Is your brand media-ready to face a crisis?

It's time for some real talk. There will be times occasionally (though hopefully not) where a brand or business might suffer some unfavorable press. Some of these crises may or may not be in your control, from repercussions surrounding a bad customer service experience to the side effects of a global pandemic. Every single brand is subject to negative press. Be sure to have a plan for how you’re going to handle it, especially in your 2021 plan.

Whether you own a flourishing Etsy store, work at a Fortune 500 company, serve a delicious food brand, or offer business coaching services to your happy clients, it's important to have a plan in place in case things go wrong. You have to be an optimist to grow a successful business, but that doesn't mean realism gets to go out the door.

Nobody likes to think about "what's the worst that could happen?" and there's no better time to really think and plan for it than when things are going very well. Public relations is just one part of a crisis communications plan, and to help you get started, we've pulled together four considerations for you, which you can download below!

Five things to think about when building your crisis communications plan:

1.) Identify your spokespeople
In a crisis, who would be your key spokespeople? How will you get ahold of them? What will they say? The spokesperson may very well be you!

2.) Set up internal communications
Always be communicating quickly and clearly with staff and stakeholders with any updates as they arise or as they make sense. You don't want your investors reading unfavorable news about you on Twitter first.

3.) Monitor and respond – not react
You should be doing this anyway, but always be sure to monitor the media and social media for chatter and sentiment surrounding your brand. In case of crisis or negative review or story, be sure to respond quickly if it makes sense both in traditional and social media. Depending on the depth of the situation, you may first want to...

4.) Hire a professional
Your lawyer and a professional crisis communications firm are always the best resource to advise on a strategy. Outside perspectives and expertise, especially if legalities are or could be involved, are strongly advised.

5.) Remember, no comment is a comment.

In the face of a crisis, time is of the essence, which is why a plan is so critical. In extremely rare circumstances is “crickets” an acceptable statement. Take the opportunity to maintain your brand’s reputation if not try to elevate it.

Recovering from bad press is certainly not impossible. Like all of your communications, keep your audience top of mind and stay true to them, your brand, and your mission.