Given the speed at which information now flows, it’s tempting to think that companies operating in the 1990s and early 2000s had it easy when it came to crisis communications. After all, bad news could actually be contained.
It’s a common experience among many communications professionals: after helping an organization build its brand reputation during good times, we often see our efforts unravel the moment an economic downturn hits and senior management decides to cut spending on brand communications. It’s understandable. But it’s also a mistake, since difficult times are exactly when an organization should remain visible and emphasize its brand.
Building a strong reputation can take years, but it can fall apart in just minutes. An environmental crisis, executive scandal, unreliable product, employee tweeting a damaging picture, improper behaviour by a celebrity spokesperson—those are just a few very real examples.
