Monday, April 6, 2009

Take Your Time When Planning For Crisis

I read a blog today by Kevin Eikenberry that spoke about the need for companies to be wary of the negative effects that working too fast can have on their business (http://www.kevineikenberry.com/blogs/2009/04/speed-kills-five-situations-where.asp). Some of his lessons stated that "Speed kills problem solving," "Speed kills planning," and "Speed kills dialogue." This insight of how businesses rushing through things is often counterproductive reminded me of my March 27 post on planning for a crisis.

Crisis management needs to be well thought out. It takes more than one sitting to assess the different scenarios in which something can go wrong and to develop a plan to address them. When a crisis happens, it is true that companies need to respond quickly. However, a quick response unaccompanied by a well thought out plan runs the high risk of not effectively addressing the problem.

June Bisel
Partner, BBGG Advertising and Public Relations
BusinessCardContacts.com

Labels: , ,

posted by June Bisel at 11:10 AM 0 Comments

Friday, March 27, 2009

Planning for Crisis

If there's one thing you can always count on, it is the fact that something, somewhere, at some point is going to go very wrong.

A lawsuit, an employee acting inappropriately, an accident, a major product flaw, a fire, a bomb-threat ... you name it. No business is exempt from the possibility of a crisis. 

How you manage yourself and your business in the first hour or two of a crisis, is critical. Yet most of us don't have any idea what we would do and instead of putting a plan into motion, we just react. Unfortunately, our first reaction may not necessarily be the best course of action.

It may seem like a stretch, but planning for a crisis situation really is a part of marketing and public relations, because it has to do with the way the public views your company.

So, sit down today and jot down some of the likely crisis situations that you may face in your industry and discuss a plan of action for each. Also, think about who you should contact and include their names and contact information in your Crisis Management Plan.

Hopefully, you'll never need it. But, if you do, it will be time very well spent.

June Bisel
Partner, BBG&G Advertising & Public Relations
BusinessCardContacts.com 

Labels: , , ,

posted by June Bisel at 10:49 AM 0 Comments

Friday, March 13, 2009

A Lesson to be Learned

Wow, I haven't heard so much talk about peanuts since the Carter administration.

The salmonella outbreak that was traced back to peanut product manufacturers has had a  widely publicized impact. The products that were tainted by the outbreak were recalled, plants that distributed the tainted products were investigated by the federal government, and some plants were closed down. 

The damage, unfortunately,  is still being done. Many consumers are unclear as to what peanut products were affected. Is it safe to buy peanut butter? What about Reese's peanut butter cups? Better safe than sorry, right? ... maybe I'll just stay away from peanut products altogether for awhile... just to be safe.

Unfortunately, this is the mentality that has caused peanut butter companies to experience their lowest sales numbers in years, even though peanut butter was not at all affected by the outbreak. It's a harsh lesson in what bad publicity can do and how important it is to counteract bad publicity with all of your strength and might. 

Businesses need to create a flow of positive publicity and community outreach on a regular basis  to ensure their reputation in the public is, well... positive. By keeping communication open and honest with the public, they have established credibility and have created a relationship that will make crisis management easier to manage if a similar event happens to them.

Being involved in the good of your community, sponsoring community events, joining committees, or serving on local non-profit boards is a great way to ensure that the public's introduction to your company name is a pleasant one. It is also a good way to let your community know that you are not just in it for yourself, but that you are committed to the community as a whole.

What have you done for your community lately?

June Bisel
Partner, BBG&G Advertising & PR
BusinessCardContacts.com

Labels: , , , , , ,

posted by June Bisel at 3:48 PM 0 Comments