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CANADIAN INDUSTRY ONLINE - JUNE 2014
Prove the Value of Your
Crisis Plan
D
EAL ING WI TH A
crisis is never easy, but
it’s always more manageable when
there’s a plan in place. Sometimes, however, it
can be difficult to get everyone on a team to agree
on a single crisis communication plan. The first
step to implementing a crisis plan is to sell it to
the rest of the team. Here’s how.
RISK VS. BENEFIT
Use data and examples to show the company
why the team’s plan is worth the risk.
Before moving forward with a company crisis
communication plan, most public relations teams
want to know if the risk of the plan is worth the
benefit. A great way to approach this obstacle is
to map out all of the “what ifs” associated with
the crisis plan. Along with each “what if,” ways
that the potential issue can be avoided or handled
should also be included. Then, an alternative “no
reaction” plan’s results should be mapped out,
showing exactly what will happen if the plan is
not implemented. Using a visual chart to show
these reactions can help present the informa-
tion in a clear and concise way. However, focus
shouldn’t only be on the negative. Digging up
examples of companies who have used similar
crisis reaction methods in the past with success is
an excellent way to provide evidence of potential
benefit. Pulling data,
graphs and screen shots of these methods, as
well as how the company itself plans to replicate
them, can be very convincing to those who may
question a crisis plan.
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