No one wants to deal with a crisis, but they can be an inevitable part of doing business, and some industries are more crisis-prone than others, including the banking and finance sector, healthcare, transportation (think Qantas!), retail and food.
Whether it’s informing customers after a tech crisis like a cybersecurity breach or alerting customers about the recall of a potentially dangerous product, the way you deal with a crisis will have lasting impacts on your brand’s reputation and public trust.
The importance of a strategic media response.
Knowing the best way to deal with media when a crisis hits can be incredibly stressful, especially if you’re not regularly dealing with media, and aren’t across some of the nuances of the way media works.
What is certain is that not providing media with a response is rarely a strategy that pays dividends or one that I would recommend. When you don’t respond or provide some comment, the media will fill the vacuum and create their own narrative, leaving you and your brand’s reputation exposed.
But deciding to respond is just one element of a crisis communications plan. The real art comes in the ability to quickly craft a media response which is clear, honest and concise, and presents you and your brand in the best possible light.
Proactive reputation management: building your crisis plan.
There are some simple measures a business can take to formulate their own crisis management plan, including:
1. Nominate key spokespeople.
Have nominated spokespeople identified within the organisation who’ll be responsible for making comments to the media if a crisis hits. For larger organisations, this role normally rests with the CEO or Managing Director. Ensuring they are media trained is vital, so if they do need to front a TV media conference or conduct radio interviews, they’ll deliver a measured, professional and credible response.
2. Establish a communication chain.
Make sure you have a plan in place about who needs to be informed and updated in the event of a crisis. Generally, staff or employees come first, then customers, and other relevant stakeholders and partners. In some industries, regulators need to be informed, and in the case of a cybersecurity incident, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) must be notified when a data breach involves personal information and is likely to result in serious harm.
3. Consider external expertise.
Consider whether you need an outside expert partner to call upon in the event your business or brand encounters a crisis. If you don’t have someone in-house who handles external communications or public relations, having a trusted and experienced steady hand to call on for advice and to guide you will be invaluable.
Having a robust crisis communications plan in place will give you the best possible chance of emerging from a crisis with your reputation intact. And once a crisis has passed, you should also consider when you need help restoring any potential damage to your business or brand.
While every crisis is unique, keep in mind this guiding principle from one famous US political spin-doctor whose crisis mantra was, “tell it all, tell it early, tell it yourself.”
Need help preparing for a potential crisis? Contact our team today for expert guidance on protecting your brand’s reputation.
By John Solvander, Director of Media Engagement, Media Stable.
