A crisis communication plan is a document that is specifically aimed at communication during a crisis or issue. Situations that can quickly damage the image of a company are especially reflected in crisis communication plans.
The purpose of such a plan is to limit the negative effects of a crisis on a company's reputation. And protect the reputation through fast, effective and targeted communication.
Why do you need a crisis communication plan?
There are several reasons why it is important for a company to have a plan for: crisis communication.
1. Limitation of damages
During a crisis, fast and effective communication can help limit the negative impact on your organization's reputation.
2. Transparency
A communication plan provides guidelines for how your organization should communicate during a crisis. And that ensures transparency and trust among the public and the media.
3. Quick response
A communication plan also provides a practical step-by-step plan for how to respond. This allows you to act quickly and efficiently to get the situation under control and protect your reputation.
4. Consistency
A communications plan ensures consistency in a company's communications during a crisis. This way you avoid providing incorrect or contradictory information, with all the negative consequences for your reputation.
5. More efficient collaboration
A crisis communication plan specifies the responsibilities and guidelines for cooperation during a crisis. This improves and facilitates cooperation between stakeholders, including the crisis team, the media and, for example, government services.
What does a crisis communication plan consist of?
A crisis communication plan includes at least the following components:
- Identification and definition of any crisis or issue scenarios that are possible in the organization.
- Appointment of a crisis team and division of mutual responsibilities.
- Guidelines for monitoring and assessing the situation during a crisis.
- Guidelines for internal and external communication during a crisis. Includes procedures for responding to questions from the media and the public.
- Guidelines for cooperation with other stakeholders such as the police, fire brigade, (local) government and other companies.
- A step-by-step plan for restoring reputation after a crisis.
Common mistakes
There are many mistakes companies can make when developing a crisis communications plan, so try to avoid the mistakes below.
1. Inadequate preparation
Companies often neglect to invest sufficient time and resources in drawing up a crisis plan, which means they are insufficiently prepared for crisis situations.
2. Too little emphasis on putting together a crisis team
Companies often do not put together a specific crisis team or identify responsibilities. This makes it a lot more difficult to work together efficiently during an actual crisis. There is then uncertainty as to who is responsible for certain tasks.
3. Insufficient scenarios developed
Companies have often not developed enough scenarios for the different types of crisis or crisis situations issues that are possible within that specific company. As a result, they are insufficiently prepared for unexpected challenges.
4. Too little emphasis on social media
Companies often pay too little attention to social media management during a crisis. Or social media monitoring is not set up, which means issues can develop into full-blown crises. As a result, companies sometimes respond too slowly to negative messages or incorrect information. And negative publicity can spread very quickly through social media.
5. Too little internal communication
Companies sometimes forget to inform employees in a timely and effective manner about the situation during a crisis. Resulting in ambiguity and uncertainty. The focus is then on communication with the media and the outside world. However, it is advisable to inform employees first. This is also helpful if questions arise from outside about the incident.
6. Too little flexibility
Companies often set guidelines that are too strict, which prevents them from responding flexibly to changing situations during a crisis.
By taking the above mistakes into account and preventing them in your own crisis approach, you will be better able to draw up an effective crisis plan. You will also be better prepared and can act more effectively to protect your reputation and get the situation under control more quickly.
Example of what not to do: United Airlines
Unfortunately, there are numerous examples where the lack of a crisis communication plan led to a huge blunder. An example is the American airline United Airlines in 2017. When a passenger was removed from a fully booked flight, a video of the passenger being violently removed by the airline's security guards went viral. United Airlines initially did not respond adequately to the crisis and it took some time before the company issued a formal statement admitting its mistake. After all, overbooking the flight was not the fault of the passenger, but of the airline itself.
This slow response resulted in negative publicity on social media and in mainstream media and even a drop in the stock price. The company should have had a communications plan in place to respond quickly and adequately to the crisis and limit the damage to its reputation.
Example of what not to do: BP
Another example is the BP oil spill in 2010. When a gigantic oil spill occurred in the Gulf of Mexico, oil company BP did not have the correct communication plan in place. And the company was not prepared for the enormous impact on its reputation.
Oil company BP struggled to communicate the correct information to the media and the public. They were also slow to take responsibility for the disaster. This resulted in a huge wave of negative publicity and loss of confidence in the company.
Example of what not to do: Volkskrant
A third example closer to home is the Volkskrant crisis in 2018. When the Volkskrant published an incorrect photo of a suspect lying on the ground, this led to a huge wave of criticism and negative publicity.
De Volkskrant was slow to take responsibility and offer a formal apology. This resulted in a decline in confidence in the company and significant damage to its reputation.
Conclusion
These examples show how important it is to prepare for crisis situations and have a clear plan to communicate quickly and efficiently with all parties involved.
In general, a crisis communication plan is an important tool for companies to protect their reputation during an issue or crisis. It provides a clear guideline for how the company should act and communicate. This will hopefully allow you to limit the negative effects on reputation as much as possible.
It is important to regularly review and update a crisis communications plan to ensure it incorporates the latest developments.
Also read the benefits of an interim spokesperson for crisis management.
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