Communicating Effectively During a Crisis

19 Nov Communicating Effectively During a Crisis

When creating and implementing a crisis communication plan, it is important to remember these key details to ensure your strategy is effective.

A crisis can lead to tension and panicking by executives and staff members alike. The fear of tarnishing the company’s, or their own, reputation may result in rash decisions, that aren’t always what’s best in that scenario. During a crisis, quick thinking is key, but it is just as crucial to ensure the response is well thought out and the predetermined plan is followed.  

On that note, it’s imperative to be adaptable. It’s not uncommon for false rumors to spread through social media and, in turn, traditional media. The best laid plans may suddenly require major changes to avoid, minimize and mitigate damage. Your crisis strategy must allow room for unexpected situations, and you should create responses to a number of scenarios. 

You can’t let media deadlines dictate everything you say even if it’s difficult, particularly if there are no facts to rely on. You should issue a brief statement to explain you are in the middle of obtaining information and will provide additional comments once you know more about the situation. After releasing the initial statement, silence can be not only a reputation saving virtue but also a way to mitigate damage in the event of potential litigation. 

Before releasing any communications to the public,  make sure to triple-check facts to confirm that they are completely correct and can’t be tried in the court of public opinion or challenged in court. 

About Top of Mind

Top of Mind PR is an award-winning boutique South Florida public relations firm with vast experience across the United States and the Americas in top-tier newsrooms, broadcast studios, social media agencies, and public relations firms. The firm prides itself on staying up-to-date on federal, state, and local issues that matter to our clients, attentive to conflicts of interest, acutely mindful of the time pressures of its customers, and, most importantly, committed to keeping our clients top of mind with their audience.

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