7 everyday tips to prepare for the inevitable PR crisis

You had better have back-up childcare—and a change of clothes—when disaster takes a bit out of your brand.

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Communicators are in that role for a reason—they can handle it. They know what they’re doing. They’ve been trained by the best. Most importantly, they’ve screwed up once or twice—or have seen someone else screw up—and learned invaluable lessons.

Companies are all different: different product, different cultures, different employee- and client-bases. Crisis communications, and business continuation plans for that matter, are all going to vary in timeline, breadth, and circumstances. Still, there are a crucial points to which a crisis communicator must hold steadfast—not just in the brink of a brand emergency, but at all times.

1. Be nice. Proactively maintain good media relations. Work with your PR representatives to get to know your friends and your enemies in both local and national media. In essence, you are a salesperson, selling the brand. A soiled relationship stemming from a feature story gone awry can damper any attempts to keep your company’s reputation in a positive light.

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