When a crisis hits, protecting your reputation is vital. Coming across as a caring, competent and well prepared organisation goes a long way to mitigating the damage of a crisis. Updating and refreshing the media skills of your key spokespeople should be done routinely. If you’re reading this now for some quick advice, so here are a few quick tips:
- What to do when a crisis hits
- Stop –Take five minutes to consider the issues
- Think from the victim’s viewpoint
- Plan your messages
- Action
Our formula
- The Three R’s
- Regret – Not taking the blame from a legal angle, but as a human response to a difficult or sad situation
- Reason – Explain what has happened and why
- Remedy – The processes that you are putting in place to remedy the situation and prevent it from happening again
Social Media
Don’t forget about the immediacy of social media, often with photographic evidence of the crisis. A story can go viral before you’ve even heard about it at head office.
- Act promptly – if you dither, somebody could get their story into the media first and put on the back foot, so your team needs to be ready.
- Front up –You need to respond to on-line comments and take control the situation before it escalates
- Don’t spin – stick to the facts. What happened and what you are doing to remedy this.
Be Prepared – book your crisis media training now!
If you need immediate advice and support, call us now we are always happy to help.
