Part 2
Too many times, I’ve heard company CEOs say, “We don’t need to spend money on a crisis comms plan – we haven’t had a crisis in many years, why bother now? We’ll take on a crisis communications agency if we ever need one.”
The trouble is, by the time they do need one, it’s too late and the crisis is already taking hold, causing potential long-term damage to that company’s long built-up reputation that may take years to rebuild, or, at worst, wipe out the company completely.
It’s when things are running smoothly that brands should consider having a crisis plan in place to cover all eventualities. But what should such a plan involve?
Here are some of the basics:
It’s very easy for a company to get it wrong when it comes to managing a crisis situation, but with forward planning, a clear strategy, and the right team structure in place, the process of managing a crisis need not become an issue in itself.
Sarah Longbottom is Director of Strategy & Planning at Cicero & Bernay Public Relations, an independent PR agency headquartered in Dubai offering new-age public relations consultancy to the UAE and across the MENA region. | www.cbpr.me