Building a Realistic Crisis Communications Plan

You never know when a crisis can strike. It comes when you least expect it, and every organization is vulnerable. Even though preparing for the worst-case scenario seems like a high priority, many businesses find themselves without a plan when chaos occurs.  

According to a recent study by PR News, 62% of companies have crisis plans, but rarely update or practice crisis scenarios. Despite the likely chance businesses will suffer some sort of crisis, this study indicates almost 40% are unprepared. 

How executives respond can dramatically impact their personal reputation along with their organization’s brand long after the crisis is over. And pairing a crisis with social media can cause a small issue to quickly go viral. How do you get a handle on communicating with your employees and stakeholders when trolls are adding fuel to the fire? Creating a plan will minimize damage and risk in the long run to protect your company’s best interests.  

In this webinar, proudly presented in partnership with The Public Relations Society of America Southeastern Wisconsin Chapter, we heard from a panel of communication experts as they shared advice on developing a realistic communications plan, managing media and preparing before a crisis strikes. 

Speakers included:

• Moderator - Kimberly Kane, President & CEO, Kane Communications Group

• Ben Fox, Executive Director of Global Communications, GE Healthcare

• Shannon Sims, Main Anchor/Reporter, TMJ4

• Katharine Foley, Senior Public Relations Advisor, Kane Communications Group

Following are a few other key takeaways from each of our experts in this webinar:

Ben Fox - Executive Director of Global Communications, GE Healthcare

“The biggest piece of advice I try to give myself when walking into a crisis situation is to deliberately underreact. There is going to be enough excitement, stress, exacerbation and people winding up the situation. Part of a communicator’s role in communications is to deliberately underreact, calm the situation down, and make sure the executives and the core team are focused on that objective in working within that framework. Your team needs to be nimble and small enough to pivot, make decisions and move forward.”

Shannon Sims, Main Anchor/Reporter, TMJ4

“It speaks a lot when the top management is able to communicate their mission, purpose and/or their thoughts and feelings in a crisis. People remember what they feel, not what they know. The communications director knows the right things to say, but it’s the manager who can convey how they feel that people will then be able to have a better understanding of what that company, governmental agency or c-suite leader stands for in a crisis.”

Katharine Foley, Senior Public Relations Advisor, Kane Communications Group

“During a time of crisis it is critical that an organization’s messaging and actions tie back to its core values. If a crisis happens locally, you need to think about the impact it may have on any other plans the larger company is working on and how it may impact or change those plans. As an organization you need to be able to assess the greater impact beyond just the crisis at hand. It all ties back to having a crisis plan in place, knowing your core values and thinking about the organization’s larger goals.”

You can watch the full webinar by clicking play on the video at the top of this page!