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Crisis Communications Strategies

The most difficult part of managing a crisis is reacting with the appropriate response in the eye of the public. There are several things that can be done by a company in crisis to publicly manage its reputation.

Taking responsibility for the crisis is necessary to avoid being seen as defensive and portraying an uncaring attitude. During times of crisis, the impacted company should strive to assist with efforts to find the cause of the crisis versus defending an innocent status. If possible, every effort should be made to correct the problem immediately, regardless of fault. If there are victims, it is important to give them and their families special treatment and genuine sympathy. Conversely, a company in crisis may play the role of the victim while also recognizing and fixing the issue. This can gain the public's sympathy and make the public cheer for its success in recovery.

Every attempt should be made to be proactive with the media. This should start before a crisis occurs by identifying a media spokesperson in order to form a trusted relationship. One spokesperson should be identified to be the face for the company during this time. Only facts should be mentioned when discussing the crisis, rather than speculation, assigning blame, or downsizing the impact of the crisis. Social media should not be ignored. Organizations need to designate someone to monitor what is being said about the crisis and the company in order to immediately counter any erroneous information with the correct facts. All available social media platforms should be used in order to get the message out to the most people.