A company’s credibility and reputation depend on how they are perceived by both their external and internal audiences. A crisis is any situation that threatens a corporate or person’s image – most often brought to the public’s attention by adverse media coverage. With increasing scrutiny of corporate ethics, firms must have a strategic, flexible, proactive and rehearsed crisis plan in the event of a damaging situation. Failure to act immediately when negative news hits can have irreparable financial, ethical and public relations consequences.

We provide thoughtful and targeted communication tools that will optimize a company’s preparedness and control the information pipeline in a crisis. That means understanding sensitivities and challenges before they become a public issue and developing messages to prepare for a worst-case scenario. Media training and advance planning are two of the most important pre-emptive tools. They must take into account a thorough knowledge of the audiences who may be affected, crafting and disseminating messages for each audience in a timely way, and learning ways to control all attending repercussions – a constant challenge given that every crisis is highly volatile and constantly changing. From the background materials you provide to employees and the media, to selecting and training a designated spokesperson - every decision is crucial and can help or hinder your ability to mitigate long-term negative consequences.

Sessions include:

• Senior trainer

• Overview on understanding the media universe and the power of new media

• Review/rehearse current or new crisis strategy

• Research of potential scenarios and key client audiences

• Message development with specifics designed for each audience

• Role playing and mock media interactions, e.g. news conference, ambush and live on-camera interviews

• Review/rehearsal of existing or development of new crisis plan

• Video playback and critique of participants

• Tools to build and enhance relationships with media, employees and other stakeholders