Crisis Communications

Today, it's not a matter of if you will experience a crisis, it is when. Issues and crises are inevitable. Whether intentional or not, at fault or just in the wrong place at the wrong time, brands of every shape and size are targets. Will you be prepared? How will you navigate your brand through turbulent waters?

For the past 15 years, brands have turned to TrizCom to assist with proactive crisis communications planning and reactive crisis communications management and execution.

Crisis Response Team

When a business finds itself in a crisis, knowing the best strategy to protect a brand's reputation can be challenging. Having the right PR crisis management and legal counsel teams available becomes extremely important.

Brands from across the nation have hired TrizCom PR as their crisis communications response team to address and manage an individual or organization's communications efforts during times of crisis. TrizCom's PR team develops real-time strategies that help brands respond to the crisis while working to protect and maintain the organization's reputation, integrity, values and eventually help with its reputational recovery plans.

This may include (but is not limited to) crafting messages and deciding upon the right messengers, creating speedy statements to appropriate audiences, providing information to stakeholders or the media, monitoring external communications and developing strategies to avoid similar issues in the future.

Designing and leading an effective crisis communications response team requires knowledge of the company's communications structure and experience handling volatile situations. TrizCom's comprehensive approach is based on decades of crisis PR experience.

TrizCom PR is available 24/7 to help with your organization’s reactive crisis communications. Please feel free to reach out.

We Are Your Partner

On every crisis communication case, TrizCom PR will: 

• Identify the process for determining what and when the information will be released. 

• Consult with legal counsel. 

• Create your Key Messages. Using our proprietary one-page Messaging Map, we will craft your positing statement, key messages and proof points. This document will be the blueprint for all your communications regarding your issue/crisis. 

• Identify your stakeholders and decide the appropriate communication methods for contacting them. 

• Draft and distribute content (if needed)

  • Holding statement(s) 

  • Press release(s) 

  • Internal communications 

  • Internal communications procedures 

  • Fact Sheet(s) 

• Draft a question and answer that can be used with stakeholders, the media and internally. 

• Identify spokespersons and methods of communication. 

• Contingency plan (worst case scenarios) and identify the most appropriate communication channel and media format to decimate information. 

• Act as your public relations agency for media relations. 

• Answer ALL media calls.

  • Gather and log media questions. 

  • Respond to media inquiries. 

  • Supply media with approved assets. 

• Set up our subscription-based notification and monitoring systems. 

• Activate our subscription-based notification and monitoring systems. Crisis PR monitoring and reporting should run for 4-8 weeks post-issue/crisis. TrizCom PR views intelligence gathering as an essential component of both issue/crisis prevention and issue/crisis response.

When looking at public relations firms, you need a firm with extensive experience in crisis management, leading national and international high-profile, high-stakes campaigns.

Minutes count in a crisis, and you need a plan. TrizCom PR is the agency of choice for companies and individuals when faced with an unanticipated event. The TrizCom PR crisis team knows how to control messages with proven procedures and processes that establish trust and accountability (proactively or reactively). If you require a plan or a reactive response, call us at 972-247-1369.

A crisis is any event that interrupts a company's ability to do business and harms its reputation. Brands must manage a crisis event operationally while effectively keeping credible communications flowing to all external and internal audiences.

There are many potential crisis events that a brand might encounter, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach for any of them. However, TrizCom PR has decades of crisis communications experience. TrizCom PR has experience with a wide range of crisis situations.

Crisis Communications Examples

When looking at public relations firms, you need a firm that has extensive experience in crisis management, leading national and international high-profile, high-stakes campaigns. Contact TrizCom PR today. 

Are you experiencing a crisis?

When an organization finds themselves facing a crisis, it’s important to have the right teams in place to protect their reputation. That’s where TrizCom Public Relations comes in. For the past 15 years, we’ve provided strategic crisis PR and counsel for businesses during difficult times. Our professional crisis PR team works hard to develop real-time strategies that help brands respond effectively while protecting your integrity, values and reputation at all costs.

You don't have to face these challenging times alone – let TrizCom Public Relations be your go-to response team when crises arise so you can focus on restoring public trust as quickly as possible. With our expertise combined with your experience and vision, we'll make sure you come out of this crisis on top!

Reach out today for an initial consultation - let us face this together!

TrizCom PR is available 24/7 to help with your organization’s reactive crisis communications. Please feel free to reach out.

Crisis PR Q&A

What does a crisis communications agency do?

A crisis communications agency helps to protect a brand's reputation and maintain positive relationships with stakeholders proactively or reactively during a challenging situation. Crisis communications agencies provide strategic counsel to brands to help mitigate reputational or financial damage by jumping in to help control the messages and coordinate communication efforts.

What is crisis communication, and why is it important?

Crisis communication is a specialized form of public relations. Crisis PR focuses on protecting an organization's reputation when faced with events that could financially impact its future. A well-executed communications strategy during a time of crisis can reduce legal liability, ensure that stakeholders are kept informed and updated as quickly as possible and can prevent long-term negative impacts such as reputational damage and decreased consumer confidence.

What are examples of crisis communication strategies?

• Plan before a crisis hits with a proactive crisis communication plan.

• Respond quickly and transparently.

