There is nothing worse than being blind-sided by a crisis or problem, especially if we are ill-prepared to deal with it or if we have failed to anticipate it in the first place.

At any time in business, we can be faced with a financial crisis precipitating layoffs, closures or shutdowns. A crisis can also come in the form of a product recall, a public scandal, a data breach or accusations of unethical conduct. While we cannot always predict when problems will occur, sometimes all we need is an expert who is always on hand to help out in times of real need.

As Forbes points out, there are a few “golden rules” that can guide you through a crisis situation. While we highlight a few of them below, be sure to check out the original article for a full run-down of the tips.

Golden Rules of Crisis PR Management

Take Responsibility: By taking responsibility, reacting immediately and responding to feedback, you can take control of a PR crisis situation.  Issuing a press release and posting to social media are PR tools that your PR agency can help you manage.

Get Ahead of the Story: The minute a crisis story emerges, it is crucial to take action. A PR agency can partner with you to develop a strategic plan to react when a crisis situation occurs, and streamline response time to eliminate any gaps in communication. This may help in preventing the media-fallout from escalating out of control or going viral.

Monitor, Plan and Communicate: In order to understand the impact of your efforts, it is important to monitor social media channels to measure the sentiment of your audience. During the course of a crisis, you can revise and refine your message as you learn what is resonating with people.

Avoid Knee- Jerk Reactions: Crisis situations and scandals in particular can trigger emotional responses in executives, and it is important to maintain composure and again, stick to any strategic messaging outlined in a crisis response plan.

At ARTÉMIA Communications, we are uniquely positioned to be the net that catches you when you fall, should you be faced with such a scenario. Not only do we have a team of media and PR experts, we have systems in place to help you respond to the press quickly and professionally, to manage public perception and to advise you every step of the way, no matter what the fallout. When your back is to the wall, let us be your champion in getting your side of the story heard.

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