BSMM 8000 Final Assignment

Developing a Crisis
Communications Plan

Crisis Communications Toolkit

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Crisis Communications
A crisis is any situation that threatens the integrity or reputation of your company, usually
brought on by adverse or negative media attention. These situations can be any kind of legal
dispute, theft, accident, disaster or error that could be attributed to your company. It can
also be a situation where in the eyes of the media or general public your company did not
react to one of the above situations in the appropriate manner. This definition is not all
encompassing but rather is designed to give you an idea for the types of situations where
you may need to follow this plan.

If handled correctly the damage can be minimized.

One thing to remember that is crucial in a crisis is tell it all, tell it fast and tell the truth. If
you do this you have done all you can to minimize the situation.

It’s important to carefully consider the issue or background of the situation, determine your
communication objectives, identify your key stakeholders and their interests/concerns,
create key messages for these audiences (note: you may require different messages targeting
different stakeholders), the identification of the various tools, tactics, techniques and
identification of a timeline to deliver them, and finally the development of an
implementation plan.

In a crisis, this has to be done quickly. Many companies will pay for an external PR firm to
handle crisis communications simply because they don’t have the internal capacity to
respond.

Communications Strategy
What is a Communications Strategy?
A communication strategy is simply a written statement that outlines communication
objectives, provides situational analysis, and proposes approaches and activities to achieve
the identified objectives given the current situation.

A communication strategy sets out the timeframe for carrying out these activities, details the
resources and support that will be necessary to achieve them, and identifies how results will
be measured.

In the private and government sectors, communication strategies are typically developed in
support of very detailed organizational strategic plans. In the not-for-profit sector, it is most
common to see strategic communication strategies as a part of organizational planning
processes.
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Developing a communication strategy for your organization in times of crisis is vitally
important. Many companies have strategies developed ahead of time, ready for many
different possible situations and scenarios.

Developing a strategy
1. Determine Issue or Situational Background

This section of the crisis communication plan develops insight into the situation, why it
happened, how it happened, what might be the political, social, ecological and economic
ramifications of the event and what might be the unforeseen or unpredictable consequences
of the event.

Honesty is the best policy – create an honest, insightful understanding of the crisis, the
events that led up to the event and possible symptoms and causes of the problem. This is
not the time to be politically correct or sensitive – complete transparency is what matters.

2. Define your objectives

Objectives differ from goals in that they are specific and measurable. Objectives specify
exactly what needs to be achieved by your communication strategy. The key to developing
objectives is that they are SMART.

• Specific—The objective is clear about what you are going to do and exactly how are you
going to do it. Questions to ask include: “What am I going to do? Why is it important?
Who is going to do it?”
• Measurable—You should be able to measure the objective (Example: % people
contacted, number of presentations completed).
• Achievable—The objective is achievable given market conditions, time period, resources
allocated, etc.?”
• Realistic—The objectives can be achieved using the time and the resources available.
• Time-bound—The objective is clear about how much time it will take to achieve.

Objectives are written in an active tense and use strong verbs like “plan”, “write”,
“conduct”, and “produce”, rather than “learn”, “understand”, and “feel”.

3. Define your key stakeholders

Stakeholder analysis is a process of systematically gathering and analyzing information to

determine whose interests should be taken into account when developing and/or
implementing a communication strategy.

Stakeholders are persons or organizations with a vested interest in the issue or opportunity
being communicated or promoted. These stakeholders, or “interested parties,” can usually
be grouped into categories and identified by common characteristics or concerns.
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Stakeholder analysis allows communication specialists to better understand stakeholders
and craft key messages that “speak” to them. (Note: see Key Stakeholder Identification
Tool Appendix A).

