BY

Got a crisis? Get good messaging – fast

Crisis management is more important than ever in this era when people expect instant results or an immediate fix. Thanks to social media, a crisis situation can quickly get blown out of proportion or take on a whole new (undesired) aspect. How the first hours of a crisis are handled can determine the outcome – and the potential impact on reputation.

Truscott Rossman’s first piece of advice for clients dealing with a crisis is to take the OAF approach: Own it, Apologize, Fix it. That means being honest and transparent. Trust me, the truth will eventually come out and if you’ve lied to the media and the public – pack your bags, it’s over.

But if you consider your audience, communicate with them effectively and provide them with the appropriate information, chances are you will survive and possibly even flourish.

In an ideal world, you will have a crisis plan that outlines some of the basic steps you need to take. This will include a social media strategy, digital communications (website), contact lists, phone numbers, etc. You’ll also need template news releases or statements with boilerplate language. In a crisis every second matters, so the more you have ready to go, the further ahead you will be.

The world is full of examples of poorly handled crises. You can find one every week in the news.

But there are also many situations that have been handled “by the book.” We’ll highlight one of those next week.