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CRISIS COMMUNICATION
EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED
No organization is exempt from a crisis. Crises
appear in the news all the time: the TWA air crash over Long Island, the Exxon
Valdez oil spill, product tampering, and a variety of lawsuits. A crisis does
not even necessarily mean something "negative" has happened. An
employee winning the lottery or giving birth to septuplets could constitute a
crisis. Many times, the heavy volume of media attention connected with an event—be
it a "crisis" or not—can create its own crisis.
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If a crisis
has already hit your organization, whom should you call?
If a crisis has
happened, and you need immediate help in handling the media and strategically
managing the situation, call CEI at (800) 410-4CEI (4234). Our experts have had
great success managing the message, developing talking points, handling the
media, and projecting the best possible image for your organization.
We require no
retainer, and we're there immediately when you need us.
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The best insurance for handling media crises is to develop a crisis plan
before the crisis hits. You need to have a plan in place with professionals
"on call," know how to communicate both internally and to the media,
know who the "quarterback" is going to be to get you through this
stressful time and what message you'll want to transmit. The main thing to
remember is—expect the unexpected.
At Communication Excellence Institute, we have created a method for
developing a crisis communication plan, before the crisis hits. Led by experts
in public relations and media communications, your organization will:
- Identify the places where your organization is vulnerable to crisis so that
you can anticipate crises before they occur. In short, "expect the
unexpected."
- Map out a set of steps to take once the crisis has appeared.
- Assemble a team to communicate the crisis to both internal and external
audiences.
- Brief employees to get their "buy-in" for the plan.
- Build the credibility of those carrying out the plan.
- Script effective responses to the most likely questions arising from the
crisis.
- Develop important relationships with the community and media before any
crisis occurs.
The plan, created especially for your organization (usually part of an
organization's larger disaster plan), will outline how to control and manage the
message you want to spread during a crisis, how to control and manage all
communications, and how to control and manage the crisis itself.
The key is to not wait until a crisis happens, but have the plan, the team,
and the internal support in place in advance. Don't wait until you are getting
hundreds of media calls per hour. Have the plan and the personnel ready and
media-trained. Know your key audiences and identify who needs to be "kept
in the loop." Develop systems for disseminating information quickly and
efficiently to both internal and external audiences.
Typically, writing crisis communication plans involves a minimum of 30-40
hours at $250 per hour. Actual crisis intervention is billed at $350 per hour.
For more information on Crisis Communication, please call the
Institute at (800) 410-4CEI (4234) or e-mail us at cei@talk2cei.com.
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