Crisis Communications - Making it work for you

It's every corporate's worst nightmare. A large scale crisis, attracting public scrutiny and creating a three-ring media circus. Confusion reigns supreme, further compounded by a fast and furiously buzzing grapevine. A wave of sheer terror engulfs the company. How does one react in such a precarious situation?

Simple. A full-fledged and efficacious crisis communication plan is indeed the need of the hour. In fact, "crisis management," "crisis communication" and "crisis planning" have become critical components in corporate strategic planning, that are absolutely vital to the basic survival of any company. The first rule in effective crisis management is to determine the kind of crisis that has struck . It could be anything from the catastrophic September 11 attacks or the Enron disaster or the Watergate issue to a botched interview in a daily newspaper. Each of these can have a disastrous effect and trigger off a chain of reactions that could involve dismissal or resignation of top executives, or it could even account for elimination of the entire business entity through a hostile takeover, bankruptcy or even a merger in an extreme case.

It is a well established fact, that no business is immune to crises and negative publicity. Tragic and unfortunate incidents are a part of life. In such a situation, it is imperative to ensure that a full-proof crisis communication plan is in place. Obvious preparation is indeed crucial in dealing with a specific corporate crisis. The crucial element is to ensure that the plan remains flexible enough to accommodate every unexpected and unaccounted possibility that might arise.

Let us consider the September 11 attacks which have also had indirect ramifications on the Middle East. An immediate offshoot of the World Trade Centre bombing incident was to create misgivings about Middle East based businesses. In addition, the entire region had begun to be viewed as risk prone, thus bringing about a decrease in further investments in the region. Now here was a significant opportunity to devise a crisis management strategy. The need of the hour was to prove to the world at large that the business organisations in the Middle East were just as professional in matters of work and would not allow this crisis situation to come in the way of business dealings, processing of orders, shipments or delivery of goods.

Unfortunately the concept of crisis communications has not evolved completely in the Middle East, so much ground was lost due to imperfect communications. While most companies continued to offer excellent services through the impact of the crisis, very few actually highlighted their strategy and commitment or promoted their success stories. Most waited on the sidelines hoping that the crisis would pass away by itself without leaving too negative an impact. Unfortunately, as most of us know to our cost, problems do not go away by themselves; they have to be faced and solved.

Companies in the Arab world should have gone that extra mile to enhance their image and send out a positive message that regardless of challenges arising from the crisis, the business houses in the region would meet their commitments without delay or recourse to excuses. This was the opportunity to leverage international contacts and issue joint statements expressing faith in the dependability of their Arab partners. It was also important to highlight continuing success stories in the global markets in order to build and retain confidence in the Middle East based companies.

In fact, one of the best exercises in PR was actually put into action by the Dubai Government itself and in particular by His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and the UAE Defence Minister. His insistence that all trade events would continue unhampered and his supportive stance towards all business activities went a long way towards generating trust in the region and in the UAE in particular. Likewise, his personal attendance at all trade events renewed investor confidence in the region.

One of the most significant positive actions in crisis communications came from Emirates Airline, when it announced that it had ordered 58 new wide-body aircraft worth US $ 15 billion along the sidelines of the Dubai Air Show in November 2001. Orders of that size do not happen overnight and this agreement too must have taken its time materialising. However, the announcement of one of the biggest orders in aviation history being announced at a time when the global aviation industry was facing a major slump, generated immense positive publicity and confidence in Emirates Airline.

Another significant public relations move was the announcement of the setting up of the Arabic website of CNN at the Dubai Media City. The message was loud and clear that if internationally renowned companies like CNN were investing in the region, things could not be so bad after all. Indeed, the UAE in general and Dubai in particular is surviving the global economic crisis better than most other countries in the region, mostly because of the crisis communications that have been undertaken at the governmental level. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. In an endeavor to keep up the momentum of business, it is imperative for organizations in the Gulf region, to lay added emphasis to crisis commmunications. A full-blown crisis communications plan will indeed go a long way in alleviating the problem and will ease the apprehension of the West in doing business with the Middle East.

The most invaluable asset one can bring to a crisis is a calm mind and clarity of thought. Panicking is a guaranteed way of rocking the boat further. Sometimes a plan of action has to be formulated on the spur of the moment. Rational thinking and lucid decisions, will indeed provide a much needed push to the process of effective damage control.

Communication is the key to alleviating the negativity that surrounds the catastrophe. An initial response is absolutely vital as it is the single decisive factor in redeeming the entire situation. An immediate response demonstrates a responsible and dedicated management, committed to allaying fears. Chances are that the crisis will require your corporation to respond to the audiences, whether you like it or not and very often, the audiences are not the ones that you normally deal with. In most situations, these audiences may affect the outcome of the crisis and its aftermath. Crises often require the opening of new communication channels. In addition, using existing allies as third parties to reinforce the communication process can bolster the credibility and position of the company. There are several available options and each has a different type of impact. These must also be evaluated by a professional, who thoroughly understands the pros and cons of the various methodologies.

Crises are known for their complexity and often leave only a small window of opportunity to do the right thing. A well-coordinated crisis team response, combined with forthright and credible communications, will go a long way in assuaging damage or injury to the various public as well as the company's reputation. There is no single component to ensure that you maintain your sang-froid and retain your sanity during the crisis. In the final analysis, it is a perfect blend of all the elements discussed above that will ultimately ensure that your company emerges victorious and triumphant from the ordeal.