Page 49 - Crisis Communication Practical PR Strategies

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3 30 Crisis Communication
off in advance on the kinds of information that can be released and
even the template for your future crisis statements (see page 42).
Then, in the midst of the crisis – even if the lead decision maker
insists on an opinion from the attorney – there is a much greater
chance that communication will still proceed. Exclude the attorney
from the planning at your peril. Too many companies have suffered
damage to their image simply because the attorney was consulted only
at the last minute and then convinced the CEO that ‘it’s too risky to say
anything right now’.
Remember this: if there is someone in the organization who can
potentially shut down essential communication during a crisis, bring
them into the planning stage. Making them a part of the process will
pay big dividends later on.

Team roles and responsibilities

Each member of the team needs to have a function in a crisis. We need
a mouth, a brain and hands.

The mouth – spokespeople

You need to have a minimum of two spokespeople – and you may need
more. This depends on how broad your organization is and in how
many geographical markets you are present. A company based in one
geographical location that manufactures one product will probably be
fine with just two spokespeople. If you operate on different continents,
you’ll probably, for reasons of cultural understanding and time differ-
ences, need more.

Spokesperson 1 – the primary, number one spokesperson repre-
senting the organization.
Spokesperson 2 – the second person if number 1 is not available or if
spokespeople are required in multiple locations.
If your business sensibly needs a third and fourth spokesperson, then
designate them.

Spokespeople alone do not decide what is to be said. They are the
‘mouth’ of the organization. Ideally they are professional, presentable,
corporate and trained in how to be in front of a camera and deal with
the press. Often we find that CEOs are reluctant to give up this posi-
tion to others, but they should be honest with themselves. If they are
not the absolute right person for the job, then it should go to someone
who is better suited.