Emergencies are less stressful if we are informed ahead of time. There are lesser efforts taken for preparations. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Crises strike at the most inappropriate times. And if you wait until the emergency happens for planning to begin, you are guaranteed to fail to avoid disaster. As a result, companies should have a crisis communication strategy.

What is crisis communication?

Crisis communication is when an organisation releases information to address how it would impact the customers and its reputation. Writing down a plan is a part of crisis communication preparation. Some businesses may find this difficult, but the following measures should help:

What should the plan include?

Objective alignment

Before you begin, your team should have a goal. This plan establishes a system for communicating with internal and external stakeholders during a crisis, threatening the organisation's reputation or ordinary business procedures. It ensures that every aspect of your approach works towards the goal.

Determine stakeholders

It is essential to determine who the plan is meant for with crisis planning. List down everyone you want to keep informed about the problem. This list includes employees, customers and users, partners, investors, media outlets, the government, and the public. Make sure to have meaningful contact information for each of them in your strategy.

Create a hierarchy

The team heading the crisis planning is not usually the same as the team that reports a problem. Hence, create a hierarchy that describes how information gets exchanged inside the company. So, when the crisis occurs, you know whom to contact. The team structure determines this order. The leader should be alerted first, followed by the communications or public relations department.

The plan must also outline what information gets delivered to these parties instantly. The problem, the cause, and any existing repercussions are all included.

Create fact sheets

The person responsible for creating crisis fact sheets should be part of the crisis communication plan. It includes all the publicly available information about the crisis. Rumours and misinterpretations should not reach the media. Have a set deadline for finishing these fact sheets. Depending on the severity of the condition, you may need them within minutes or maybe a day later.