While this headline may sound somewhat overly dramatic, the sentiment and thought is not: we very much advice getting your house in order, so to speak! Having a crisis communications strategy in place for your business, should something happen, is important.

When an emergency occurs, the need to communicate with your relevant audiences is immediate. For example, if a factory in Bradford experiences an incident on-site resulting in the release of fumes that may affect people with asthma, the following are the groups that will need corresponding with:

  • Internal communications – ensure your workers are informed as to what has happened and what the next steps and actions are
  • Regulators and industry bodies may need to be notified
  • Bradford chamber of commerce or local MPs, so they are up to date on what is happening within their communities (They may also be able to help share news and updates as to the incident at-hand)
  • Yorkshire media may request, or be interested in, details as to what has happened and how it is being addressed
  • Customers will need to be informed should the incident affect orders or timings
  • Neighbours living in the vicinity will need information regarding the incident, what they should do, the possible implications, how long the incident may affect them

For all of the above ensure there are details of who they can contact should they wish to find out more, and social media will be a key tool within all of this.

While it may be likely that you will not ever need to use your crisis communications strategy, being prepared for the worst, and in a position to respond promptly and accurately during an emergency, is so important. It is also worth considering that the image of your business will be impacted, negatively or positively, by public perception of the handling of such incidents.

We have worked on crisis communications plans with many clients through the years and are well placed to discuss any queries on the topic you may have for your business. Why not contact us to discuss crisis communications and how we may be able to work together?

 

Image courtesy of Pixabay