The document outlines elements of an effective crisis communication plan for businesses facing unplanned situations. It recommends having a plan in place to minimize damage from bad publicity by determining affected audiences, communicating essential facts quickly and regularly, getting an accurate account of events, answering questions, assigning roles, monitoring progress, and evaluating the response for continued improvement. Advance preparation is key to bringing a crisis under control while also managing intense public and media scrutiny.

1. PUBLIC RELATIONS OBJECTIVES
AND STRATEGIES USED IN A
RANGE OF UNPLANNED
BUSINESS SITUATIONS

2. KEY CONCEPT
•“IN BUSINESS, MISTAKES OCCUR.
MINIMISING THE IMPACT OF BAD
PUBLICITY REQUIRES PRIOR PLANNING”.

4. A CRISIS COMMUNICATION PLAN
• WHEN A CRISIS OCCURS, A BUSINESS HAS TWO PRIORITIES THAT MUST BOTH BE
MANAGED EFFECTIVELY:
1. BRINGING THE CRISIS UNDER CONTROL — LIMITING THE DAMAGE
2. DEALING WITH THE INTENSE MEDIA (AND PUBLIC) SCRUTINY

5. ELEMENTS OF THE CRISIS COMMUNICATION
PLAN
1. DETERMINE THE APPROPRIATE TARGET PUBLICS.
2. ESSENTIAL INFORMATION SHOULD BE COMMUNICATED TO ALL AFFECTED
PUBLICS.
3. GET THE FACTS.
4. RESPONSES SHOULD BE GIVEN AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
5. BE PREPARED TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
6. PROVIDE REGULAR UPDATES.
7. ESTABLISH A CHAIN OF COMMAND.
8. ESTABLISH A CRISIS COMMUNICATION TEAM.
9. MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THE CRISIS COMMUNICATION PLAN.
10. EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE CRISIS COMMUNICATION PLAN.