Crisis, what crisis?

Accidents happen, equipment fails and people can let you down. If any of these things occur your business could suffer if you’re not properly prepared to deal with the fallout.
It’s going back a bit, but still a classic crisis communications lesson… in 1991 Gerald Ratner wiped £500 million from the value of Ratners jewellers with one speech. A seemingly off the cuff remark was enough to cause his jewellery chain to close – after all, would you buy products even the owner calls ‘total crap’? There were no plans in place and no way to rectify the huge damage caused to the jewellery chain’s reputation. That was in the age before social media, now the impact would have been much more immediate.

VW’s recent admission (once it had been caught out) that it rigged emission’s results is a case in point. An apology did nothing to stem the backlash on social media and VW’s share price took a dive as it issued a profits warning. While an apology is a recommended part of a crisis plan it has to be appropriate and seen as sincere to be the first step to rectifying the situation.

Crisis planning involves preparing for the situations that might arise, planning what the response would be, who would respond and when. Acting quickly and appropriately at the right time can make the world of difference to whether an incident is a crisis or just a storm in a teacup.

We’d be happy to discuss your crisis plans over a cup of tea!