Crisis Management

While the travel industry is sure to appreciate a spike in sales, it’s also feeling the burden of carrying more passengers while attempting to rehire a workforce that COVID-19-related furloughs and early retirements tore apart.

One of the biggest obstacles to effective crisis management is denial: company managers refuse to believe there is a risk that needs attention.   

Media relations can take a completely different turn when your client or organization becomes the target of media. Hamane Niang, the top official in international basketball, stepped down prior to the release of a New York Times abuse investigation yesterday.

In this dialogue we look at the initial moments of a crisis, when communicators and companies decide, ‘Are we in a crisis? Should we react? When? How?’ Our dialoguers are TV-reporters-turned-crisis-pros Scott Sayres, Honeywell’s director, global corporate communications, crisis, reputation and issues management, and T.J. Winick, SVP, Solomon, McCown & Cence.

While the response time may have caused some to question the integrity of the response, Gene Grabowski, partner, kglobal, said Kemper did an adequate job to cover that with her explanation.

Some companies might have kept quiet about an early-morning internet outage. Instead, Fastly communicated consistently and clearly, offering updates on social. The result was that its version of things became the narrative. With the plethora of cyber attacks and data breaches, companies, especially service providers, should heed Fastly’s example of prompt, clear communication.

Traditional social listening no longer is enough, brands and companies are discovering. Operating on the fringes of the web, factions spread false narratives that can lead to mainstream activity, such as boycotts. Without early knowledge of such activities’ origins, communicators and companies may miss the chance to respond promptly.

Americans are confused about the recent CDC announcement on masks. That they are confused about another coronavirus-related message is not surprising. Even Dr. Fauci says it’s not the public’s fault. Years from now historians will view the pandemic through the prism of communication.

Each month, we look at new terms picking up steam in the crisis landscape. In this month’s Buzz Box, we explain “Cryptoviral Extortion” and “Internet of Behavior.”

With so much reporting of how botched crisis response can harm companies and organizations, why do we continue to see so many crises mishandled? Crisis veterans Ayme Zemke and Gene Grabowski dive into this complex topic.