- Image by Fibonacci Blue via Flickr
As oil company executives were called to testify in front of congress, newscasters were abuzz with the laughable errors in each company’s nearly identical crisis plans. While the Gulf of Mexico is facing an unprecedented environmental disaster, at least we know the walruses would have been safe…had they been there.
But while such errors seem laughable and we may smirk, perhaps it’s really nervous laughter we’re hearing. How many of us watch BP, Toyota and others in the eye of a PR storm – whether or not their own doing – and somewhat breathe a sigh of relief? Well except for those tornado chasing crisis lovers out there (luckily, some of which we have right here at JS).
But even if your company doesn’t experience a crisis on the scale of BP, or any crisis at all, will your competitors? It wasn’t just BP’s executive sitting up there facing the tough questions. The industry as a whole is awash in the ensuing slick of negative attention.
So, where’s your crisis plan? If you have one, is it full of walruses?
As communications counselors we encourage our clients to draft crisis communications plans, but all too often the PR plan turns to the instant gratification of that next media hit or social networking site of the moment. Or if a crisis plan is drafted, it sits for years with contacts and tactics becoming outdated.
Instead of snickering at the oil companies’ faux pas, let’s remember the quiet that always precedes the storm and use that time to plan accordingly. The forecast might be clear right now, but we should keep an umbrella handy.
Tags: bp, communications plans, Crisis Communications, crisis plan, crisis plans, gulf of mexico, js, negative attention, oil companies, oil company executives, tough questions, Toyota, walruses
Annie – I actually thought of Emory’s crisis drills when I wrote the post. Not only do you need a plan, but you should bring it out at least once a year to practice and revisit the document for updates.
This is a great post, Megan. And, a working, living, breathing crisis plan is the only one that will help when a crisis hits.
Thanks, Lelia. In addition to preparing a crisis plan, companies should practice drills as well. We rehearse for presentations and speeches when we know all eyes will be on us, but why don’t we rehearse for what could be the brightest spotlight?
It’s too easy for something to happen, even if a company is doing everything right. It’s always good to be prepared.
Great post – I was just talking yesterday about the need to prepare for any crisis. You never know when something will happen that can easily ruin your brand and reputation.