By Thomas Mustac, Publicist — Otter PR
Too often, a business does not know it’s in the midst of a crisis until it has already begun, and in these cases, it’s usually too late to plan and strategize. Thankfully, by having a crisis plan in place, businesses can be prepared for the obstacles they might face.
The most crucial consideration in a crisis response is timing. When responding to a crisis, you want to be able to react quickly before the situation balloons out of control, which is why your business should develop a crisis response plan during times of calm and stability. This will allow the business to take immediate action and get to work as soon as a crisis arises.
When developing a crisis communications plan, the first thing a business must do is identify potential crises. Of course, it’s not possible to prepare for every negative situation that may arise, but by identifying potential blunders that may occur, a business can develop a generalized plan with unique strategies for different types of crises. This plan can then be adjusted to the business’s particular needs at the moment.
Key considerations of a crisis response plan
A crisis management plan must also establish a crisis team, with each member assigned specific roles and responsibilities. The most important role to delegate is the business’s spokesperson, who may be the head of the communications department, the CEO, legal counsel, or someone else designated to be the face of the company in a time of crisis. Routing communication through a single person — even if they are merely a figurehead — ensures consistency in all communications and that the public does not receive different messages from multiple sources in the company.
Once these critical aspects of the crisis response have been identified, it’s time for the business to design its communication strategy. What method will the business use to communicate its message to the public? Will a social media post or press release suffice, or does the company need to hold a press conference or even take a more drastic step? In what ways will the company take accountability for the crisis? What steps will be taken to remediate it, and what will be told to the public about this plan? These are all essential questions a business must ask when formulating a crisis response.
How crisis response strategies evolve
It can be a good idea for businesses to perform mock exercises for crisis communications to ensure preparedness for an actual crisis. Understanding how the plan would play out in action, even theoretically, can help businesses make any necessary adjustments to their strategy. Of course, this should be done subtly and confidentially — if word leaks to the public that you are conducting crisis simulations, they could begin to suspect something is afoot, even if it’s not.
Finally, businesses must understand that crisis response plans are designed to be malleable. If a business’s response to a crisis feels too “by the book,” the public could perceive it as insincere and inauthentic, resulting in damage to the organization’s reputation beyond even what the crisis would have caused in the first place. Businesses must be willing to adjust their crisis response based on the changing circumstances of the situation. Furthermore, after a business emerges from a crisis, it should adapt its response plan accordingly, considering the real-life experiences of the last crisis.
No business wants to face a crisis, but something will inevitably go wrong. In these situations, it is better to be prepared than caught off-guard, hence the importance of establishing a crisis response plan. By identifying and preparing for potential crises and establishing a generalized course of action for when a crisis may arise, a business can be better prepared to handle any obstacles that may arise
About the Author
Thomas Mustac is Otter PR‘s medical and health industry PR specialist. He previously held positions at the “Dr. Oz Show” and New York Medical College. He has his Master’s Degree from Iona College and received an Advanced Certification in Nonprofit Public Relations. He has a diverse background in healthcare, pharmaceutical, telehealth, tech, cosmetics, sports, and interior design public relations.
