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Do not leave your brand to chance: Plan your crisis communications now
Journal of Brand Strategy,
8
(2),
127-135
(2019)
Abstract
The world has reached a place where everyone is a media expert (because they possess a smart device), and crisis is part of the daily fabric of our lives. Considering that we see crises often, both personally and from an organisational perspective, we need to recondition ourselves and make a fundamental shift to a stance of preparedness and be ready to tackle it head on, just as we would any organisational issue presented before us. Crisis is no longer the ‘thing that happens to the other guy’. Preparing a solid foundation for crisis communication will give organisations a clear and effective roadmap for help when one occurs. A solid, comprehensive plan is the underpinning for effective communication and brand maintenance. As preparing for a crisis is now a fact of life, the aim of this paper is to serve as a blueprint for an organisation’s crisis communication framework. Nobody wants to think about potential crises, but a state of preparedness will help alleviate the stress associated with it.
Keywords: crisis; crisis communication; brand; effective communication; planning; audit; review
The full article is available to subscribers to the journal.
Author's Biography
Lisa Cruz was recognised this year as one of the Top Women in PR nationwide by PR News and has made a name for herself in the strategic management of crisis situations through communications. During her career, she has worked on a variety of crisis scenarios that involve complex legal situations; federal, state and local investigations; high-profile events, mergers and acquisitions; human resources matters; and more. Cruz has worked in the public relations industry since 1994 and launched Red Shoes Inc. in 2008. Her experience includes working for a variety of industries, such as healthcare, construction, manufacturing, retail and nonprofits from both the corporate and the agency sides. A graduate of UW-Stevens Point with three majors (communications, cultural studies and Spanish), Lisa began her career in one of the toughest media markets, Southern California. She provides strategic consulting in a number of areas for clients, including crisis communications, media relations, internal communications and image management. Cruz is a guest speaker and presents locally and nationally on topics such as crisis communications.
