Not having a crisis communications plan in place could mean the end of your business. Every company faces a crisis at one point or another. If handled correctly, you can minimize and even leverage the crisis to build deeper trust with customers and the community.
Whether your company faces a devastating crisis like an oil rig explosion or something on a smaller scale, such as negative online reviews, you must be prepared to respond. According to the Department of Commerce, 40% of all companies will not survive a crisis, and more than 60% close within two years of experiencing one. Statistics for smaller companies show that 70% go out of business within one year of a crisis.
In 1982, Johnson & Johnson faced a crisis that made headlines around the world. Seven people in Chicago died after taking Tylenol capsules that had been laced with cyanide. Someone had tampered with the bottles with the intent to murder. The company issued a nationwide recall of its Tylenol products – an estimated 31 million bottles, with a retail loss of more than $100 million. In addition, J&J issued several nationwide urgent public announcements warning people not to use the product.
It seems almost impossible that a brand could survive after such an ordeal yet not only did J&J survive the crisis, the company also boosted its credibility due to its thoughtful and timely PR responses. J&J redefined crisis communications management with the way it handled the Tylenol crisis, turning the matter into a case study in effective public relations and crisis management.
Does your company know the 10 most important steps to prepare for a crisis? Do you have a plan in place and employees trained in proper protocols to handle the unexpected? How your company handles a crisis can mean the difference between success and ultimate failure.
At Axia, we have years of professional experience in crisis communications management. For example, tune in to our #CrisisPR webinar for an in-depth discussion on how to stay on top of any situation. As crisis management counselors, we team up with your company to prepare long before a crisis ever occurs. Axia will show your organization how to put communication first and mitigate negative outcomes that are detrimental to your success. A great way to get started on mapping out your crisis preparedness strategy is to download this e-book: Managing Public Relations in a Crisis.
To learn more about partnering with Axia’s crisis communications team, contact us today. Don’t let your company fall victim to poor planning; let Axia be your crisis communications adviser.
We can help your company improve online reviews and online reputation management.
Not yet experiencing a crisis? It's a good idea to plan ahead by planning today. Our experienced team will create a custom crisis communications plan just for your company that follows our 10 most crucial crisis steps. The process takes about 4–8 weeks.
$10,000
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Book a crisis communications consultation right now with our PR agency's Managing Partner, Jason Mudd, using his urgent access, priority needs crisis calendar.
$500
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Build your crisis plan with our e-book on Crisis PR. Discover how you can build a crisis PR plan, even as a crisis unfolds, what you should never say during a crisis, and more.
$9.95
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For every
spent on crisis planning, a company saves $7 during a crisis.
- FEMA
of companies never recover from a crisis.
- SBA
of companies who faced a major crisis sought outside help either during or after their most serious crisis.
- PWC
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