All of us are only one incident away from suffering a devastating blow to our brand.
You can’t predict if, or when one of your employees will make a really bad decision, act inappropriately toward another employee, a customer, or in public. You may have no idea there is an ongoing, serious issue with a belligerent customer service person or with an unethical salesperson until you read about it on the blogosphere or receive a letter from an attorney. You have no control over your delivery driver who may run a red light tomorrow and seriously injure a family of four because s/he was texting instead of watching the road. You can never predict the nefarious intentions of a terminated employee, and the negative things s/he will publicize about you and your company.
Negative news spreads in an instant because many people love to hear about other people getting “busted” for notorious acts. Case in point: If David Letterman donated $10,000,000 to the American Diabetes Association, do you think there would be as much media attention over such a noble action as there currently is over his “inappropriate” actions?
Many incidents are unpredictable and beyond your control, and it’s crucial that you have a plan in place for when a crises strikes. You’ve worked much too long and much too hard building your character and reputation for one singular incident to seriously damage, or even destroy the integrity of your brand.
A crisis communications plan serves as the best form of brand insurance available, placing you in control of the message to minimize the negative impact on your brand. The fundamental components of your crisis communications plan should include: 1) identification of your crisis team, 2) a notification tree detailing who to contact, and in what order, 3) a thorough media list of those you will need to contact to control your message, 4) key messages and strategies for handling a variety of potential crises, 5) identification of a trained spokesperson who demonstrates stability under pressure, and one who will be the most comfortable in front of a camera under heavy questioning, 6) protocol on how to respond on the blogosphere, and 7) other appropriate components based on your business and industry. It also helps to have strong relationships with public officials, local law enforcement, a reputable attorney, and of course, your PR firm. You’ll need their support, advice and guidance to navigate through the turbulence.
Creating an effective crisis communication plan requires significant thought, time and effort. If you wait until a crisis attacks you from behind, you’ll be much too late. Now is always a good time to put a plan together.
