Learn the necessary components of a crisis preparedness plan and how to effectively communicate it.
Terrorism, natural disasters and human errors observe few rules, and your company may be hit without any warning whatsoever. How badly your business is disrupted — and how much public trust and confidence remain with the company — will depend on how prepared you and your senior managers are when it comes to crisis communications.
Is your company prepared for a crisis? Does your company’s existing crisis policies allow for the smooth running of operations and communications in the event that something goes wrong? This session explores what communicators must do to help their companies survive the worst.
What You Will Learn:
- Crisis assessment or audit
- Writing the crisis plan and key messages
- The elements of a sound crisis communication plan
- Case study: Hurricane Katrina
- Crisis drill
- Emergency preparedness and response
- Crisis communications leadership
- Steps you should take
- Selling the need for crisis communications planning
- Crisis planning for operations abroad
After reviewing this webinar, you will have:
- A better understanding of the necessary dynamics of a crisis preparedness plan and how it can help your business survive the most difficult of times
- The necessary components of a crisis preparedness plan and how to it can be communicated effectively across the company
- the know how to execute your communication program if the power goes out
- The know how to write key messages that will withstand a crisis
- Understanding how the news media will respond to a crisis situation
- What it takes to take control of the situation and avoid unnecessary escalation by the media
- What you, as a communicator, can do to help the organization resume normal operations – ASAP!
Instructor:
Gerard Braud cut his teeth in the crisis arena as a front-line journalist for 15 years, covering events that included one of the nation’s deadliest train derailments, one of the worst federal prison riots and some of the country’s worst industrial accidents and natural disasters. As the head of Braud Communications, he has created proven methods to help organizations communicate with the media, employees and other stakeholders during a crisis. After the events of September 11, 2001, Gerard was commissioned to write the crisis communications plan for the Internal Revenue Service and its 800 offices across the U.S. A native of Louisiana, Gerard prepared a crisis communication plan for the City of New Orleans in 2002 that was rejected due to lack of funding.
Brenda Siler has 30 years of experience in leading communication programs in a variety of U.S.-based nonprofits and associations, including the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the American Red Cross, United Way and AARP. She is a past chairwoman of IABC. While serving as the director of external communications at the American Red Cross, Brenda developed a crisis communications plan for the its Metro Atlanta Chapter, which was used for a threatened nurses strike, local/regional disasters and queries about HIV and the safety of the blood supply. She also coordinated communications efforts for United Way’s role in the Atlanta “Missing and Murdered Children” crisis, including managing pro bono services of local advertising and PR agencies. Based in Silver Spring, Md., Brenda is certified by the American Red Cross in disaster public relations management.
Joseph Honick is president of GMA International Ltd. Since 1975, his consulting firm has assisted organizations, nonprofit associations and major educational institutions with crisis management and communication efforts. His firm also works to broaden business opportunities abroad for major U.S. corporations. His firm is based Tucson, Ariz.
