Why your agency should handle crisis communications
Having an agency on hand when crisis hits can be a major benefit. Internally handling a crisis can see emotions run high, mixed messages given to internal teams and clients, and mismanaged press comments. In a time of crisis, you want someone that can handle the situation quickly and effectively.
Why do you need a PR agency when a crisis hits?
An experienced agency’s most valuable asset in a time of crisis is its structured approach. This comes from years of finetuning every detail in their playbook. They understand the many moving parts that need to come together to preserve a brand’s reputation. When internally people are scrambling to do the best they can for tomorrow, your agency is thinking long term.
Depending on the nature of the crisis, proactively engaging with the press may be the best strategy. An agency can prepare your spokesperson to discuss sensitive topics and use established contacts to ensure your refined message reaches the right audience.
Sentiment and mentions tracking
Your agency most surely uses tools to track your brand’s mentions and the sentiment surrounding it. This can be extremely valuable in times of crisis. By monitoring coverage across both press and social media, your PR team can assess reactions and adjust messages in real time.
For social media, your agency can put clear parameters in place for which people in your organisation should be allowed to discuss the issue publicly (hint: it’s only your chosen spokesperson) and the keywords they should use.
Internal communications for crisis management
Transparency with your clients is essential when a crisis hits, but so are the words you use to relay the information. For your agency, wordsmithing is not a burden, it’s an everyday occurrence. They understand the information that should be included, how to make the communication clear, and how to tailor it to each audience segment.
They can also help prepare you and your team for any follow-up questions from, and ideas of how to best handle, affected clients. As the agency is not as close to the issue as you are, the people working to help you can keep a cool head and see to it that you are provided the best outcome possible.
Your professional PR agency will be freeing up your time to be able to fix the issues and reassure stakeholders, while keeping a vigilant eye on your reputation. In a world where the media chatter is quicker at alerting than your tracking systems, continuous monitoring can be the difference between getting ahead of an issue and waking up in the midst of a crisis.
Need a crisis communications plan before the next issue hits? Get in touch with our team to discuss how we help your companies prepare.
