Communicate in a Crisis: The Guide for PR Pro Survival

Everybody makes mistakes. That’s to be expected. But that’s why we communications professionals measure, right? It’s about having the insights and ability to course-correct potential failures, provide guidance during unexpected events, advise around challenging contexts, mitigate risks and assist with resolutions. And while often people think of PR Measurement as a tool to evaluate the

From PR analyst to crisis comms hero: How to leverage planning to mitigate risks

Risks are omnipresent. But does it mean that communicators are equipped to deal with risks?  For PR practitioners, 2020 reinforced three ideas: Risks are omnipresent; Communicators should plan and prepare for the worst; When the s*** hits the fan, it’s all about turning risks and threats into opportunities to do better for when the next

Supporting diversity and inclusion efforts during Covid-19

There are many lessons to be learnt for communicators and the way to look is forward. But let’s not forget where we’ve invested so many efforts in prior to the pandemic. It might help us better support our stakeholders during this challenging time. The Covid-19 crisis took most organisations by surprise, but the opportunity to

Covid-19: How entrepreneurial spirit can boost PR efforts

Society is facing an unprecedented health crisis. The global economy is on the brink of collapse. Some wonder: How can businesses stay open in this capacity? Is it even ethical to keep operating as usual? Is it moral to do business and how should we communicate about it? As PR practitioners, now is the time

Covid-19 crisis: A brief monitoring and evaluation guide for communicators

If you are following a crisis comms plan and are trying to keep up with the rapidly evolving Covid-19 crisis, this article is for you. It’s been great to see the PR community come together in the face of the Covid-19 crisis. Despite the challenges, I have found the discussions prolific and valuable. As I

Operation Matterhorn: How the Civil Aviation Authority navigated the turbulence caused by Thomas Cook’s sudden collapse

When we think about PR, we often think about its creative aspects. The campaigns, photo shoots and fancy press events. But when a crisis hits, strategic communications can quickly become a life-or-death matter. In September 2019, Thomas Cook announced its compulsory liquidation. To repatriate more than 150,000 holidaymakers stranded abroad, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)

Crisis management: measuring the attributes of success… and failure

How can success be measured after a reputational crisis? Is there any valid metric to measure organisational change? I asked those questions to one of the panelists during a presentation about crisis response at Cision’s CommsCon last month. The answer I got to those questions? “It is little bit tricky”. Coming from the research and

Organisations can and should be ready when a crisis hits

Research, evaluation and planning are at the very core of the strategic function of PR. In crisis times, providing a solid basis of information is vital to enable organisations to thrive and survive their hostile environment. To many extents, issues and crises are relatively predictable. Famously, Bazerman and Watkins describe crises as “predictable surprises”, deploring

I am starting a Specialist Diploma on crisis communication – Here is why

I’ve done it! I am a student again! If it doesn’t scare you, your goal isn’t big enough as they say. I can fairly say the thought of starting a postgraduate qualification whilst working on a full-time job and volunteering is scary. But I’d been thinking about it, I had to do it. I have