When "it" hits the fan and crisis grips a company, one can only hope for an able-bodied communications team to swoop in and pick up the pieces with as little damage to
reputation as possible. But that hope isn't delivered on the wings on guardian angels; rather, it is a carefully constructed mix of making plans and then being willing to thrown
them out the window.
A recent survey of nearly 700 communications professionals, conducted by PR News and Levick Strategic Communications, underscored this fact and highlighted some interesting
discrepancies in practices of preparedness.
For example, 67 percent of respondents claim to have an internal crisis team in place, and a 73 percent majority does not enlist an outside communications agency in the event
of a crisis. According to Richard Levick, president and CEO of Levick Strategic Communications, this can be cause for concern, if not for additional crises.
"Litigation communications involves special risks and requires special skills," he says. "Have an agency that specializes in it. Courts and marketplaces will tend to look upon
it more favorably."
Considering the unfortunate but often unavoidable link between corporate crises and litigious activity, communications executives would be ill-advised to ignore the legal
implications of crisis plans gone wrong. Levick's advice of having a specialized agency on hand, while costly, can be a strong defense against the delivery of bad news when the
gavel hits the table.
Another point raised by the survey is the high number of respondents who have a crisis plan template in place: 73 percent. While this suggests that a good deal of attention has
gone into their planning for a crisis - especially amid reports of an unstable business environment and widespread corporate scandals - the number doesn't reflect communicators'
adaptability when their crisis plans turn out to be unusable.
"It's not just a plan on a shelf," Levick says. "That's the first thing to be destroyed in a flood or fire."
Expecting the unexpected, then, isn't enough - after all, the unexpected is called the unexpected for a reason. And while the survey revealed that many communications and PR
professionals are making moves to anticipate trouble - from media-training top executives (74 percent) to identifying able spokespeople (43 percent of respondents chose the CEO) -
it begs for a follow-up: When "it" hits the fan and crisis grips a company, are you willing to throw caution to the wind, burn that pre-made crisis plan (if it hasn't already
burned on its own accord) and adapt? If so, Darwin would be proud. PRN
CONTACT:
Richard Levick, 202.973.1302, [email protected]
Crisis Preparedness Survey: A joint survey from PR News and Levick Strategic Communications
1. Who would typically be your spokesperson in a crisis situation?
The CEO 43%
Communications head 30%
Lawyer 8%
Head of affected department 3%
PR agency representative 2%
Other 14%
2. Do you have an outside communications agency on retainer in the event of a crisis?
Yes 16%
No 73%
We use our agency of record 10%
No Response 1%
3. Do you have a permanent internal crisis team in place?
Yes 67%
No 30%
Don't know 2%
No Response 1%
4. Have your top executives been media-trained?
Yes 74%
No 21%
Don't know 4%
No Response 1%
5. Do you have a crisis plan template to use in the event of a crisis?
Yes 71%
No 24%
Don't know 4%
No Response 1%