69. Book Review: Crisis Communication

Crisis Communication

Practical PR strategies for reputation management and company survival

Edited by: Peter F Anthonissen

Year of Publishing: 2009

No organisation is immune to crisis. It can come at the most unexpected time with no warnings at all. Crisis preparedness is one part of crisis management, but, you can never be too prepared. At times things can go wrong in the most unexpected way. While quoting Murphy’s Law “Whatever can go wrong will go wrong, and at the worst possible time, in the worst possible way”, the author writes, “Every CEO a senior executive should keep a copy of Murphy’s Law prominently displayed on their desk to remind them to be ready to face its consequences.”

Multiple renowned Communication Heads, PR consultant, senior executive, and crisis communication experts have contributed to the book and it has been finally edited by Peter F Anthonissen. The header of every chapter mentions the main contributor to it.

It is scientifically proven that a human mind is more attracted to negative aspects of things. So it is no surprise that a crisis makes headlines the easiest. Every company working in any industry can have a crisis, some fields are more prone to it than others, but, nobody is immune. Crisis preparedness is very important, but, the book focuses more upon how to handle a crisis and at times turn it into opportunity with an effective PR strategy.

Any crisis can be divided into three major parts: Pre-crisis, during crisis and post-crisis.

Pre crisis include proactive crisis communication planning. This step makes the team crisis ready. It focuses on internal communication and the planning process.

The main challenge during a crisis is limiting the damage to the business and reputation by acting quickly and positively. Controlling the situation before it goes out of hand and communicating effectively with the stakeholders at all costs.

Post-crisis is where a corporate can turn the crisis into an opportunity. The process of it starts from the crisis and it can be shaped creatively through effective PR strategy.

“The name of the game is control”- when it comes to crisis communication control over the situation is key. The book explains crisis for different sectors, importance of media training, negative press and how to deal with it, organisational barriers, public affairs management, and risk management.

The author emphasises on three things when it comes to dealing with environmental crisis, or natural disaster- take care of yourself, be prepared and expect the unexpected. Like this, the book is filled with tips for handling a  crisis of different nature. It provides essential information on the following elements:

·         Importance of accountability in crisis communication

·         Crisis communication planning and the key phases

·         Negative press and how to deal with it strategically

·         Media training and how it can be leveraged during a crisis

It also includes detailed international case studies, crisis communication checklist and sample crisis preparation documents. The book is a must-read for reputation management professionals because nothing harms a well-established reputation like a crisis.