June 2024 Luncheon Recap
Posted by [email protected] on Jun. 27, 2024 / Subscribe 0
Thank you to everyone who attended our event today. Our June luncheon, titled "Crisis Communications During an Emergency" featured a panel of Richmond area practitioners who shared their expertise on how to navigate crisis communications.
Our panel included:
Jay Smith, Partner, Capital Results
Rosalie Morton, Senior Vice President, Padilla
Michael Porter, Associate Vice President for Public Relations, VCU
Brian Chandler, Founder and CEO, Commonwealth Public Relations
Some key takeaways from the panel included:
Understanding the Crisis
- The crisis does not always have to be something bad.
- A crisis is defined by a lack of control.
- As quoted by Pam Lepley (VCU), a crisis is "a critical moment for better or worse over an unsettled matter that needs a decision."
- The goal as a communicator is to make this an opportunity.
Things to consider...
- How has this affected our organization?
- How is this a crisis?
- You need a team of individuals to support you to help through situation.
- Figure out says to distress.
How do you plan?
- Get the right people in the room and make sure you have representation from all the departments (legal, HR, etc.)
- It is important to prepare before the crisis. You can prep sample statements, conduct crisis simulations and practice in the "good times".
Using Social Media
- Sometimes you need to ask outside of the organization if this is indeed a crisis.
- Make sure you are not escalating the situation
- Where is the conversation happening?
- Who is the audience?
- How is it affecting the organization?
Who should be the voice/spokes person?
- When reputation management is in question, you should consult higher leadership.
- If it involves just information dissemination, a communications is appropriate.
- The PR person's job is to minimize reputation risks.
Good things to do to plan
- Pull in young professionals to learn
- Be hand in glove with legal
Evaluation and debriefing
- Creating a team even if you are a sole pr team
- Communicate internal comms effectively as well (conduct meetings 1:1 or group) vs email
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