Crisis PR - the Questions to Ask When a Crisis Hits

When a crisis hits that could damage your reputation itprofessional codes of conduct, association
is essential to act quickly and responsibly. Effectivemembership?
handling of a crisis can enhance your reputation but- Who knows about this?
where do you start? Ideally you will have some sort of- Who is to blame?
crisis plan in place - this will save you considerable time- How does this impact on customers?
and effort when something hits. Whether this is the- How does this impact on staff?
case, or not, each crisis is different. There are,- Are there health and safety implications?
however, a number of questions you need to get the- Does any service or supply or products need to be
answers to manage the communications around thesuspended?
crisis. Those include:- Does this impact on marketing activity?
- What exactly has happened?- Should any marketing activity be halted?
- Why has this happened?- Is there a need to recall products?
- Is this an isolated incident?There are, of course, many other questions specific to
- How can we be sure this is an isolated incident?the incident. If you do not have a plan in place then
- Have the relevant facts been recorded?there are a whole host of logistical questions and
- Who is involved in this incident?issues you need to tackle too. Handling communication
- How was the incident reported?with regard to a crisis needs attention to detail,
- When was the incident reported?accurate understanding of the facts and a clear head.
- What checks and processes were in place toYou'll need to act speedily to contain rumour and
highlight this incident?misunderstanding. Getting the answers to these
- What checks and processes were in place toquestions is the first step in putting yourself onto the
prevent this incident?front foot for any communication activity.
- Does this incident show any breech of law,