5 tips for protecting your organization in 2018

It’s Friday at 6 p.m. and the phone rings. “There’s been a crisis,” the CEO shouts. “What do we do? What do we say?”

It’s a public relations professional’s worst nightmare.

From United Airlines’ forcible removal of a passenger to Pepsi’s infamous Kendall Jenner commercial, there was no shortage of PR crises to learn from in 2017.

PR pros can’t always prevent a crisis, but they can ensure they are prepared for one. Having a response plan allows companies to respond in a timely manner, a critical factor in today’s never-ending news cycle, where the speed at which a crisis can escalate is staggering.

Here are five proactive steps every communicator can take to protect their organization in the year ahead:

1. Create and update the crisis communications plan.

Effective crisis communication plans outline roles, responsibilities and protocols that ensure information is shared efficiently. If your company doesn’t have a plan, create one ASAP.