Crisis Communications

A crisis comes in all shapes and sizes.

Are you facing a potential communications crisis? Do you want to be more proactive? Not sure if there is a crisis? With stories trending at warp speed, it’s more important than ever before to understand what’s being said about you, your products, or your company.

Want crisis insurance? Be proactive.

Today, a preemptive, effective, multi-pronged crisis communications strategy is a requirement, not a luxury. Our social media-based world permits disinformation and misinformation to propagate in a matter of seconds. Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Yelp have the power to impact any organization and its reputation. These platforms offer any interested party the ability to comment on your business, products, services, or reputation.

A trending post can instantly impact consumer or partner trust. Everything from a corporation’s value system to product efficacy are under a microscope. Your business must be prepared to manage a crisis on many fronts, from the digital landscape to the media.

Every crisis is different. One size fits all solutions don’t yield the same benefit.

There are many ways to manage a crisis. It’s important to understand that no two communications crises are the same. Thus, no two solutions should be the same. Deploying tactics that are designed to empower both your brand and your message is essential.

Before determining how to handle your crisis, we need to assess if there is one. At times, what feels like a crisis may be a mere misunderstanding. Those are easier to remedy. Then, there are the full-blown communications tsunamis which require a higher level of resolution, grounded in a long-term action plan. In either case, Cornerstone is here to listen, partner, and recommend ways to potentially mitigate your concerns.

Is it a communications crisis?

Defining what a communications crisis is may look different for everyone. Most communications emergencies have two things in common. First, there is information in the public domain that may not be accurate. Second, there is a time-related concern attached to that (mis/dis) information.

Whether the crisis impacts your bottom-line or reputation, it ultimately impacts your brand. Trust builds brand value—and it can be broken by your team or by a threat actor. Either way, the impact is the same.

There are many ways to remediate a communications crisis. They may require education, training, or media relations initiatives. The public crisis is the hardest to control because of the speed of the internet. With careful planning and execution, it’s usually possible to regain trust, while mitigating the impact of the threat actors.

We understand the true value of a communications crisis.

Our crisis communications team understands the critical importance of coming out of a public relations disaster a hero. Cornerstone incorporates everything from business best practices to high level media relations to help create a positive outcome.

Consistency is the best way to build or rebuild trust. A crisis plan includes both a short-term solution and a long-term prevention program. Whether you’re looking to be proactive, or are stuck in a full communications crisis, we’d love to speak with you. Cornerstone is here to help when you need us the most.