Crisis Communications for Communities
It is only a matter of time – a crisis will come to your community. The pandemic made that clear. What’s next could be a disaster, natural or human-made. Or a mass shooting, terrorist event, or civil unrest. Or a City Hall scandal or budget crisis. Or maybe an issue with your water supply – or any number of things almost impossible to predict.
No community can prevent adversity. Change is inevitable. Things happen. Issues arise. But it is that moment when all eyes are on you – those of your neighbors, your business owners, your visitors, your employees, the state, the country, even the world – when you must be at your best as a communicator.
How will you prepare? How will you respond? And what comes next?
Let us partner with you to answer those difficult questions. Here is a snapshot of the services we offer:
Crisis Planning
We will begin by auditing existing crisis materials. This includes a full assessment of current crisis materials as well as the channels used to communicate with the wide range of audiences. Carl Collective then will develop a tactical communications game plan outlining the proper communication channels and people who can most effectively manage a crisis situation and drive home the right messages to the right people at the right time. The strategic crisis communications plan will include:
- Potential scenarios
- Roles and responsibilities
- Communications strategies
- Key audiences to reach
- Plans of action (hour 1, hour 2, next day, etc.)
- Sample messaging
- Key communication templates
- Potential scenarios
- Roles and responsibilities
- Communications strategies
- Key audiences to reach
- Plans of action
(hour 1, hour 2, next day, etc.) - Sample messaging
- Key communication templates
Training and Spokesperson Preparation
Carl Collective’s media training program assists crisis leaders in how to engage with the media in today’s environment. We focus on ensuring your team understands the rules and proper etiquette for working with the media, as well as positioning the organization effectively during a crisis. We call this training Spokespower.
This two- to four-hour training program covers journalistic styles and features a “What’s News” section, which highlights the principal drivers of the initiatives journalists take when preparing news stories. The training also includes a practice session on responding to reporters’ questions in various scenarios. The session can be video recorded for review and on-site analysis with your team.
This program will teach key leaders about making the most out of every opportunity (even as an issue arises) to tell your story and communicate it properly (and positively) with confidence to the media. In Spokespower we cover:
- The value of media relations
- Gaining the competitive edge
- Making the most out of every media opportunity
- Telling great stories through key messages
- Interview preparation
- Issues of concern with media relations
- Do’s and don’ts for success
- Keys to appearance
- Bridging topics
- How social media plays into everything
- Setting terms of interviews
- The value of media relations
- Gaining the competitive edge
- Making the most out of every media opportunity
- Telling great stories through key messages
- Interview preparation
- Issues of concern with media relations
- Do’s and don’ts for success
- Keys to appearance
- Bridging topics
- How social media plays into everything
- Setting terms of interviews
Crisis Communications Advice and Counsel
Let’s Get to Work
We are ready to step up for your community. We are a phone call, text or email away.
In the meantime, please consider reading this for a deeper understanding of the importance of crisis communications planning, and the work we can do for you.
Regional Director Erik Brooks
ebrooks@carlcollective.com
Office: 414-261-7631
Mobile: 414-651-1105