Preparing your business for a crisis is the most effective way to safeguard the well-being of your employees and guarantee minimal disturbances in operations. A crisis communication plan serves as a proactive measure to ready your business for any unexpected situation that may arise.
COVID-19, also referred to as coronavirus or novel coronavirus, has affected millions of people globally, and only a small number of individuals are capable of foreseeing the progression of an incident into a complete crisis.
Amidst the pandemic, governments and businesses are urgently striving to adjust to the current situation. It is crucial to possess a designated crisis communication plan in times of crisis, as it can significantly benefit both your employees and your business.
In this post, we will guide you through the process of creating a crisis communications plan, providing step-by-step instructions. Additionally, we will analyze prevalent examples of crisis communication plans and offer readily available templates.
What Is Crisis Communication?
Crisis communication encompasses a structure that enables businesses to effectively handle any issues that may have a significant impact on their operations. By having established protocols, businesses can be well-equipped to address every step of the crisis, thereby minimizing its adverse effects on business continuity.
There are various factors that can impact your business, but among them, a crisis has the most significant effect. A crisis can be seen as something that causes stakeholders to believe that your business is in trouble. It is crucial to note the word “believe” here because sometimes a crisis can occur without any actual incident. The key to effective crisis communication and management lies in addressing the emotions and perceptions people have regarding your business.
Why Is Crisis Communication Important?
Crises have a tendency to happen at the most unexpected times for businesses. The extent to which you can withstand and conquer crises will rely on the extent of your preparation.
Crisis communications refer to the emails/messages/conversations you engage in with your employees during a crisis. The effectiveness of crisis communications helps enhance the promptness, effectiveness, and safety of your crisis response efforts. It is essential to establish a dependable and swift communication channel with your employees, which can be done through various methods.
How to Communicate With Employees During a Crisis
Email is widely recognized as the primary mode of crisis communication due to its prevalence and importance in emergency situations. This necessity arises from the following reasons:
- they are easy to create and fast to send,
- they are are accessible via numerous devices, and
- they can tell you whether your recipient has understood the information.
The importance of the last point cannot be overlooked: even if you send numerous employee emails in response to a crisis, it is as if you haven’t sent anything at all if your employees don’t read them. With the help of email tracking software, you can determine the number of employees who opened your emails, whether they clicked on any links, and even the duration for which they read your email.
If your employees don’t have convenient access to their email accounts, it may hinder their capability to read your crisis communications. This is often the case for front-line and on-site employees who do not work on computers. To supplement your email-based crisis communications, employing emergency SMS text alerts as an alternative internal communications channel is a great solution.
SMS text messages can be sent directly to your employees’ mobile devices, and they will typically receive a physical alert upon receiving a text message. Creating and sending employee SMS communications can be done quickly, especially when utilizing SMS text message templates. When there is an urgent need to relay information to your employees, few methods can be as efficient as SMS text messages.
Crisis Communication Plan Examples
University of Washington
In a university crisis communication plan, it is crucial to prioritize addressing crises that have the potential to disrupt regular school and administrative operations. An example of this is when my college promptly sends out emails to students whenever a dangerous incident takes place on or in the vicinity of campus, accompanied by a set of safety guidelines. Furthermore, universities develop strategies to handle crises like marches or protests, unfortunate events causing injuries or fatalities within the community, and negative publicity regarding the institution.
Focused on preserving the safety and security of community members, the University of Washington has a comprehensive crisis communication plan. Students, faculty, staff, parents, and alumni, along with visitors, temporary residents, the general public, and the media, are the main audiences for the university’s communication efforts.
Southwest Airlines
Even though Southwest has consistently been one of the safest airlines in the world, it doesn’t mean that the company is exempt from experiencing accidents.
Flight 1380 experienced an engine malfunction which sadly resulted in the loss of a passenger’s life, making it the first in-flight fatality for the company. In response, Gary Kelly, the CEO, promptly issued a sincere and heartfelt apology to the victim’s family. Additionally, all advertising on the company’s social media platforms was promptly removed, and Mr. Kelly personally contacted passengers, providing them with assistance and counseling resources.
While it may be difficult to think about tragic events like this, they do happen and have an effect on businesses. Although Southwest had never faced a similar accident, the CEO was ready for such a situation and expressed sincere regret through his words and the actions taken by his company.
Boeing 737 Max
In 2018 and 2019, Boeing faced a significant crisis as two of its 737 Max planes were involved in fatal crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia within a short span of 5 months. These crashes resulted in a tragic loss of 346 lives, and the consequences of these incidents continue to impact the company adversely.
Boeing initially attributed the crashes to pilot error, but later information emerged revealing that the issue lied with the flight control software. Consequently, the FAA and other regulators worldwide took the decision to ground all Boeing 737 Max aircraft for a period of 20 months until they could ascertain the specific software malfunction responsible for the fatal crashes.
Boeing’s stock price suffered a significant decline, leading to the company’s decision to halt production of the Boeing 737 Max and incurring billions in losses. Additionally, when the pandemic struck in 2020 and air travel reduced, Boeing encountered a new predicament as cancellations of orders for the model further contributed to their financial losses.
Virginia Department of Education
Much like universities, schools must effectively handle crises, particularly if they disrupt the usual class timetable. As schools cater to children, it is imperative to inform parents and guardians about any circumstances that might have a bearing on their kids’ education, safety, or well-being.
The Virginia Department of Education has developed a comprehensive management plan that encompasses crisis communications. The plan specifically focuses on different emergency situations that would necessitate communication with parents, for instance, a school bus accident. Moreover, the plan provides pre-designed letter templates that can be promptly dispatched.
KFC
The restaurant chain KFC found itself in an uncomfortable predicament in 2018 when it faced a shortage of chicken to serve its customers. This unexpected crisis was particularly challenging for the company, considering its strong association with its famous 11-spice fried chicken recipe.
Despite the situation, KFC’s marketing team swiftly took action and successfully turned it around. They promptly released videos and tweets, such as the one provided below, which humorously apologized for the scarcity and demonstrated the brand’s modesty.
A crisis communication plan is crucial for restaurants as it covers necessary preparations for various situations such as foodborne illness outbreaks, unhygienic working conditions, and disruptions in food supply caused by delivery issues.
Amazon
In December 2021, Amazon received criticism when a tornado caused significant damage to one of its warehouses located in Edwardsville, Illinois. The warehouse collapse resulted in the death of six individuals, occurring alongside a string of tornadoes that swept across various areas including Tennessee, Kentucky, and Arkansas.
After reports emerged about Amazon warehouse workers purportedly being compelled to work during tornado warnings, the company’s health and safety guidelines were promptly called into question.
The delayed public response from CEO Jeff Bezos was Amazon’s initial mistake when it came to the warehouse collapse, with him taking close to 24 hours to address the situation.
“The news from Edwardsville is tragic. We’re heartbroken over the loss of our teammates there, and our thoughts and prayers are with their families and loved ones,” Bezos tweeted. “All of Edwardsville should know that the Amazon team is committed to supporting them and will be by their side through this crisis. We extend our fullest gratitude to all the incredible first responders who have worked so tirelessly at the site.”
Bezos immediately faced severe criticism on social media, with numerous individuals implying that his statement lacked sincerity.
When a devastating loss of life occurs, it is preferable to promptly issue a statement that conveys empathy. Bezos’ response seemed insincere partly due to the delay. Throughout the day, the CEO had been consistently sharing updates regarding the landing of Blue Origin, so when he finally addressed the tornado tragedy, it appeared as an unimportant remark.
