Crisis Communication

Crisis Communication Business isn’t always about staying on top and trying to beat out the competition or make a name for the company. Sometimes, the issue can be simply staying afloat when harder times come. Businesses occasionally go through situations that could threaten or harm people or property, interrupt business, damage reputation or negatively impact share value. These situations make up the definition of a crisis. Every organization is vulnerable to crisis, whether that organization is large, small, successful, or just getting off the ground. Crisis is something that can determine whether a company will last or simply die out in the near future, so businesses should prepare themselves for times like these. Businesses that have failed because of crises, in the past, seemed to have lacked in proper crisis communication. Without adequate communication, operational response will break down, stakeholders usually react negatively in a confused panic, and the organization will be perceived as inept and criminally negligent (Brice). In order to better prepare for times of crisis, there are eight basic steps that have been implied by businesses that have overcome crises in the past. They require advance work in order to minimize damage, because more damaged is incurred if a business takes longer to respond to a crisis. The first step of creating good crisis communication is developing a crisis communication team. This team usually includes a small number of senior executives, is led by the CEO, and is co-led by a council made up of the firm’s top public relations executive and legal counsel as the CEO’s chief advisers (Brice). During times of crisis, conflict might arise between the organization’s legal counsel and the public relations counsel. While it may be legally sound not to say anything, this kind of reaction can potentially in even greater damage than any financial or legal ramification. So, legal advisors should work in close cooperation with public

References: Brice, E. MarketingProfs: Marketing Resources and Strategies for Marketing Professionals. Public Relations - A Seven-Step Guideline in Crisis Communication (Lessons From the Sony PlayStation Network Breach) : MarketingProfs Article. Retrieved from http://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2011/6128/a-seven-step-guideline-in-crisis-communication-lessons-from-the-sony-playstation-network-breach