How does a company continue business when it’s no longer ‘business as usual’?

Facing a crisis as a company is no small feat. Depending on how severe the issue is, a media frenzy can manifest and your company may become the sole focus of the media and public’s attention. It’s a worst-case PR scenario that any business owner does not want to face. This can be very taxing on the organisation and it takes skill and preparation to handle it swiftly and effectively. 

I will often get a call of distress from companies facing an emergent issue. They have no plan in place, and the media have already contacted them. Sometimes their CEO has already spoken publicly thinking they are doing the right thing, inadvertently exasperating the situation.

For companies, there should be an issues and crisis plan in place to cover a host of possible scenarios and help you navigate your way through turmoil. If news stories of company downfalls and footage of people swatting away cameras have taught us anything, it’s how important engaging a communications strategy is. At its very core, a communications strategy guides a company in how best to relate to the public. Positive (or at the very least, neutral) public perception is critical when times get tough.

As a communication agency, we have the tools and experience to work swiftly and will always prioritise an issue or crisis. To effectively do this, we have to work quickly to learn the business, the background, those affected, all stakeholders involved and predict the various outcomes that could occur and plan for all of them.

It’s then up to the business to work with communications professionals closely and diligently as there is a very limited window to handle it. It’s often a 24-hour around the clock job and we do it because it’s critical.

A crisis can happen to any of us at any time and can be caused externally or internally, whether by a supplier, a malfunction or a negative comment on social media post snapped up by the media. The variables are numerous. It’s how you relate to the public in the end that will determine how your brand is perceived in the aftermath. Because of this, it’s important for businesses large and small to review or develop their own issues and crisis plans in the event it’s no longer business as usual.

If you want to discuss how we can help you handle a crisis, then contact Elevate Communication today.