Industries and businesses of all types and sizes are increasingly embracing issues and crisis communication planning. In fact, an estimated 84 percent of organizations have an emergency communication plan in place, according to the Business Continuity Institute. Fifty-five percent use three or more emergency communication processes. And yet, nearly two-thirds say they are not confident about their preparedness for a crisis event. So, while organizations recognize the importance of issues and crisis communication, and are investing heavily in related processes, they feel as unprepared as ever. To understand the disconnect, let us take a closer look at the basics of issues and crisis communication. Crisis communication refers to the technologies, systems and protocols that enable an organization to effectively communicate during a major threat to its business or reputation. Organizations must be prepared for a wide range of potential crises, including extreme weather, crime, cyber-attacks, product recalls, corporate malfeasance, reputation crises, and PR incidents. Preparing ahead of time for a crisis ensures that relevant personnel can quickly and effectively communicate with each other during moments of threat, sharing information that allows the organization to quickly rectify the situation, protect customers, employees and assets, and ensure business continuity. Companies of all sizes, in all industries, face a growing number of threats. Due to the instantaneous nature of the online news media, it is more important than ever for organizations to be able to respond quickly and confidently instantly when a crisis emerges. Crisis communication is designed to connect a variety of audiences to each another, such as: Although the ideal approach to crisis communication is slightly different for each organization, several best practices have emerged that can be helpful in establishing your program: This ensures that employees and other stakeholders have access to the most up-to-date information as the emergency unfolds. Thanks to the mass adoption of smartphones, mobile crisis management apps enable employees to receive emergency notifications in real-time communication in any location and at any time of day. The crisis management team can instantaneously update relevant information throughout the duration of the situation. As a result, people at every level of your organization are equipped with the right information, at precisely the moment they need it most. This streamlines emergency response, helps protect people, keep physical and digital assets safe and minimizes lost productivity.
What is crisis communication?
Who needs crisis communication?
How is crisis communication done well?Communication should be in real time.
FAQs
What is crisis communication a guide for beginners? ›
Crisis communication PR (or "crisis comms", for the time-poor) refers to the strategic dissemination of information during times of crisis. It generally includes the use of technology and channels such as press releases, social media, crisis newsrooms, public statements, and interacting directly with stakeholders.
What is a crisis in communication? ›Crisis communication refers to the dissemination of information by an organization to address a crisis that impacts customers and/or the organization's reputation. The idea is that a company's reputation is perceived by everyone aware of your company whether you manage your reputation or not.
What is crisis communication quizlet? ›crisis communications. concerned with the transferring of information to significant persons (publics) to either help avoid or prevent a crisis (or negative occurrence), recover from a crisis, and maintain or enhance reputation.
What are the 4 R's of crisis communication? ›The "4Rs" - robustness, resourcefulness, rapid recovery, and redundancy - provide a practical roadmap for crisis communication.
What is important in crisis communication? ›The main goals of crisis communication are to 1) protect the reputation of an organization, 2) minimize the negative impact of the crisis on the brand, stakeholders and operations, 3) effectively manage the court of public opinion without impeding the legal strategy, and 4) provide timely and accurate information to ...
What are key messages in crisis communication? ›A key message is what you want the public to know about a given issue. Typically, you'll have three or four key messages and they usually have one of three purposes: Inform the public about an issue, program or crisis; Generate or rebuild public confidence in the city; and/or. Stimulate public action.
What is an example of crisis communication? ›BP's crisis communication during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. In 2010, the Deepwater Horizon drilling platform exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, leading to a massive crisis communication challenge. It took three months to fully cap the resulting oil leak, spilling some 134 million gallons of oil into the Gulf.
What is an example of a crisis communication statement? ›This [issue] took place [date and time] and affected [this group of individuals]. We apologize that we are not able to provide you with [service or product] at the moment. Our technicians are working diligently to get our operations to full functionality as soon as possible.
What are the 5 C's of crisis communication? ›Here, we are going to discuss what we believe are the 5 Cs of crisis communications: Concern, Commitment, Competency, Clarity, and Confidence. Each one of these is important to keep in mind as you build your crisis response plan and any appropriate response you may have when a crisis arises.
Why is crisis communication difficult? ›In the early stages of a crisis, when everyone needs clarification as to what could/is going on, there may be limited information available about what has happened, what is happening, or what can be done about it. This can make it difficult to communicate accurately and effectively.
What are the three C's of crisis communication? ›
Train these spokespeople to remember you are never “off the record.” Ingrain in them these three C's of crisis communications: Be Clear. Concisely communicate the information and the plan as they are established. Be Credible.
What to do during crisis communication? ›- Crisis timeline. ...
- Communicate honestly, openly, transparently and consistently. ...
- Make the message clear and accessible. ...
- Build trust before a crisis and maintain that trust during one. ...
- Designate one spokesperson. ...
- Monitor comments. ...
- Communicate using all possible channels.
A Clear Communication Process
This essential step of internal organization includes establishing approved messaging, forming employee communication processes and identifying the order of approaching both internal and external communications.
You can help your organization and your community prepare for, respond to, and recover from an emergency by using CERC's six main principles:2 be first, be right, be credible, express empathy, promote action, and show respect.
What are the three R's of crisis communication? ›Regret: acknowledge responsibility and apologize sincerely; Recompense: acknowledge the loss of property, product or life and offer appropriate compensation; Reform: hire a well-regarded consultant to conduct an audit and make recommendations, which will then be implemented.
What is the golden rule of crisis communication? ›The mantra of all crisis communications is to “tell it all, tell it early, tell it yourself.” If you don't get out there first, and tell your story as openly and candidly as possible, you're going to be on the back foot from the start. It's key that you're in control of the story as soon as possible.