you are saying. Be an active listener and a clear communicator! Always focus your crisis plan on taking the concerns of those affected seriously, and plan to take measures and make responses that demonstrate accountability. Plan to offer reassurance with your statements, and explain why and how you will solve the problem. s
Laika crisis management checklist from A-Z
Crisis preparation:
Decide who is part of the crisis team and availabilities of team members.
Set processes for real-time media monitoring.
Create and approve FAQs and schedule regular reviews for them.
Meet regularly as the crisis team and play out urgent crises..
Organize media training, if necessary, for designated spokespeople to gain confidence in dealing with critical questions in stressful situations.
Guide to handling a crisis:
Hold a crisis meeting as soon as possible to define the key messages you can and want to communicate.
Activate monitoring media and public opinion.
Evaluate the crisis together and respond quickly, as proactively as possible.
Make sure you are available and responsive.
Be transparent, honest, and move with reasonable speed.
If you have no news on the actual situation, communicate it.
Follow-up to a crisis situation:
Honestly analyze what worked, what didn’t work and what you could have done better. The way we communicate is constantly changing and developing, and so the way we handle tricky situations must also continually improve.
Reflect on internal and public feedback to improve the crisis management plan..
Evaluate your processes and optimize them if necessary.
With the experience you have gained, plan for more media training, if necessary.
Share what you have learned with all employees, especially customer support and the social media team—because they are the first points of contact with customers and the firsts to hear of any complaints and requests.
Celebrate that you managed to handle the crisis!
Crisis management is not an easy task. With this information and these checklists at your disposal, we hope you have a better grasp on the importance of preparing for crisis communication and a good understanding on how to approach handling a PR crisis. Please remember to show compassion when competitors are going through a crisis themselves. We all have rainy days.
For more information about preparing an effective crisis communication plan, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.