By Tom Mason, Communications Director

As a former journalist (albeit some time ago), I have written more than my fair share of articles focused on moments of crisis for businesses and individuals.

It may sound cold, but there was certainly hierarchy in news reporting that focused on crisis above positivity. I will never forget being told in my first week in the newsroom that “nothing trumps death or tragedy”.

Since then, I have “turned to the dark side”, as many of my old colleagues would have said, and I find myself helping businesses prepare for those moments by drafting crisis plans designed to manage public relations (PR) nightmares.

It’s an under-discussed aspect of marketing but, for care companies, it’s becoming increasingly useful to have crisis PR plans in place just in case they’re needed.

This type of contingency planning is a great way to bring focus to what can often feel like a chaotic situation.

Why do care companies create crisis PR plans?

With the nature of care work, there’s always a risk that a dissatisfied client or their family makes a complaint that finds its way to the internet.

Alternatively, if there’s a genuine emergency or ‘black-swan event’ that occurs within your client base it could end up in the media.

Either of which can damage your reputation or even impact your bottom line.

Care is particularly at risk given the vulnerability of those requiring care services and the responsibility that firms have to these people.

Fortunately, crisis PR plans (when done well) can prevent bad press or, at a minimum, soften the blow so that the brand’s reputation isn’t too adversely affected.

What is a crisis PR plan?

A crisis PR plan is a playbook for how your organisation responds if something goes wrong and public scrutiny follows.

They are designed to be picked up and used under pressure, often at short notice, so they need to be pre-agreed in advance of any issues occurring and shared with the key stakeholders involved.

Typically, a well-built crisis PR plan will include:

  • Clear definitions of what constitutes a crisis, with examples relevant to care settings such as safeguarding concerns, serious incidents, regulatory action, data breaches or high-profile complaints
  • A named crisis response team with clear roles and responsibilities, including who signs off statements and who speaks to the media
  • Approved holding statements and messaging templates that can be adapted quickly, reducing the risk of rushed or inconsistent responses
  • Media handling guidance, including dos and don’ts for staff, escalation routes, and how to deal with journalists on tight deadlines
  • Stakeholder communication plans covering families, staff, regulators, commissioners and partners
  • Social media and online review guidance, setting out when to respond publicly and when not to
  • Contact details for key internal and external stakeholders, kept in one easily accessible place

A crisis PR plan should be reviewed at least annually, and whenever there is a significant change to your organisation, leadership team, services or regulatory environment.

Many care providers also refresh their plans after a real incident, using lessons learned to strengthen future responses.

Essentially, a crisis PR plan gives you clarity, consistency and control at a time when emotions are high and your reputation is most at risk.

They are the one “insurance policy” that many care providers overlook, but which can prevent sleepless nights.

Why working with a PR and marketing agency helps

Employing a marketing agency with crisis PR experience gives you immediate access to people who deal with these situations and can guide you on the right plan for you.

Internal teams are often too close to an issue, emotionally invested or stretched thin by operational demands to review and write plans, whereas an external agency can step in calmly, assess risk and shape the messaging.

Many members of our content team have a background in journalism and can bring their experience on the “other side” to create and deliver plans that manage the media well.

We understand how newsrooms work, what makes a story run and how headlines are shaped.

If you’re looking for experts in crisis PR who’ll walk you through creating a plan and be on hand to help if the worst should happen, why not get in touch?

Speak to our team for more information on costs and the next steps!