How to properly manage a communication crisis
“In a crisis, timely and effective communication can be as important as any other action an organization takes to solve the problem,” said the former U.S. president and diplomat John F. Kennedy.
Faced with enormous amounts of information that can build reputation or tear it down within minutes, organizations face daily the possibility of crisis situations that can affect their image and relationship with their key audiences at any moment.
Along these lines, the cost of a communication contingency can range for a company from legal to monetary repercussions. Therefore, in these cases it is crucial for companies to have a public relations agency (PR) that provides advice and support to face any crisis situation with truly effective communication strategies.
Some tips for dealing with a possible outbreak of crisis are listed below:
1. Preparation. Good crisis management begins before the incident occurs. For any organization it is essential to develop a preventive crisis communication plan that includes everything from identifying possible scenarios and assigning clear roles and responsibilities to creating key messages. This will allow it to have a fast, coordinated response in case of emergency.
2. Understanding the situation. It is essential to have a clear understanding of the situation. Prevention puts on the table the possible scenarios each company could face, outlines a traffic light of incidents or severity, and identifies the affected groups and gathers precise information.
3. Transparency and promptness. Honesty is an essential element in managing a communication contingency. In every company, it is necessary to share information openly and sincerely, always taking responsibility for mistakes made and showing empathy with the affected groups. Once there is a clear, informed view of what happened, it is important to act quickly.
4. Effective communication. Establishing clear and effective communication channels between the organization and affected groups such as employees, customers, suppliers and media makes it possible to keep them informed and prevent rumors from spreading. In addition, through a proper crisis plan, it is important to make sure the message is consistent across all channels used.
5. Team coordination. During a crisis, it is vital for any company to have a public relations agency with experience in this kind of management that can resolve the situation in the best way, even turning the crisis into an opportunity for improvement for the company and its audience.
6. Monitoring and responding on social media. It is essential to monitor and quickly respond to comments and posts related to the crisis. Being present on these platforms shows the company’s commitment to addressing any concern, allows it to keep control of the message and helps mitigate possible damage to reputation.
7. Evaluation and learning. Once the situation is overcome, it is important for any organization to carry out an evaluation of the lessons learned and the areas for improvement. This will help it strengthen its preparedness and improve its response to future crises.
As overwhelming as it may seem, managing a communication crisis properly requires preparation, transparency, effective communication and empathy. As the writer and specialist in crisis management, Timothy Coombs, said: “A crisis does not define an organization, but the way it communicates during a crisis does.”
So, by turning to experts trained in managing this type of event and following these tips, brands can face this challenge with greater confidence and minimize the negative impact on their image and relationships with their key audiences.
