Tips from the Pros: Crisis Communications

Last Friday the Silicon Valley Public Relations Socitey of America hosted a crisis communications panel and discussion. The panelists represented communications pros from such blue-chip companies as Intel, Franklin Templeton, McKesson and Facebook. All of these folks have been through more than their fair share of tough PR situations and had plenty of tips to share with the audience. Here's a snapshot of what they recommend; common sense but still worth mentioning again.
1. Understand the news cycle. Chuck Mulloy from the Intel Global Communications Group commented several times about the need to understand and manage the news cycle. His point: know when NOT to elevate a crisis by commenting and potentially extending the news cycle into another round. Some stories will die a timely death if just left alone.
This sounds straightforward but can be a tricky call to make; if a story impacts consumers and if consumer activists are involved, do not expect the story to go away until those activists are satiated.
2. Educate your executives. It was recommended that this be an ongoing education process with all the leading executives at the company, helping them to understand the nature of a crisis and what would be expected of them in the face of a crisis. Several of the panelists described ongoing media awareness training offered internally to executives and managers.
3. Have a plan. All of the pros agreed that every firm should have a business continuity plan in-place so that in times of crisis there are pre-set guidelines to keep the business and communications flowing. These plans should be tested periodically and revised annually.
4. Know your people. As a PR pro, you need to know who does what internally and who knows what internally so you can quickly and effectively marshall resources as needed. This knowledge allows you to be responsive and prepared throughout the crisis.
5. Think globally. In today's world crisis are not contained to a specific geography; they quickly become global issues. Any plan, proactive or reactive, needs to take this into account.
6. Use technology to monitor the news. Brandee Barker of Facebook talked about how she and her staff routinely monitor, not just their own and other social media sites, but also Twitter, Digg, and the other leading edge "new media" services.
7. Remember always, be open and honest. The key to any crisis situation is maintaining the trust of your constituents. Communications need to be timely, open and honest.
Thanks PRSA Silicon Valley and all the panelists for such a valuable program.