“The first time a brand wants to engage with a media outlet should NOT be during a crisis.” – Patrick Brightman of 3E PR.
Over these past few months, we’ve heard from several businesses who wish they could go back to March and get a do-over on their entire COVID-19 communication strategy. They wish they could back and make their messaging different, better, faster.
Hindsight is always 20/20, but our friends Megan Redzia and Patrick Brightman of 3E shared with us some of their top tips in terms of how business owners can be better prepared the next time an opportunity presents itself for action and discourse. Thanks to their expert advice, here are some practical steps every business can do to learn from the COVID-19 pandemic in order to be better prepared in the future.
1. Have a plan in place.
The 3E PR team works with companies to put crisis plans in place from the get-go. No matter the scale or magnitude of the crisis, having protocols and practices in play to rely on and implement mitigates the challenges that come with having to put one together on the spot in the middle of the storm.
2. Get out of your comfort zone
Pivotal moments are not the time to stay quiet or play it safe. You need to be responsive, and it’s a balance of being thorough yet quick, nimble yet detailed. Having both a public relations and marketing team in your corner can help you to expertly craft these narratives in order to efficiently and effectively get your message out there.
3. Use it as a learning experience
We can all agree that these past few months have been a massive learning experience for so many, in so many different ways. For businesses, take a look at where you were strong and where you were weak during this time. Use it as an opportunity to evaluate where you weren’t the greatest, where you were and where there is room for growth and change going forward.
Following these steps will enable you and your business to be better prepared when a crisis strikes in order to be a true industry leader in those critical, defining moments.
