3 Comm Tech Features to Control Your Crisis Comms Narrative

While few try to make mistakes deliberately, every company needs to anticipate a crisis. In fact, according to survey findings by PWC, 69% of business leaders have witnessed an emergency over five years, with the average number being three. 

That’s the bad news. The good news is that with a few simple precautions, you can breeze through any crisis while keeping your relationship with investors and customers intact. We know what you’re thinking – how? With the right PR solution.

In this article, we’ll explore what crisis comms is and explain how you can revamp your emergency response with the help of the right comm tech software. This will help you stay in control of your narrative at every step of your business lifecycle.

What is crisis comms and why is it important? 

Crisis communication refers to the protocols that your company implements to respond to a crisis that threatens to damage business reputation. This usually involves sharing real-time information to ensure that key stakeholders are kept in the loop as an emergency unfolds. Tailoring your communications to the different interest groups is also important, as your investors will be differently affected than your employees or their families. 

Done well, your company’s crisis comms can help your employees come together to ensure a successful response that is in line with the business narrative that you choose to share. This can not only amend the situation but also secure continued business success and protect customers, investors and assets, in turn minimising the damage to your business’ reputation. 

That same PWC survey found that only 23% of people felt that their company’s various crisis management functions are well integrated, while less than half of business communicators admit to having a documented crisis comms plan drafted, according to JOTW. A detailed plan with concise action points during a crisis, as opposed to just acting on the fly, can help you save time and publish that information right away. 

With no pre-defined plan in place – in addition to other hurdles like using many fragmented tools or targeting your audience through the wrong channels – it’s difficult for even the most resource-equipped company to mitigate the effects of a crisis.

3 comm tech features for that will help you control your crisis comms narrative

By now we’ve hopefully convinced you of the importance of a crisis comms plan, unfortunately implementing one is easier said than done. What’s the first step to getting started? Choose the right comm tech software and the rest will be a cakewalk. Here are 3 things to look for in a comm tech tool that will help you stay in control of your narrative during a business emergency:

1. Manage press questions and queries within integrated media inquiries

During an emergency, aligning your team on the company stance and wording matters, especially when communicating with the media. It’s vital that you feel well-equipped to respond to journalists quickly and efficiently, while also sharing a coherent message that can safeguard your brand reputation. The last thing you want is members of your communications team saying different things to different media outlets. That’s definitely going to raise some question marks from your stakeholders. 

So what’s the way to go? Efficiently managing the influx of media inquiries you’re inevitably going to be receiving while going through a crisis. Here, it’s key to look for a tool that seamlessly integrates press requests, allowing you to manage all queries in one centralised platform. This is beneficial for both you and the reporter – you can assign the request to the relevant person, respond to their questions promptly, and protect your reputation during a crisis, while they can quote your authentic narrative in their article as quickly as possible. 

Media Inquiries with Presspage

Presspage’s integrated media inquiries function is an industry first, connecting your team, preventing narrative discrepancies, saving time and allowing you to delegate tasks efficiently all from one central hub.

2. Reassure your audience with a pre-prepared holding statement 

A Deloitte survey found that, out of the businesses that have already gone through a crisis, 34% wished that they would have come up with a more timely and robust crisis comms plan. A key aspect of the preparation process is drafting a holding statement, which you can send out in no time, should the need arise. It should provide both the basic facts and reassure your audience that you’re dealing with the crisis. 

Crucial to any comm tech tool designed to help with crisis comms is the ability to quickly prepare company-tailored holding statements in advance. It should provide you with a crisis communications kit, including an existing template, in which you can draft your company’s narrative during an emergency. Then, when you find yourself needing to communicate promptly and efficiently, the holding statement can be distributed with one click.

For any company, a crumbling reputation is one of the main threats of a crisis. In the aftermath, once the damage has been done, fixing this brand image is far from easy. In fact, fewer than 30% of company board members who have experienced a past emergency said that their reputation recovered in less than a year. This highlights the importance of a company’s quick thinking and preparedness to do damage control. Having a professional holding statement on hand for different types of crises will be a lifesaver. 

3. Analyse and improve your crisis comms response with PR analytics

Picture this: You’ve just survived a crisis. You did everything right – followed the steps outlined in your crisis comms plan, kept your audience informed and unified your company narrative to safeguard your reputation. The last thing you’ll want to do now is prepare for the next crisis. 

However, conducting a post-crisis analysis is vital to understanding the full impact of the emergency on your company. When done correctly, it can reveal insights about the success of your plan and the outcome of your actions, while pointing out any areas of improvement and important lessons that you should be learning from. 

Defining your PR metrics and collecting relevant data manually will take time. The right comm tech tool will have already done all the heavy lifting for you. With a suite of integrated analytics and dashboards, your PR team can get right down to the analysis and update your crisis comms plan to be better prepared for future crises.

Takeaway

Nobody is sitting around waiting for a crisis to strike. However, whether big or small, every company has to be prepared to face one at some point. If you intend to safeguard your business’ reputation and repair relationships with your employees, customers and investors, sharing a coherent story with your audience and the media is key. 

As we’ve explored, the right comm tech software can put you in the driving seat of controlling your narrative amidst a crisis. With Presspage’s expert PR tools, you’ll be able to do your homework in advance, keep a cool head in the thick of it and learn from your mistakes to continuously optimise your crisis comms strategy.

Are you interested in learning more about how you can control your narrative in a crisis? Our on-demand webinar will show you how it's done - register today!