Stakeholder analysis requires you to answer key questions about the issue or opportunity.
For instance:

1. Who is affected?
2. How might they be affected?
3. What are their beliefs/reactions to the issue?
4. What do we want them to think/believe about the issue? (to get to a desired state)

To help answer these questions, consider the following:

1. How has the situation affected them?

2. What are their anticipated attitudes or beliefs about the situation?
3. Resources or support might they have that the company requires to continue to function?
4. Which communications will deliver the greatest outcome/effect?

3. Creating your key messages

Developing key messages first and foremost depends on solid stakeholder analysis. From
there, using a message map format, build a set of key messages, preferably one set for each
set of key stakeholders.

Message maps have an overarching “umbrella” message that is reinforced by three

supporting messages that in turn are reinforced each by three more detailed supporting
messages. The degree and complexity of the messaging is dependent on the situation and
the stakeholder interests or concerns.

Some tips for developing key messages:

• Determine your audience’s current awareness, knowledge and attitudes towards the issue.
• Determine the response you want from your target audiences. Are you educating or
informing the audience, or are you trying to change attitudes or behavior?
• There is a limit to the number of messages which can be communicated. Limit the number
(between 3 and 5) and complexity of your key messages, and vary the message depending
on the target audience.
• Keep your messages consistent. Make sure that everyone is communicating the same
message.
• Avoid jargon and acronyms, and keep the message concise.
• Keep the message short, with one memorable sentence that takes 10-15 seconds to say.
• Make the message specific to the target audience.
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These messages are then used to create various communication tools and inform various
tactics. They are generally created in the following format:

Message Map
Overarching “Umbrella Message” – what we want specific stakeholders to
understand/feel about the situation.

Supporting Message Supporting Message #2 Supporting Message

#1 #3

Detailed Supporting Detailed Supporting Detailed Supporting

Message #1 Message #1 Message #1
Detailed Supporting Detailed Supporting Detailed Supporting
Message #2 Message #2 Message #2
Detailed Supporting Detailed Supporting Detailed Supporting
Message #3 Message #3 Message #3

5. Identify tools and tactics

It is here that you actually identify how you are going to communicate with your audience.
A following section in this toolkit will provide a potential list of tools and tactics that you
could consider using; however, there are several things you must keep in mind when
selecting the tools and tactics you will use. To start, a tool is a medium of communication,
the instrument that you can use to reach your stakeholders, while a tactic is the manner in
which you use the tool.

It may be useful to first create a list of all the tools that are available to you to reach your
specific stakeholders. In putting together this list, it is important to be creative and try to
come up with as many tools as possible. This will allow you to better identify the best
tactics to reach your particular stakeholders.

Some tools and tactics might include:

PRINT MATERIALS
• brochures/pamphlets
• posters
• newsletters
• annual report
• banners, displays & sandwich signs
MEDIA RELATIONS
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• news releases & media advisories to get media coverage through articles and feature
reports
• letters to the editor / opinion columns
• one-on-one interviews with the media

COMMUNITY/PUBLIC RELATIONS TACTICS

• public speaking
• public meetings
• educational opportunities
• mall displays
• special events
• displays
• annual meetings
INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS
• meetings
• newsletters (internal)
• e-mail
• bulletin board messages
• employee special events
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
• regular contact with key officials
• briefings/briefing documents
PAID ADVERTISING
• direct mail /admail
• print – newspapers, magazines, etc.
• radio
• television
• outdoor
• transit ads
WORD OF MOUTH

Note this is not an exhaustive list. It’s important the tools match the stakeholders.

6. Develop an implementation plan

Here is where you get into the detail: who is going to do what and when? For each tactic
you have selected, you need to identify whose responsibility it is to complete it and a
timeframe for its completion (or a schedule if it is a regular task).

Implementation plans are usually displayed on a table or in an MS Excel chart as an

Appendix in the communications plan.

7. Develop a measurement strategy

How will you determine and measure if the messages have been received by your
stakeholder(s) and what their reaction was?

NOTE: Tools, Tactics and Implementation plans are usually displayed on a table or in
an MS Excel chart as an Appendix in the communication plan.