How Businesses Can Prepare a Crisis Communications Plan

Megan Redzia - 06/26/2020

COVID-19 proved many brands are not prepared to respond to a crisis situation. Watch this ZOOM chat with our friends from DSM to learn how you can develop a crisis communications plan that allows you to take swift action.

We’re speaking with many brands that were not prepared to quickly respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and missed opportunities to communicate with their audiences. No one could have predicted the magnitude of COVID-19 and its impact on organizations of all sizes across many industries. However, there are similarities between all crisis situations that can be anticipated. A public relations agency who has navigated clients through crises are adept at developing proactive crisis communications plans that can prepare businesses to take quick action.

7 Ways to Improve Your Crisis Communications

We chatted with our marketing partners Darren Magarro and Dan Enrico at DSM about what businesses can learn from the COVID-19 pandemic and how they can be better prepared for a future crisis situation. We reviewed seven ways companies can improve their crisis communications in order to be an industry leader in crisis moments.

  1. Have a plan in place and practice it – putting a crisis plan together in the eye of the storm is challenging. Establishing protocols and processes for a crisis will allow your organization to act swiftly.

 

  1. Designate spokespeople – establish who will be speaking on behalf of your organization during a crisis and provide them with comprehensive media training to ensure they can accurately and succinctly deliver your key messages.

 

  1. React quickly – it’s critical during a crisis to get ahead of the problem as fast as you can which adds to the integrity of your response.

 

  1. Leverage social media – a brand’s social media platforms should be a primary tool to communicate with internal and external audiences in real time.

 

  1. Have a trusted PR partner – your public relations agency understands your business and your audience, plus has the established media relationships needed to help your brand be a leader during a crisis.

 

  1. Be willing to take a calculated risk – brands that stand out during a crisis are not necessarily those that play it safe.

 

  1. Evaluate your COVID-19 response – organizations just experienced the biggest crisis test they’ll likely ever face. Look at how you responded with a critical eye to determine your strengths and weaknesses.

For more information on improving your organization’s communications surrounding COVID-19, read these other blogs:

If you’d like to discuss developing a crisis communications plan for your organization, send me an email.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This