- By: Ivan Christianto – PR Consultant of Fortune PR
“First, always make a crisis plan in advance. It can be a written guidebook of Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) when dealing with a crisis. This guidebook should be distributed to all employees, not only for the executive board members. Companies must make sure that all internal employees know how to answer questions from the public when the crisis appears. Second, provide the public with updated information and consistency. The PR division should be the first to react. When a crisis strikes, inform the public about the truth and update the information fast. Publish press releases and conduct press conference using credible data to tackle rumors. Point to one spokesperson and be consistent with the information sent out to the public. The last action is to show empathy and take effective actions. When talking in a press conference aired on television, the company’s spokesperson must be honest, showing empathy using a well-mannered tone and good gesture. Give the public the right key messages and credibility to show empathy. Tell the public the next step of the company’s action to resolve the crisis. It is important to remember that the role of a CEO is vital during a crisis. Having a likeable and a media trained CEO is an advantage for any company.”
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