How to Prepare for a Crisis - By: ENS Ltd

Over the past few years, courtesy of some interesting investigative techniques, the public has feasted on the fortunes and follies of brands ranging from Eurostar, FIFA, Dior and the FA – to name but a few and in every case at least one senior figure at each brand found themselves facing ‘career disappointment’.

No brand - or individual - has ever emerged from intense media scrutiny financially better off; not only has significant reputation damage been done, the remedial costs are explosive. \r\n\r\nSo what should companies consider for their media crisis plans....

Lack of awareness. All too often companies forget to look at where they may be exposed – this can range from lack of provision in managing staff’s social media presence, being unaware of the types of media exposure a major marketing campaign could bring them or simply talking carelessly.

Lack of planning. Of the very few companies that have an emergency media plan, even fewer have either tested it or updated it recently. The very worst situation is to have invested in the planning but then fail to advise key staff or not get full management buy-in – the result is invariably chaos and mixed messaging.

‘The buck stops here’. Agree the chain of command in advance with everyone along with a plan of action. The very worst example we witnessed was when a national office put everything in place only for the Group CEO – who was based in another territory and was unaware of the plans – to fly in and start issuing counter-instructions. People who were perfectly capable of managing the issues froze as they were afraid to flout senior directions. The upshot was a bad situation getting much worse.

Get the right spokespeople, dressed in the right way, saying the right things. It may be that the most senior manager wants to be the person to go on camera but it could be that they aren’t the right individual. Carefully select the best person to talk about each topic and invest in their on-going media training.

Use technology. When was the last time you had your office checked for bugs? It may sound fanciful but, much to the client’s horror, we have found them. Additionally, is your Comms team on top of all the tools you could be using? These days options range from anti-recording devices to pre-prepared microsites or hotlines.

Perfect harmony. You don’t need politics on top of a crisis so ensure people understand the chain of command and that any external suppliers know they are expected to liaise with internal and external teams. We strongly recommend getting your PRs and lawyers together and discussing how you want them to collaborate well in advance of any issues.

Crisis media management always sounds dramatic and expensive - and facing a crisis unplanned can be. However, in truth, the planning stage is pretty straightforward and could well be the best investment you have made for your brand - and yourself.
Rebecca Hopkins, Managing Director of ENS Ltd

About the Author

Rebecca Hopkins, ENS Ltd

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