Crisis Communication Planning & Analysis
Time spent planning during a crisis will delay an organization’s response.
Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail.
Every organization should expect to face a crisis at some point in its existence. A food recall, employee misconduct, or even a global pandemic could drastically impact customer perception, but an effective crisis communication plan could salvage an organization’s reputation while keeping its stakeholders safe. The following sections compare two different responses to crisis communication.
First, I analyze credit reporting bureau Equifax’s response to the 2017 security breach that put 145 million Americans at risk of identity fraud. I detail how their communications increased the risk to victims while also causing lasting damage to Equifax’s reputation.
I then present the crisis communication plan I drafted for the City of Moscow, Idaho. Municipal governments such as Moscow are often responsible for public safety (police, fire, EMS, snow removal), water supply, and other critical infrastructure. Effectively communicating during a crisis can have a direct impact on residents’ survival and property, so this plan aims to reduce barriers to communication when 100% coverage is required and every second matters.
Equifax Inc. [@Equifax]. (2017, September 7). “We recently discovered a cybersecurity incident involving consumer information. Once discovered, we acted immediately to stop the intrusion.” Retrieved from Twitter: https://twitter.com/Equifax/status/905918795247734788
PR Response to the 2017 Data Breach (PDF)
In 2017, a data breach at Equifax leaked social security numbers, debt information, and other sensitive data about 145 million Americans. This report includes a company background, incident background, timeline of events, description of Equifax’s initial response, public reaction & further PR crises, audience segmentation information, analysis of crisis communication preparation, impacts of the PR response, and takeaways for professional communicators,
This analysis was an assignment in the Strategic Communication Master’s Program at Washington State University’s Edward R. Murrow School of Communication.
COMSTRAT 701 - Strategic Communication Capstone
Professor Rebecca L. Cooney
Fall 2021
Crisis Planning for a Municipal Government (PDF)
Public safety is a core function of municipal government, and any real or perceived failures to prioritize public safety and to provide adequate responses to threats could not only impact the organization’s reputation, but more importantly, could jeopardize people’s lives. Municipal public safety can encompass fire suppression, law enforcement, designing safe infrastructure, providing clean drinking water, treating wastewater, removing snow during winter storms, and providing resources during regional and national emergencies. Municipal governments deploy first responders and crisis staff on a daily basis, and they must also be prepared to inform their communities.
NOTE: In the aftermath of a highly-publicized mass casualty incident in 2022, the Moscow Police Department opted to follow a different strategy prioritizing subtlety during their criminal investigation.
Crisis Probability and Impact Table
Preparation for the plan included a comprehensive risk and threat assessment. The Crisis Probability and Impact Table (pictured) highlights examples of crises that are probable, of significant concern to citizens, and would necessitate a crisis response from the city. The list is not comprehensive, but serves as a preparedness aid. It estimates the probability of crises using data between 2000 and 2020.
Other preparation included:
Designation of a crisis team
Designation of an emergency operations center (EOC) and a joint operations center (JIC)
Sourcing contact information for internal stakeholders, external stakeholders, and local media
Assessment of social media capabilities
Assessment of existing messaging protocols
The crisis communication plan also includes resources to streamline communications during emergencies, including:
Crisis communication procedures
Sample press release templates (pictured)
Messaging dos & don’ts
Holding statements
Media information
Checklists
The document also contains instructions for post-crisis evaluations and annual reviews of crisis communication procedures.
Open Crisis Communication Plan in new window (PDF)
This crisis communication plan was an assignment in the Strategic Communication Master’s Program at Washington State University’s Edward R. Murrow School of Communication.
COM 562 - Crisis Communication
Professor Erin Beth Thompson
Summer 2020
Sample Press Release Template