Crises are incidents that threaten the integrity or reputation of a company and its brand. They are usually brought on by events that cause negative media and/or stakeholder attention. While there is no way to fully prepare for crises, it is critical to have a crisis plan in place in which the leaders of a company or its spokesperson are prepared to lend effective and professional assistance throughout a crisis response. If crises are handled correctly, damage can be minimized.
With every crisis, there is little time to prepare or strategize; yet an expedient and vigilant response is essential. A crisis communications plan can serve to guide the company through the most critical phase, the first 24 hours of the incident or as a more expansive and targeted plan tailored to specific factors of the most common situations a company may face.
As illustrated, 33% say a crisis communications plan “is going to be rarely needed.” The word “rarely” must be emphasized here as no company can fully rule out a crisis at some point in its lifetime.
19% say “its too difficult to set up/manage.” That is a fair statement and where dovetail solutions comes in. You have access to talented and experienced crisis management professionals that can draft and implement a crisis communications plan and can help you stay on top of any issue that may arise.
Finally, 15% say “its too expensive.” As the Chief Operating Officer at dovetail solutions, I am keenly aware of every dollar spent and its return on investment. If this is the category you fall into, I would urge you to do a cost analysis. What would it cost your company for a crisis communications plan vs. what might it cost your company for a crisis that lasts just 24 hours? You’ll be surprised I’m sure.