Crisis Communication Strategies: How to Prepare in Advance, Respond Effectively and Recover in Full

Description

Crisis communication is high stakes work. For communications managers and PR professionals, it's likely to be the most stressful time of their working life. Crisis Communication Strategies is a must-have handbook which covers the whole span of the crisis from preparing and laying the groundwork before it occurs, during the incident, and the aftermath, including the move to recovery. It guides readers through each phase, providing details of what to consider, what should be done, and tips and checklists for improved responses. Crisis Communication Strategies equips readers to deal with any kind of crisis - whether caused by internal error, customer action, natural disasters, terrorism or political upheaval. Supported by case studies and examples from responses to events including the 2011 Norway terror attacks, the 2018 British Airways data breach, the 2017 Pepsi advert and the 2005 Hurricane Katrina New Orleans floods, the book explores the role of leadership in a crisis and developing a crisis communication response that has people at the heart of it. Crisis Communication Strategies is the essential guide for PR and communication professionals to protecting your company and building true, long-term resilience. Praise for Crisis Communication Strategies Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Table of Contents List of Figures and Tables About the Author Preface Acknowledgements 01 Are you ready for a crisis? Creating and testing a crisis communication plan Controlling the narrative The crisis communication plan Sharing the crisis communication plan Understand the plan Conclusion Notes 02 Recognizing a crisis: What it is and how to spot it What makes a crisis? Anatomy of a crisis The importance of preparedness The role of the communicator Conclusion Notes 03 The operational response: The approaches and how they relate to communications The first steps Who can we learn from? A military approach The emergency services approach Other approaches A strong framework Communication at the heart of the response Conclusion Notes 04 Remembering the people: How employees should come first Involving people Making connections The internal audience Learning the language Careless words Employees and recovery Building success in employee engagement Evaluating the impact The future for staff Conclusion Notes 05 It’s tough at the top: The role of leadership in a crisis Driving the crisis response Crisis leadership qualities The right image Training leaders in communication Who is the spokesperson? Supporting the spokesperson Ensuring staff wellbeing Leader’s checklists Conclusion Notes 06 The impact on the community: Managing the consequences Who are the community? What is consequence management? Working with those affected and their families Communicating with victims Principles for victim communication What is stakeholder management? Conclusion Notes 07 It’s OK to not be OK: Ensuring support is in place Recognizing the impact Modern pressures Creating a resilient organization Creating resilient communities Wellbeing before a crisis Wellbeing during a crisis Wellbeing in recovery What are trigger points? Communication and wellbeing Conclusion Notes 08 Stepping on the road to recovery What is recovery? Making the decision Training for recovery The focus of recovery When there is no return to normal The four Rs of long-term recovery Debriefs and reviews Conclusion Notes 09 So, what happens next? The five Ps of crisis communication Maintaining readiness Bottom up Do it now Conclusion Index