It may be a disaster, but there’s no need to turn it into a catastrophe

Whatever type of business PR firms represent, there is potential for disaster, and it is up to PROs to make sure that any emergency is contained as quickly as possible. In manufacturing, a crisis may simply mean products need to be pulled off shelves, but in some industries, such as mining and exploration, a disaster could include the loss of lives.

The secrets of handling PR in an emergency situation are, to a large extent, the same as with any other PR activity. As CIPR immediate past president Elisabeth Lewis-Jones explains: “Crisis communications is essentially PR activities carried out under crisis conditions. Crisis communications still involve managing relations with different groups to help create and maintain your desired reputation, just like other forms of PR.” Lewis-Jones points out that what’s different is that the situation is usually extremely pressurised, and involves reacting to events that are beyond one’s control and which mutate at high speed.

Magnus Carter, managing director at media training and communications consultancy Mentor, says that one of the most challenging aspects of coping with any crisis is recognising when there actually is one. He explains: “If your factory has burned down, it may seem obvious, but sometimes the threats to your business are less apparent and if you over-react, you can give off all the wrong signals. So it’s important to bear in mind the definition of crisis as something that causes extensive damage or disruption to all or most of your stakeholder groups.”

Actions and wordsCarter says that once it is clear there is an emergency, it is important to react quickly and start communicating at once: “Crisis specialists used to talk about ‘the golden hour’ in which you had to make firm decisions about early actions and first statements to the media. The advent of 24-hour news channels began to squeeze that hour. Online social media (Twitter, the photosphere, etc) mean that the hour has now shrunk to a few minutes, if you are lucky.” According to Carter, the key is to predict as far as possible the various threats to the business, and work out in advance some outline holding statements for the media, in order to begin communicating at once. He says, “This means you have to ask a lot of “What if...?” questions when putting together your crisis communications plan.”

One type of disaster that is sometimes overlooked, is that which is caused by the people within the business, when they make mistakes. These can just as easily damage a business’s reputation as more dramatic ‘Act-of-God’ disasters. As Carter puts it, “most crisis planners pay too much attention to disaster planning, where you are likely to be seen as the ‘victim’ and not enough to the theory of ‘cock up’.”

Debbie Byers, associate director at 3x1 PR and chair of CIPR in Scotland, uses her experience of crisis management at 3x1 to help her judge the crisis communications category of the international CIPR Pride Awards. Like Carter, Byers believes that having a well-thought out strategy is vital when it comes to dealing with crises, adding that it is important to: “make sure the whole team is engaged and understands exactly what they have to do – they need a good understanding of everyone who will be affected by the disaster, they must also know who to approach first and then tailor communications appropriately.”

Preparation, preparation, preparationAs with most PR endeavours, the secret of handling disasters well is to do plenty of preparation in advance. Byers says: “Pre-empting is very important”. This means having the right tools in place, and teams who are clear about their roles. One way to prepare people, Byers suggests, is to use role-playing scenarios that highlight who needs to be contacted in an emergency, and what the message should be. Byers is emphatic about the value of training, as well as learning from the mistakes, and good practice of others, as “it is really useful to see how other people react in times of crisis”.

Everyone is in agreement that doing the groundwork before disaster hits, makes the clear-up operation run much more smoothly. CIPR’s Lewis-Jones says that part of this groundwork is strengthening relationships and reputations through “everyday” public relations. Another vital activity is to identify issues that could create a crisis. She explains: “Early identification of issues could enable you to avoid a crisis altogether. The worst-case scenario is that it will allow you to prepare yourself for when the crisis hits. Identifying issues and planning for possible scenarios early is your thinking time. This is vital, as it will allow you to focus on what actions you will need to take when the pressure is really on.”

Rod Clayton, head of issues and crisis communication at Weber Shandwick, is in complete agreement about the value of working out every possible eventuality: “If you're hit with a crisis and you've never thought about the possibility before, that's your biggest problem.” Of course, not every possible disaster can be anticipated, but no matter what occurs, Clayton believes that those who have planned ahead by tracking issues and putting in place a team, skill set, resources and approach will have a head start. He says: “In a crisis, speed, efficiency and cohesion are crucial. Respond rapidly to enquiries and focus on controlling the controllable. Make sure you provide what information you can, relate to all stakeholders and where appropriate, demonstrate prompt, corrective actions.“

Once the emergency has passed and all the dust settles, this does not mean it is time to relax. Clayton‘s last words of advice are: “Remember that it isn’t over when the media deluge ends. You will need to work hard to prevent a second wave, but the best crisis communications will have laid a foundation for telling a positive story.”

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