Use Proven Crisis Communications Strategies to Navigate the Novel Coronavirus

While the coronavirus pandemic is unprecedented, how to handle it is nothing new. The best way for law firms and companies to navigate COVID-19 is to rely on proven crisis communications strategies. While the novelty and uncertainty of the virus certainly add more to consider, best practices for communicating during a crisis remain effective.

In a recent article published by Energy Central, Poston Vice President Megan Paquin discusses crisis management strategies for utility companies in the wake of COVID-19.

There are four types of general crises that organizations face, says Paquin:

• Direct crises, which have a direct impact on the company’s operations or finances;
• Indirect crises, which involve an organization’s affiliates or competitors in the same field;
• Private crisis, such as investigations into an organizations or threats made against it that never are publicly revealed; and
• Public crises, which are often existential like a hurricane or the novel coronavirus pandemic.

“The pandemic is similar to other crises people and organizations face in that it forces them to make rapid decisions, often with less information than they’d like,” Paquin says. “It differs from other crises, however, by not having a set duration.”

The best strategy to cut through the noise surrounding coronavirus is to keep your message simple by providing your stakeholders with the news they need.

Paquin also cautions that this type of intentional communication shouldn’t stop once COVID-19 is behind us.

“People have short attention spans,” she says.

A reputation boost will only last three to six months unless you continue customer-engagement efforts after the pandemic ends – consistency as a communications strategy is key to long-term success.

To read the full article, click here.

Megan Paquin is vice president at Poston Communications, based in Orlando.