The middle of a crisis is not the time to figure out how to communicate what’s happening. Every business and organization should have a crisis communication plan in place well before an emergency arises, deploy it for the duration of the event, and keep it active to deal with the aftermath, says Christopher Morse, Ph.D., professor and chair of Bryant’s Communication and Language Studies Department.
Crisis communication plays a role in the corporate world, as well as during natural disasters. While similar strategies are used for both, the desired outcomes are often different.
“In a hurricane or tornado, the goal is to minimize harm to people. In a business crisis, you’re usually trying to limit reputational damage to the company,” Morse says, referencing bad behavior by employees or product-related failures as examples.
“In a hurricane or tornado, the goal is to minimize harm to people. In a business crisis, you’re usually trying to limit reputational damage to the company."
Keys to developing an effective crisis communication strategy include:
1. Have a plan before a crisis arises.
2. Choose a spokesperson carefully. “You need someone who is likable, credible, and has good presentation skills,” says Morse. “Often, this is not your CEO or president.”
3. Respond quickly. “People tend to believe the first thing they hear,” Morse says. “If you don’t get out in front of the story, someone else will. Establish yourself as the authority.”
4. Be truthful with the public and the press. “Most journalists are very supportive at the early stages of a crisis,” says Morse. “They want to get information, not spread gossip, but if you stonewall them, they’re going to go elsewhere to get the story.”
5. Tailor messaging that considers your audience’s composition, concerns, and emotional state. “People who are angry are interested in different things than those who are scared,” notes Morse.
6. Deliver, and repeat, messages that are simple and easy to understand.
7. Don’t treat crisis communication as a public relations exercise. “It’s better to address the worst-case scenario head-on rather than downplaying a crisis and having it turn out worse than expected,” says Morse.
8. Factor in the politics of the moment. The government’s response to a crisis, for example, may be viewed quite differently if it happens during an election year.
9. Address misinformation directly to tamp down rumors.
10. Communicate via multiple channels, from traditional news outlets like radio, newspapers, and TV to the social media platforms favored by younger (TikTok, Instagram) and older (Facebook; X, formerly known as Twitter) users.
11. Reassure people that the crisis is being addressed, and that there is a pathway back to “normal.”
12. Remember that crisis communication doesn’t end when the crisis ends. Communities need time to recover, and that can take time (years, even).
