3 immediate considerations when writing a crisis response

Time-to-market is imperative.

The crucial first step of responding to a crisis is discerning what is known.

“If you’re like me and you’re an external communicator, you have to gather as much information as you can and then coordinate quickly with your internal team so that employees hear it from the company first and there’s less confusion,” said Jennifer Hawton, public relations and executive communications manager at PEMCO Insurance, during a panel discussion at Ragan’s Internal Communications Conference.

“You can’t share your message internally or externally if you don’t have a clear idea what’s going on,” she added.

Once this information is collected, comms teams can help leaders craft a response with accuracy, speed and style, said Assaf Kedem, head of internal communications and content and global banking at BNP Paribas.

Here’s what matters about each:

1. Accuracy: Inaccuracy “equates to credibility destruction,” Kedem said. Communicators must ensure their message is clear, plain and tells what is known, he said. Internal and external comms teams must work together in a coordinated effort and make sure they’re on the same page.
2. Speed: Time to market is critical to dispute false narratives, Kedem said. “In the beginning, you may not have a lot of information so your communication may be shorter,” he said. But the message needs to get out there. “Tell employees and stakeholders what you know. Tell them what you’re finding out with updated statements and assure them that as soon as you know, you’ll also let them know,” he said. Failing to respond with urgency can result in numerous damaging effects, including reputational damage and business impacts.
3. Style: When comms teams have more time and information after making initial statements, they should focus on offering detailed, thoughtful updates. It’s important to reflect the company’s voice and tone in these messages, he said. Communicators can also use more channels of communication to share updates like video, FAQs and website updates. “It doesn’t have to just be a memo. It doesn’t have to be an email,” Kedem said.

“Think about what’s right for the moment,” Hawton said. “What are people thinking? What are they feeling? Take all these things into consideration but act intentionally with known information.”

To learn even more tips on crisis comms strategies, head over to view this discussion and more at Ragan Training here.

Courtney Blackann is a communications reporter. Connect with her on LinkedIn or email her at courtneyb@ragan.com.

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