April 3: Coombs Chapter 7

In Coombs’ Chapter 7 “Crisis Containment and Recovery,” there are actually four key points to consider:

1): An organization’s initial response to a crisis

2): Reputational management concerns

3): Enactment of a contingency and business resumption plan

4): Follow-up communication

To summarize:

1): Responding quickly to a crisis sets the tone for the remainder of the public aspect of the crisis. The initial statement serves to prevent the spread of misinformation and helps to build credibility for the organization. When media reports are based on misinformation, potential damage from the crisis intensifies for the organization. The crisis team needs to disseminate accurate crisis information as quickly as possible, even if it means reporting only the scant information that might be know at that point in the crisis. The mere act of response is symbolic in that it indicates the organization is in control. Coupled with public concern for victims—an important component in any crisis—quick response can facilitate the crisis management process by making stakeholders more receptive to later messages. Silence from an organization reflects uncertainty and allows others to control the situation and define the crisis for stakeholders.

2): Reputational damage is a danger during any crisis. A concern for crisis managers is protecting the organization’s reputation during a crisis. Here are Coombs’ recommendations for crisis communication strategy selection, arranged along a continuum:

Full apology – used when the crisis is a result of an organizational misdeed

Corrective action – used when the crisis is an organizational misdeed; also recommended for accidents. Accidents involving an organization with a history of crises should use corrective action along with other strategies.

Ingratiation – used only if the organization has a strong reputation, a history of good works. Appropriate for any type of crisis.

Excuse – used when an organization has little or no responsibility for the crisis. Appropriate for accidents, malevolence, natural disasters. Unwise to employ when crisis damage is severe; can make the organization look petty – especially for accidents.

Denial – used when there is evidence that no crisis exists or that the organization is not responsible for the crisis. Appropriate for rumors.

Attack the accuser – used when there is an identifiable and refutable attacker. Appropriate for rumors.

3): The contingency plan outlines what the organization will do to maintain operations and restore business as usual. The crisis management plan should specify arrangements for identifying relevant stakeholders in a crisis and for communicating with them during all phases of the crisis. Operating during a crisis calls for interim operating procedures, and all relevant stakeholders must be given instructions as part of the communication strategy. Crisis managers must communicate to relevant stakeholders how the contingency plan affects their interaction with the organization.

4): Crisis communication should continue throughout the lifecycle of the crisis. Although the initial response has a mass media emphasis, follow-up communication can be better targeted to individual stakeholders. Every inquiry merits a response, and follow-up communication involves delivering promised information and updating stakeholders about new developments. If accurate information was not available at the onset of the crisis and the crisis team indicated it would pass information along as it became available, it is essential that the team fulfill this promise, even if information was never found. The crisis team must report to the stakeholders.

In applying theory:

One case presented in this chapter offers a point for discussion:

You are on the crisis management team of a large chain of bookstores. A conservative organization claiming a membership of 500,000 condemns your chain for being one of the largest pornography distributors in the country, and threatens to boycott your chain and picket select stores if your company does not stop selling, among others, Penthouse, Playboy, and fine photography books that exhibit nude models. This organization was successful in convincing a large convenience store chain to stop selling these type publications. The media are interested in this story. Which of Coombs’ crisis response strategies (#2 above) do you think is(are) appropriate here?

Which strategy is being used by Menu Foods, the pet food maker at the center of the current pet poisoning controversy?

How is the Red Cross doing in its follow-up communication amid the controversy surrounding the organization’s internal problems that came to light after Katrina?

mic brookshire