Crisis Comms Checklist - 3 Steps to a Proactive PR Strategy

Do you have a crisis communications plan? According to the 2024 Global Comms Report from PR Newswire, a partner of CARIBPR WIRE, only 21% of PR and comms teams rate their ability to prevent crises before they happen as "excellent."

In today's digital age, the speed at which information spreads demands that organizations adopt a proactive, structured approach toward anticipating and managing crises. Use this checklist to stay ahead of potential risks and safeguard your brand. Don’t wait until a crisis occurs to put these strategies into place. The more prepared you are now, the better positioned you will be to manage a crisis should it occur – or stop one in the first place.

Here Are 3 Steps to a Proactive PR Strategy

Step 1

Establish monitoring processes (of both traditional and social media) before a crisis occurs to ensure you’re ready to respond rapidly and effectively.

Set up real-time alerts around brand mentions, sentiment analysis, and brand risk assessment (known as “Risk Score” at Cision), so you can act quickly on issues before they escalate.

Develop predefined workflows and assign specific roles for crisis monitoring and response. Effective communication with stakeholders is critical during a crisis. Use these guidelines to maintain transparency and open lines of communication to build trust and confidence amongst stakeholders. Keep Stakeholders Informed for Transparency and Trust

Step 2

Identify which stakeholders need what information and when in the event of a crisis.

Identify the right distribution channels to best keep stakeholders engaged with regular, timely,

and concise updates on crisis management efforts and organizational responses.

Have your legal team ready to review any external communication you plan to distribute.

Employ real-time alerts, summaries, and feedback mechanisms for two-way communication.

Build in a post-crisis review process to assess what went wrong and how to prevent future crises.

Identifying champions who can advocate for your brand and media influencers who can help you get ahead of the narrative will be critical to the outcome of a crisis should one occur. Use this checklist to identify your best defense against a crisis before and after an event occurs.

Identify Brand Advocates and Key Media Influencers.

Step 3

Establish a spokesperson to whom you can direct media inquiries and ensure they are armed with key talking points.

Create a “go to” list of media contacts you can reach out to quickly with key messaging should a crisis occur.

Start building relationships with these media contacts to build trust now and increase the

likelihood that they will accurately present your side of the story.

You can also use a media database to identify journalists and influencers who have a positive disposition toward your brand and should be added to this list.

Identify employees who can act as brand ambassadors and advocates in times of crisis, sharing your side of the story in a positive, credible way.