What's a Crisis Communications Plan? Why Your Company Needs It
A crisis can hit your company anytime in today's fast-paced and unpredictable world. Being prepared to handle these situations is crucial, whether it's a public scandal, a product defect, or a natural disaster. This is where a Crisis Communications Plan comes into play—a strategic guide designed to prepare your organization for the unexpected.
A well-crafted plan outlines the steps to respond and communicate effectively in a crisis situation, safeguards your company's reputation, and minimizes damage. Let's delve into what a Crisis Communications Plan is and why your company undeniably needs one.
What Does A Crisis Communications Plan Entail?
A Crisis Communications Plan primarily involves a set of protocols your organization needs to follow during the event of a crisis.
These protocols consist of key procedures such as identifying potential crisis scenarios, establishing a crisis response team, and outlining communication channels. It also includes drafting pre-prepared messages to ensure swift and accurate information dissemination.
The plan serves as a roadmap to navigate through the crisis, aimed at maintaining transparency and trust with your stakeholders, thereby protecting your company's reputation during challenging times.
What's the role of the crisis communications team?
The crisis communications team plays an integral role in handling the unexpected. Comprising key individuals from various departments, this team executes the protocols outlined in the Crisis Communication Plan.
Their duties range from identifying the severity of the crisis and coordinating with different departments to ensuring a clear and consistent message reaches all stakeholders.
The team is often led by an experienced Crisis Communication Manager, who directs the team throughout the crisis. They're responsible for making critical decisions, such as when and how to communicate the situation to the public and stakeholders through a designated spokesperson.
Other members could include public relations, legal, and HR department representatives. Their combined expertise ensures the company responds effectively, legally, and empathetically to the crisis, preserving its image and reputation.
The team may also engage with external crisis communication specialists or consultants for their expertise during a crisis. These experts assist in assessing, managing, and mitigating the situation effectively. Ultimately, the crisis communications team aims to restore trust and confidence among stakeholders and ensure business continuity in the face of adversity.
What's the role of the crisis management team?
The crisis management team functions as the guiding force during a crisis, focusing on resolving the issue while the crisis communication team handles the messaging.
This team typically comprises key decision-makers in the organization, including executives and managers from various departments. Their roles include making strategic decisions, allocating resources, and implementing the steps necessary to mitigate the crisis.
These management team members also work closely with the crisis communication team to ensure that the actions taken align with the communicated messages. The ultimate goal of the crisis management team is to navigate the organization through the crisis and return to normal operations as quickly and seamlessly as possible.
Why Does Your Company Need A Crisis Communications Plan?
In an era where information travels faster than the speed of light, it's crucial to have a Crisis Communications Plan in place.
The first reason is reputational risk. A crisis can significantly tarnish your company's image and trustworthiness in the eyes of your stakeholders. This could lead to losing customers, business partners, or even employees. A well-structured plan allows for a quick, transparent, and effective response, preserving your company's reputation.
Secondly, a Crisis Communications Plan provides a clear direction in chaotic situations. It eliminates confusion, ensures everyone is on the same page, and facilitates swift action. This can reduce the response time and potentially mitigate the crisis's impact.
Lastly, a Crisis Communications Plan is essential for legal reasons. In certain situations, an effective communication strategy can help mitigate legal consequences. The plan ensures that all communication is accurate and factual, reducing the chances of misinformation, which can lead to legal implications.
A Crisis Communications Plan is an indispensable tool in your company's crisis management arsenal. It preserves your reputation, provides a clear course of action, and helps navigate legal waters during a crisis. Therefore, regardless of size or sector, every company should prioritize developing a comprehensive Crisis Communications Plan.
Examples of crisis communications plans in effect
Here are a few examples of instances where companies effectively executed their Crisis Communication Plans in times of crisis:
Tylenol Murders (1982): Johnson & Johnson's quick response to the Tylenol murders is often regarded as the gold standard in crisis communication. After seven people died from consuming cyanide-laced Tylenol capsules, the company swiftly issued a nationwide withdrawal of approximately 31 million bottles of Tylenol, offered replacement products free of charge, and introduced tamper-proof packaging. Their quick and transparent communication helped restore public trust.
JetBlue Valentine's Day Crisis (2007): JetBlue Airways faced significant operational disruptions due to a snowstorm on Valentine's Day in 2007, leaving many passengers stranded on the tarmac for hours. Their CEO, David Neeleman, promptly issued a public apology, outlined steps to prevent a recurrence, and introduced a Customer Bill of Rights to compensate affected passengers. This effective crisis communication helped maintain JetBlue's reputation.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Recall (2016): After several devices caught fire, Samsung's handling of the Galaxy Note 7 recall showed effective crisis communication. Samsung promptly ceased production, issued a global product recall of the devices, and communicated openly to the general public about their steps to rectify the situation.
These examples highlight how a well-executed Crisis Communications Plan can help navigate a company through crises, maintain its reputation, and re-establish stakeholder trust.
How do I develop a Crisis Communications Plan?
Crisis communication planning begins with understanding the potential crises that could impact your organization, as a first step. This involves conducting a thorough risk assessment to identify your operations, services, and reputation vulnerabilities.
The next step is identifying your key stakeholders - clients, employees, suppliers, shareholders, and the general public. You must understand their information needs during a crisis and tailor your communication accordingly.
The plan should also outline the communication channels to be used in an emergency situation, the team responsible for crisis communication, and the procedures for an appropriate response to different types of crises. The plan needs to be flexible yet comprehensive, covering a range of potential scenarios from natural disasters to cyber-attacks, fires, or issues stemming from disgruntled employees.
What's a crisis communications plan template?
A crisis communications plan template is a pre-formulated, structured guide that helps an organization prepare for potential crises. It serves as a roadmap, detailing the necessary steps and protocols to follow during a crisis, ensuring a strategic and effective response.
The template generally includes sections such as:
Crisis Identification: This section outlines the various types of crises that the organization may face. It helps in recognizing a crisis promptly and triggering the appropriate response.
Stakeholder Identification: Here, you list all the individuals and groups with a vested interest in your organization and who may be affected by a crisis. This includes employees, customers, shareholders, and the general public.
Communication Strategy: This involves determining the key messages to convey during different crisis scenarios and how they will be disseminated. This can include press releases, social media updates, and direct communication methods.
Roles and Responsibilities: This section details the crisis communication team members and their specific roles during a crisis.
Response Plan: This outlines the specific steps to follow when a crisis strikes, from initial response to resolution.
The crisis communication plan template should be readily accessible, understandable, and regularly updated to reflect changes within the organization or its environment.
But, undertaking such a vast and critical task can be manageable. With C3 Collective, we walk you through your company's operations and help ascertain your functioning and service continuance during short-term or long-term events. We marry the operations plan with a turn-key communications plan to enable you to respond effectively and swiftly.
Whether faced with a natural disaster, disgruntled employee, cyber attack, or fire, C3 Collective prepares you, your organization, and your clients, protecting your investment (and business operations) when a crisis strikes. This way, you can keep the focus on what you do best - serving your clients and growing your business.
Contact C3 Collective today and take control of the narrative, protect your reputation, and preserve the trust of stakeholders. We will help you create a tailored crisis communications strategy that meets your business's unique needs.
