Communications in a crisis: be a PR boy scout
The scout motto is “be prepared”. In a reputational crisis, the preparation you did months ago is what decides how the next 48 hours go.
The scout motto is simple: be prepared. It’s also the best advice anyone can give about crisis communications.
When something goes wrong, whether it’s a product recall, a data breach, a workplace accident, a viral complaint or an unflattering news story, the first 24 to 48 hours often decide how the story is remembered. The businesses that come through a crisis with their reputation intact are rarely the ones that improvise brilliantly. They are the ones that prepared long before they needed to.
Every business can have a crisis
It’s easy to assume crises only happen to large corporations. In reality, smaller businesses are often more vulnerable. They have fewer people to handle the pressure, no communications team and a reputation that may depend heavily on a few key relationships and online reviews.
A single social media post can reach thousands of people in hours. The question is not whether something will ever go wrong. It’s whether you will be ready when it does.
Preparing before a crisis
Identify your risks
Spend an hour listing the things that could realistically go wrong in your business. Think about safety incidents, product faults, supplier failures, data or privacy breaches, staff misconduct, service outages and negative media or online attention. For each one, ask what you would need to say, and to whom.
Decide who does what
Name a spokesperson, usually the owner or CEO, and a back-up. Decide who gathers facts, who updates staff, who monitors social media and who signs off statements. In a crisis, confusion about roles wastes precious time.
Prepare holding statements
A holding statement is a short, pre-approved message you can release quickly while you gather the facts. It acknowledges the situation, shows you are taking it seriously and commits to providing more information. Having a few drafted in advance for your most likely scenarios is invaluable.
Keep your contacts ready
Keep an up-to-date list of key contacts, including staff, key customers, suppliers, insurers, legal advisers, regulators and relevant media. Make sure it can be reached even if your usual systems are down.
The time to write your crisis plan is when there isn’t a crisis.
During a crisis: the principles that matter
- Move quickly. Silence gets filled by speculation. Acknowledge the situation early, even if you don’t yet have all the answers.
- Tell the truth. Never lie, guess or minimise. If information comes out later that contradicts you, the second story is always worse than the first.
- Show you care. Lead with concern for the people affected. Empathy matters more than corporate language.
- Say what you are doing. People want to know the problem is being handled. Explain the concrete steps you are taking.
- Be consistent. Everyone speaking for the business should share the same facts and the same message.
- Don’t forget your people. Staff should hear news from you, not from the media or social feeds.
- Keep updating. Commit to regular updates and keep that promise until the issue is resolved.
After a crisis
Once the immediate pressure passes, take time to review what happened. What worked? What would you do differently? Update your plan accordingly. Then show, over time, that you have learned. Reputations are rebuilt through consistent action, not a single apology.
Reputation is built in calm times
The businesses that recover fastest from a crisis usually have a reservoir of goodwill to draw on. That goodwill comes from years of good work, honest communication and genuine relationships with customers, staff, media and the wider community. It is the best insurance there is.
Our PR and communications service helps businesses build their reputation, and protect it when it matters. If you don’t have a plan yet, let’s make one.