5 Essentials For Building A Resilient Crisis Communications Plan

Forbes

7 days ago

Nicole Tidei is a Vice President at Pinkston, a Washington D.C.-based full service branding, marketing and communications firm.
In my more than a decade in public relations, I've seen plenty of well-intentioned companies be blindsided by crises. What often determines the scale of the damage isn't just the nature of the issue itself—but how well the company is prepared to respond.
In today's always-on media environment, speed, clarity and consistency aren't optional. They're essential for protecting your reputation and regaining control of the story.
From data breaches to public backlash to internal issues that suddenly become very external, the companies that navigate crises most effectively are the ones that plan before they're forced to act. A resilient crisis communications plan is a strategic necessity.
Here are five essential recommendations for any organization looking to build a more resilient crisis communications plan:
1. Identify potential crisis scenarios and build a backup plan.
In crisis planning, imagination is a strategic tool. We live in a world where the unexpected happens more often than we think. Identifying these potential crises—the likely and the implausible—is a necessary starting point for any business leader looking to strengthen their crisis communications plan.
Make a list of potential threats that can compromise the integrity of your business. For example, a tech company should list and prepare for cyberattacks, supply chain disruptions, organizational issues and even legal issues. Once identified, each scenario should be paired with a response framework that outlines key messages, decision-makers and next steps.
2. Appoint a crisis management team.
Crisis response isn't ad hoc work. The ability to move quickly and speak with one voice depends on having the right people empowered to act.
Your team is a key asset in helping manage a crisis, and the right messages can only be communicated with the proper people in place. Assembling a core crisis management team and identifying each member's role and responsibility is essential.
For instance, after a major data privacy issue triggered regulatory scrutiny and customer backlash at a midsized tech company that I worked with, leadership avoided a reputational spiral by activating a preestablished crisis management team, comprising legal, compliance, customer support, a senior spokesperson and a digital communications director.
With clear goals and rehearsed scenarios, they issued a unified response within an hour, swiftly notified users and kept internal teams aligned across time zones. What could have been a weeks-long reputational crisis became a case study in effective containment, thanks to a team that was ready to act.
3. Define internal and external communication channels.
The next step is to set up clear internal protocols so your team is on the same page.
You should identify both the internal and external methods of communication that you and your team will use during a crisis. For internal communication, you can use email, an intranet, Slack or other messaging apps for real-time or breaking updates. Companywide town halls can also help restore clarity and transparency because they make room for open communication.
I once worked with a client that needed to significantly downsize staff—but wanted to do so as sensitively as possible. To navigate this circumstance, we considered all communication channels and defined when and how to deploy them. We created a detailed communication timeline that included how and when employees would be notified. But just as importantly, we developed coordinated messaging for internal communications that were delivered through an all-hands town hall. Doing this made all the difference.
As for external communication, consider tailored emails, news outlets, formal interviews, announcements and social media to actively engage with the public.
4. Prepare messaging templates.
When the pressure is on, pre-drafted templates save time and reduce the risk of saying the wrong thing. While no two crises are alike, customizable frameworks for press releases, social media posts, internal updates and stakeholder memos give teams a valuable head start.
For one of my clients that needed help evacuating people out of a sensitive geopolitical area, my team and I developed holding statements for worst-case scenarios. While no crisis ever occurred, if they were needed they could have been quickly and easily adapted, saving precious time.
Templates should be tailored to each audience. For instance, your board will require transparency and communications on the long-term implications of a crisis with a clear and distinct path forward. Meanwhile, your consumer messaging should be consumer-centric, focusing on clarity and empathy.
5. Plan for real-time updates and feedback.
Information travels faster than ever before, resulting in equally fast feedback, questions and concerns. When a crisis happens, people will want answers, requiring you and your business to be prepared to quickly answer tough questions.
Make space in your plan for live updates, Q&A and feedback loops. Media training and scenario-based preparation can help spokespeople stay composed and credible, even under pressure. The goal isn't to have all the answers immediately, but companies should be able to respond in a way that inspires confidence and builds trust.
Conclusion
Crises are always stressful, but planning for a crisis is much easier than recovering from one. An off-the-cuff response might work fine when everything is going smoothly, but the same can't be said when every word is scrutinized and trust is on the line.
In fact, the worst time to build a plan is in the middle of a crisis. I've seen firsthand how many companies struggle through crises that could have been far less damaging if they had just prepared in advance. Preparation won't eliminate every risk. But it dramatically improves your chances of righting the ship more quickly.
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