TAKING A LEAD
CORONAVIRUS HAS AFFECTED the entire world – including the world of business. However, public relations, marketing and other professional communicators have stepped up to the challenge and taken a lead in creating or supporting responses to the pandemic’s devastating effects. They’ve done so with remarkable flexibility, modifying and adapting messages to what has been an ever-changing situation.
There is widespread evidence that organisations large and small were unprepared for the task, without crisis management plans in place. The communicators have had to work hard in order to avoid seat-of-the-pants responses.
Ability to be effective has varied widely. Governments have been among the worst. In general, businesses have been far better, largely thanks to the skilled communicators.
These are the men and women who have identified the critical actions to be employed: how, where and when. Much of it has been textbook stuff – and there’s nothing wrong with that.
RESPONSE TEAMS
Many have created and directed dedicated response teams. Often, departmental heads have been brought together to identify and prioritise the issues needing to be explained. In larger companies, senior communications officers have taken a lead. Usually, smaller businesses have had the chief executive at the helm.
Others intrinsically involved have been human resources, company secretaries or legal experts, facilities managers, sales directors and customer service specialists. PR or other communications personnel or consultants have had co-ordination roles at the very least.
It has been important to prioritise in order to ensure the safety of staff, customers and suppliers, working under the guidance of public health experts. Some immediate decisions have been taken, updated at every turn during this coronavirus outbreak.
Part of the process has been to develop a protocol for coping with the fast-moving turns of events. This means that new aspects can be identified without delay. New developments can be catered for. Their effects can be assessed. And those involved can be advised quickly.
TRANSPARENT
Providing transparent and consistent output is a hallmark of positive crisis communications. It requires legal, honest and relevant content – targeted as precisely as possible but using as many channels as can be controlled. Importantly, spokespersons at every level must be armed with concise, accurate answers.
Understanding the audiences is vital. What is the most important information they seek? What is the emotional context? What are the objectives? For employees, recognising the upheaval that they have experienced, there has to be a steady flow of updates.
All of this is a two-way process. It should be a dialogue. Audience attitudes and responses have to be tracked and measured, then acted upon. Understanding what’s going on and being able to adapt is fundamental.
Then, damage can be limited and there will be opportunities to reap rewards in the future. Throughout, planned communications are the key.
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