The Importance Of A Crisis PR Plan


Crisis public relations plays a role in every organization. While most people hear about Crisis PR in relation to reacting to a crisis, it is important understand that the best way to deal with a public relations crisis is to plan for it. If businesses create business plans to prepare for a business crisis, why shouldn't they create crisis plans to prepare for a public relations crisis?

Before discussing the importance of creating a crisis PR plan, it is neccessary to explain the method of handling a PR crisis whether or not there is a plan for it. According to Courtney Simmons, there are five things public relations managers should remember when dealing with a crisis:

1. Be prompt
2. Maintain honesty
3. Be informative
4. Be concerned and show the public you care
5. Maintain two-way relationships

While the list offers guidance as far as what to do during a crisis situation, businesses need to go beyond dealing with a crisis as it happens and create a crisis plan before the crisis takes place.

When trying to create a crisis PR plan, the most important part is gaining access to the executive team. Simmons says "Companies take out insurance on their property and their loss of business and attendence, but they don't take out insurance on their image." Once you have convinced the executives that it is important to implement a plan, getting the information necessary to design one is easy.

Additionally, new communications technology makes it more important than ever to create a plan for a public relations crisis. Photo- and video-equipped cell phones allow people to communicate quickly and easily with the press. Without a plan, bad press can circulate well before the company implements a crisis management plan.

Public relation's main goal is to maintain and build brand image. Without crisis PR plans, it is exceedingly difficult to properly manage a crisis situation. Crisis PR plans give companies the head start needed to manage a crisis when it occurs. With a plan, companies can protect brand image by minimizing the reaction time after a crisis occurs.

MacDonald, Christina. A Matter of when, not if. Amusement Business. New York: Nov 2005.