• Audience/stakeholder segmentation.

• Crate talking points, FAQ, and Q&A documents.

• Be empathetic.

• Select a media-trained spokesperson.

• Apologize when warranted.

• Communicate to all of your stakeholders.

• Utilize all communication channels.

• Monitor news and online chatter.

• Coordinate with legal counsel.

• Internal/external scripts.

• Post-crisis: conduct a PR impact assessment.

How to manage crisis communications?

• Identify key stakeholders.

• Quickly engage and respond.

• Create messages and statements.

• Identify all available communication channels.

• Offer an authentic apology when warranted.

• Designate a media relations point person.

• Work hand-in-hand with legal counsel.

• Create a scenario list with possible outcomes.

• Tell the truth.

• Conduct a post-crisis evaluation.

What is a crisis communications spokesperson?

The primary role of a crisis communication spokesperson is to be the point person for all communication activities. The spokesperson is typically a c-suite executive or board member with authority and is generally not legal counsel. This person should be comfortable speaking to the media, the public and stakeholders. The spokesperson should be able to follow talking points and, most importantly, knows when to stop talking.

How should a company communicate after a crisis?

• Over communicate with stakeholders (internal and external).

• Acknowledge mistakes.

• Own responsibility.

• Truthfully

• Engage often.

• Create new SOPs.

• Utilize third-party influencers.

• Provide opportunities for questions and feedback.

• Arm employees with correct information.

• Review the organization’s crisis communications plan.

What's the difference between an issue and a crisis?

Issues management is a threat to a company that could escalate to a full fledge crisis that could significantly impact (typically financially) the brand. With issues management, organizations have time to evaluate the response choices, research facts and analyze stakeholders. The urgency of issues management is typically day-to-day operations. Conversely, a crisis is immediate. The situation has occurred, and the brand's reputation is at stake, significantly impacting (typically financially) the organization. Immediate decisions are needed. Normal operating activities usually stop.

How can a PR agency help with crisis communications?

PR agencies specializing in crisis communications have extensive experience in crisis management, leading national and international high-profile, high-stakes crises. They help organizations navigate and protect reputations around sensitive, controversial and usually highly charged matters around wrongful termination, discrimination, financial malfeasance, sexual misconduct, regulatory investigations and data breaches. 

What are crisis communications plans?

A crisis communications plan helps leadership identify and manage potential crises. A crisis communications plan includes plan development, crisis reporting, media training and a companywide rollout. There are two parts to a good crisis plan:

1. Creating a solid process for reporting, decision making and execution.

2. A step-by-step manual that lists different but probable scenarios and preapproved holding statements and messages. Media training and crisis simulations can be included.

How often should crisis plans be evaluated?

You have to practice and test your organization's crisis communications plan. Think of a fire drill. You circulate the exit plan throughout the office, practice your evacuation route a couple of times a year and revise accordingly. This exact scenario is how brands should think of their crisis plan. Unfortunately, many businesses pay for a top-notch plan, put it on a shelf, and only look at it once they need it. At least twice a year (quarterly is preferred), the plan should be reviewed by the identified crisis team and includes testing procedures and scenario role-playing.

How to write a crisis communications plan?

There are four parts to every crisis communications plan:

• Anticipate - Conduct a vulnerability audit. Identify what types of crisis events could happen. Identify your organization's crisis team and possible spokesperson options. Identify your organization's target audiences/stakeholders.

• Plan/Prepare - Create media policies. Content creation: messages, holding statements and talking points per each scenario. Create procedure protocols. Evaluate available resources.

• Respond – Answer who, what, when, where, how and situational assessment.

• Assess/Evaluate

What should a crisis communication plan include?

Crisis plans should include the following:

• Identification of the crisis team and spokesperson options.

• Identify possible crisis command centers.

• Target audiences and contacting process.

• Possible scenarios.

• Media policies.

• Response plan (who, what, when, where, how and a situational assessment).

• Preapproved company holding statements and key messages.

• Crisis communications checklist.

• Media monitoring tools.

• How you plan to share the crisis communications plan.

How to know if your organization needs a crisis communications plan?

Want to know if your company is prepared for a potential crisis? If you answer "I'm not sure" or "no" to any one (or more) of the eight following questions, then it may be time to hire TrizCom PR.

1. Have you identified your organization's potential risk areas?

2. Do you know who would be on your crisis team?

3. Have you ever sat down and thought about crisis worst-case scenarios?

4. Does your company have a prepared crisis communications plan?

5. Have you identified your internal and external stakeholder groups (investors, employees, vendors, customers, government regulatory agencies, suppliers, volunteers, board of directors, suppliers, service providers, local government, media)?

6. Have you performed effective crisis management simulation exercises?

7. Do you have identified potential spokespeople in the event of a crisis?

8. Do you know who to call when a crisis occurs?

Why do communication channels need to be assessed in a crisis communications plan? 

Communication channels are critical during a crisis, as are authentic, quickly communicated messages. Communication can be sent to the masses through the media, in social media, in a large meeting, in a company newsletter, or in a mass email. Or, it may be determined that a more intimate one-on-one conversation is required via emails or phone calls. Either way, proactive companies establish their channels during regular operating periods to strengthen relationships with target audiences.