I turned on the
television news recently
to learn that one of our
top football teams may
have lost an important
match because of
illness, the story being
brought to us by a
reporter stationed
outside the hotel where
the players enjoyed
lunch prior to the game.
In the car, this was the
lead story on the radio
news with the story read
by a reporter, again
said to be outside the
hotel. He confirmed that
the Police had collected
samples from the
restaurant to pass onto
the health authorities.
Guess what? The story
was also the lead in the
tabloid newspapers sat
on my desk when I
reached the office.
Photographs of the hotel
in question usually
supported the story.
As a public relations
professional, I
reflected on what the
hotel's PR people are
going through this
morning. This is a
prestigious hotel group
with a well-crafted
brand image of quality
at the premium end of
the market. Here they
are, in the spotlight
for all the wrong sort
of reasons!
They will surely have a
documented Crisis
Management Plan or, in
softer terms, a
Communications Crisis
media plan. But it is
not only global
companies who need to
devise a crisis media
plan in advance. Being
in business, or even
running a not-for-profit
organization, exposes
everyone to the risk of
a PR crisis.
No organization is very
far from crises and
their resulting media
attention. Their
reputation can be washed
away or seriously
damaged in an instant. A
crisis is any situation
that threatens the
integrity or reputation
of your company, usually
brought on by adverse or
negative media
attention.
These situations can be
any kind of legal
dispute, theft,
accident, fire, flood or
manmade disaster that
could be attributed to
your company. It can
also be a situation
where in the eyes of the
media or general public
your company did not
react to one of the
above situations in the
appropriate manner. This
definition is not all
encompassing but rather
is designed to give you
an idea for the types of
situations where you may
need to follow this
plan.
Crisis management is a
complex subject, but
here are five tips to
get you started. And,
start, you must.
1. Don't wait. Many
organizations only get
their crisis media plans
underway once a disaster
has struck. Instead,
brainstorm possible
scenarios or types of
disasters that could
happen, and start
planning for them. In
fact, I have found this
to be a positive process
as bringing together key
executives to share
ideas and examine
scenarios often brings
out a range of issues
that they can take
forward.
2. Realize that crises
take a wide range of
shapes. As I say, this
can be anything from the
hotel's crisis to a
legal dispute getting
out of hand to customer
dissatisfaction aired on
the Internet. I even
recall a weekend phone
call from a Scout leader
whose campsite had been
washed away in storms
with some children being
injured; the media were
on the telephone
badgering her for the
story! They will all
require slightly
different responses.
Brainstorm and prepare
for as many as you can
imagine.
3. Develop a
communications crisis
media plan. A barrage of
media attention may
swamp you within minutes
of the news breaking.
Also, think about how
you will get information
out to staff, supporters
& investors, and
customers - yes,
remember to get your
side of the story out to
customers as soon as you
can. Internal
communication is as
important as
communication to the
general public.
A physical crisis media
plan has to do with
getting everyone out of
the building in case of
an earthquake. A
communications crisis
media plan involves
identifying a
spokesperson, developing
press releases, setting
up a media hotline, and
finding a place where
you can have a press
conference.
4. Be prepared to speak
to the media and to your
constituents. Even if
you can't say much
because your lawyer is
concerned about
liability, plan to say
what you can as soon as
you can. Be concerned,
show concern, speak
concern, and always tell
the truth. That doesn't
mean you have to tell
everything all at once,
but never, never lie.
5. Provide media
training for senior
management. Do this
before a disaster
strikes. Make it a
regular part of board
and senior employee
training. Media training
needn't cost a lot if
you have someone on your
board working in public
relations or someone who
is a member of the
media. The key is to do
it regularly so that new
people are always
trained and others don't
grow stale.
Don't delay your crisis
media planning. Don't
ruin your hard-won
reputation by handling
difficult situations
badly! The directors and
crisis media team of
that hotel this morning
went to bed last evening
little knowing the blast
of unwelcome publicity
that was facing them
this morning. Hopefully,
their Communications
Crisis media plan will
be a trusted aide today!
Suggested reading
1. "Crisis in
Organizations: Managing
and Communicating in the
Heat of Crisis," by
Laurence Barton.
2. "You'd Better Have a
Hose if You Want to Put
Out the Fire: The
Complete Guide to Crisis
and Risk
Communications," by Rene
A. Henry.
Source: John Hicks
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