Anatomy of a crisis communications plan

What form that crisis can take is more unpredictable, though often not unknowable. It could come in the form of an accident, a natural disaster, a communications misstep or a defective product. The specific risk will depend, of course, on your business, but here are a few that could impact you, drawn from a presentation at PR Daily’s recent Media Relations Conference, presented by Ed Hoover, crisis & issues management senior manager for Mars, Incorporated and Eliot Hoff, executive director, global crisis practice lead for APCO Worldwide:

Identifying and planning for these unplanned yet foreseen crises is a critical part of any communications role. But when you’re staring at a blank page — or a badly out-of-date crisis plan — it can be overwhelming to even know where to begin.

So start simple, as Hoover and Hoff advised: