Written by: Tara Musulin, PR Account Manager, not ChatGPT
The world we live in is extremely unpredictable, so crisis communication is something we regularly encounter. Especially if you have decided on a career in the PR industry. Crises are an integral part of every agency or corporate job. In public relations, it is often said that the question is not whether a crisis will occur, but when.
Every crisis is also a sudden source of stress that can block our ability to think rationally and make the right decisions. This is precisely why it is important to define clear steps and a crisis response plan in advance, which, once a crisis occurs, is followed almost automatically. High-quality crisis communication means proactive planning and regular communication – even when there is no new information. Therefore, with a well-prepared PR team, every crisis will be easier 😊 Just as our CEO Marina Bolanča Radunović wrote in the blog, in times of crisis, trust is the most important currency.
Numerous authors emphasize that crisis communication is not merely a reaction to a problem, but a process that begins with timely preparation, clear procedures and good team coordination. Below, we present several useful tips:
Crisis communication and 5 steps for successfully managing a crisis situation
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Assemble a crisis team – who, what and how
As I have already mentioned, assembling a crisis team is crucial. The crisis team is selected in advance, not when the crisis occurs. The last thing we need is to decide who does what once we are already facing a problem. That is why it is important to know who is leading the situation, who makes decisions and who communicates with the public. It is also good to go through possible scenarios, and it is equally important that the team knows how to recognize the first signs when a crisis occurs.
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First, take care of those who are directly affected
In a crisis situation, people always come first. Before sending a press release or posting on LinkedIn, it is necessary to determine who is directly affected by the crisis and ensure that those individuals receive support and clear instructions on how to proceed. No one wants to read about a problem that personally concerns them on a news portal, and well-prepared crisis communication addresses exactly that.
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Inform employees and align communication
Employees are often the first people others will approach with questions. It is important to explain to them as soon as possible what happened, how the organization is responding and to whom they can forward additional questions. Not everyone needs to know every detail, but everyone must know what they are allowed and expected to communicate. This helps avoid rumours, speculation and the well-known sentence: “I heard it from a colleague who heard it from someone…”
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Clearly explain what happened and what you are doing
The first message does not need to contain all the answers, but it must show that the organization is aware of the problem, takes it seriously and is already taking concrete steps. The public will immediately want to know: what happened, what you are doing now to mitigate the consequences and what you will change to prevent the same thing from happening again.
The first 24 hours are particularly important, so all statements communicated externally must be accurate, timely and consistent with one another.
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Monitor the situation and determine whether you could have handled it better
No matter how much you prepare for a crisis, or how thoroughly your crisis communication is developed, it is impossible to predict every reaction. Once the work is done, it is important to monitor how the situation develops in case of any sudden changes. When everything finally settles down, it is useful to view the situation from an objective perspective in order to determine what could possibly have been done better so that you are prepared for future challenges.
