Speedy crisis management essential to preserve reputation

Today marks the half way point in our 28 day analysis of organisations in reputation management mode. Already, over 100 organisations have endured the media spotlight and battled to protect their hard-won reputations. Some have fared better than others. The success stories have usually been characterised by a swift and appropriate communication response whereas “no comment” has made a bad situation worse for others.

Today’s organisations in crisis include examples of both:

Disneyland Paris: tourism; cleaner died after falling into water at the park

Hipp Organic: food manufacturer; ASA rules that advert for baby milk must be withdrawn over misleading claims

Paramount Pictures: entertainment; sued over injuries suffered by film extra

Speed of response is increasingly important to get ahead of the story and preserve reputation (witness the number of crises which escalate and spread driven by social and other online media). Taking a day to set up communication channels and work out how to produce content during a crisis is not a viable option. A prudent approach to reputation protection demands that you gear up ahead of time so that you can communicate almost instantaneously in the event of a crisis.