The topic of crisis communication has ended up becoming a major part of my studies in Strategic Communication. Going into this program I had never given much thought to it. Yes, I had heard about the Tylenol incident from the 1980's, but I had never actually studied it or realized how much effort and planning the company put into it to make sure things were handled properly. Crisis management is a major aspect to any company and is highly important in the success. No company wants to encounter a crisis, but when it does happen a plan needs to have been put in place, but that's not the only thing that is important.
Having a crisis management plan is fantastic, but if the company doesn't have a leader who will manage the crisis correctly then it will be of no use at all. Leaders must face reality when a crisis occurs. They should except what has happened, "take the bulls by the horns" and turn the crisis into something that helps the company, not destroys it. I mentioned the Tylenol poisoning from the 1980's. Instead of shying away from the media or lying to the public the company was straightforward and honest. They were open with the public and explained that they were doing everything humanly possible to find out how the poison got into the pills and who did it. They also had to reassure the public that this would never happen again. All three of the companies promises was s success and they proved to the people that the company could be trusted. Tylenol is still going strong today. A company never wants their leader to lie to the public, especially to the media. If the media turns on you it is never a good thing. You want them on your side if something goes wrong.
In today's world a company not only has the media to help them, but there is also this little thing called social media. It is so much easier and quicker to get the word out now than it used to be things to Facebook, Twitter and even blogs. Yes, a blog. Blogs are a great way to get information out, especially if what needs to be said is longer than 140 characters or not suitable for a Facebook post. It doesn't take long at all to type up your feelings and hit "Publish." Within seconds your thoughts and feelings have been let loose to the rest of the world. It is pretty incredible. A leader and a company must utitlize these opportunities to reach out to the public in the wake of a crisis. What better way to reach your audience than to reach out to them through social media? A quick Facebook post in the wake of a disaster could do wonders. The rules of social media are no different than those with the media. Honesty is of the upmost important thing. Do not lie to the public because there is no denying that the truth will eventually come out. When that happens you are most likely to have caused more problems than you would have if you had initially told the truth. No one likes being lied too, no matter what the circumstances are. That old saying, "Honesty is the best policy" holds true in times of managing a crisis. Managing a crisis can be difficult work, but in the long run it will pay off. As mentioned in one of my readings, try to use the crisis as an advantage. Use it to make the changes that you hadn't made before. Tylenol came out on top and is a great example to go by when writing a crisis plan. Don't be afraid to act when something happens. Take the charge of the situation and if a company does that they will be successful in managing the crisis.
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