Sioux Falls Business Journal

INSIGHT: Crisis-response plan helps companies safeguard reputation

By Nicole Pullman For the Sioux Falls Business Journal

Tuesday, 26 June 2007

Would you construct a house without an insurance policy? How about buying a new computer without a warranty? The chances are good that you wouldn’t do either because you know that disaster can strike at any time. Now consider this: The most vital asset to any company today is its reputation. Reputation is your lifeblood. Without it you cannot survive. What are you doing to protect your reputation? Nicole Pullman is a public relations specialist with BKG No organization – large, small, for-profit, not-for-profit, public or private – is crisis-proof. Crises can happen anywhere and at any time. When a crisis does occur, events usually unfold rapidly, leaving little time for planning. A crisis is any situation that threatens the integrity or reputation of an organization and can be brought on by adverse or negative public scrutiny or media attention. These situations can be any kind of legal dispute, serious injury or death, protest or strike, inappropriate personal or business behavior by executives, an act of God, fire or manmade disaster attributable to the company. It also can be any situation where in the eyes of the media or general public, the company did not react to the situation in the appropriate manner. There are two potential ways of handling a crisis: shooting from the hip or acting according to plan. In the first case, you are in reactive mode, which provides little opportunity to gain control of the situation. In this scenario, you and your organization are vulnerable to making mistakes – making enormous blunders that could impact your company for years to come. The Internet and the 24/7 news cycle no longer allow a company the luxury of responding a day or two after a crisis hits. The response must be immediate and direct. Preparation is absolutely essential. A crisis communications plan limits the number of decisions that must be made in crisis mode and equips you with the tools to respond and gain control of the situation. Here are guidelines for crisis response: • “No comment” might be interpreted as “We’re guilty.” “No comment” may be a fine legal strategy, but it is a horrific media strategy. • Safeguard the brand. Communicators are not in the legal defense business; they are in the brand protection business. • Understand the situation. Keep in mind that when a journalist calls, it means they are already working on the story. You likely can’t stop it. • Remember the rule of “st”: How do you anticipate if something is newsworthy? If it ends in “st” – first, biggest, worst, best – it’s probably news. • Remember the rule of audiences. Think like your audience, not a lawyer. • Change your thinking. You’ve got to think like a journalist and be aware of deadlines. • Know what a plan should do. The first goal of every crisis communication plan should be to protect the integrity and reputation of the company. In a crisis situation, be prepared to tell it all, tell it fast and tell the truth. The aim is not just damage control but to take advantage of opportunities to build a positive public image.   No matter the crisis, if handled appropriately the damage can be minimized and the company actually may improve its reputation. Pullman is a public relations specialist with BKG This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it 334-7500